Did we discover the cure for Miata lifter tick? | Garage Rescue Miata

Miata engines love to tap just to remind us that they’re there. The engines typically deliver decades of faithful service, so occasionally they like to say, “Hey, we’re still here” with some rhythmic lifter chatter.

Historically, our Garage Rescue Miata’s lifters have chattered when the oil was getting dirty. Call it an audible oil change minder.

Best we can remember, before …

Read the rest of the story

My '91 Miata has been using synthetics since the break-in period was over. Redline 10W-30, then Mobil One 10W-30 and for the last 16 years Amsoil Signature Series 0W-30 initially, now 10W-30. Never had tick-tick yet and it sees the redline fairly often. I have heard good things about Liqui Moly.

The best cure is a BP4W

I put the same Liqui Moly oil in both my C5 Corvette and my '07 Tahoe. With FCP Euro's lifetime guarantee, you just can't beat [nearly] free oil!

My experience with Miata lifter tick is that viscosity matters a lot more than brand.  The extent that brand matters probably relates to how close it is to the rated viscosities, especially as it wears.  10W-30 (despite being what the manual recommends for warm weather) has always been a recipe for cold lifter tick for me.  These days I run whatever happens to be the cheapest 0W-40 full-synthetic I can find, and run it 10,000 miles, all year long. If I do get a tick running 0W-40, it usually means I'm down to the bottom of the dipstick and need to top up.

My cheap track Miata with 300,000 miles ticked like crazy when I got it, hot or cold.  0W-40 didn't help. I used some liqui-moly flush following the instructions on the can, changed the oil again and now it only ticks for 30 seconds or so when I let it sit for a couple months.

Berck said:

My experience with Miata lifter tick is that viscosity matters a lot more than brand.  

I agree with this and find that the change to 5-30 has lessened the lifter tick substantially. I blew a front seal after trying 5-40 but that may have been only a coincidence. I'm tempted to try 0-30 as my theory is that the thinner initial viscosity gets the oil up to the lifters faster (dunno if I'm at all on the right track with this but 0-30 ticks less than 10-30).

It's an autocross car with 176,000 kilometres and it is run hard every time it is driven..!!

Rotella T6 did the trick for me. Might be the viscosity as decribed above. 

I'm Miata's I always had good luck with fresh oil.  Most of mine were higher mileage so I usually use high mileage semi synth Valvoline in those cases.

I Googled for the answer to this question and became sick of typing in the search bar and receiving the same answer....

After replacing a oil filter/cooling part on a Hyundai this week. I filled the oil back up, it had none in it. I poored the oil in the car and it was like water and had a green tint to it?? I looked at the bottle of oil and it read 0W-30. If the higher the viscosity number the thicker the oil is, And the W means Winter.  Then 0w is winter (cold) and 30 is hot. How can a oil become thicker when hot?  Or am I way off on this??  I did learn tonight that new engine have been designed to run thinner oils than my Miata's 

5W30 is a recommended weight from Mazda, just not in the coldest temps. 

Miata owners have been coming up with the solution to the tick for 30 years, and it always seems to come down to "try different things until one works". 

I do not have a "tick" in my Miata. I became curious about viscosity after making a repair on a new Hyundai with 0w-30 oil and came across this thread. The 30 is denser than 0. So in essants it take more time for 30 viscosity oil to flow through a opening because it is hot. It just clicked... the oil expands as it is heated causing more resistance and higher viscosity. Just like metal expands when heated and shrinks when cooled.  

In reply to MyMiatas :

Okay I have to chime on on this one. The two numbers refer to the behavior of the oil when cold and hot vs a straight single weight oil. So 5w30 behaves the same as a plain 5 weight oil when it is cold and like a 30 weight oil when it is hot. It does not have a higher viscosity when it is hot than cold, it is still thinner and flows more easily when hot. The second number means when it is hot it has the viscosity of a hot 30 weight oil.  0w30, 5w30,10w30,15w30, and straight SAE30 should all have the same viscosity once up to operating temp. Where they differ is their viscosity when cold. The lower numbers flow better when cold allowing the engine to receive proper flow to keep things lubricated and reduce internal resistance a heavier oil would cause when cold.

calteg said:

The best cure is a BP4W

Or, a LS.

Well the 0w-30 did not save the engine. It ended up being seized. It is going to the auction to be a salvage parts vehicle. I was told that a new engine for that Hyundai was 4500. 

Seafoam in crankcase followed by a Rotella t6 solved mine

Keith Tanner said:

5W30 is a recommended weight from Mazda, just not in the coldest temps. 

Miata owners have been coming up with the solution to the tick for 30 years, and it always seems to come down to "try different things until one works". 

Yup. Also, at least with my engine, traditionally the ticking meant that it was time to change the oil. 

In reply to MyMiatas :

The viscosity numbers are a holdover from the petroleum oil days. That oil would thin out as it increased in temperature. So a 0w30 has the same viscosity as a cold 0 weight petroleum oil when cold and the same viscosity as a hot 30w petroleum oil when hot. The synthetic oil doesn't get thicker, it just doesn't thin out.

So, an update to the Miata’s lifter tick.

Even with the Liqui Moly, the lifters would still occasionally tick–like if the engine was run at high rpm for a while. (Picture an hour-long drive on the interstate.)

I need to write up an update for what’s been working, but here’s a sneak peek: Idemitsu synthetic oil from the Mazda dealership.