# Ticking engine... (06 3.5L)



## Maximum Maxima (Jun 3, 2011)

Hello everyone. I'm having an issue with my 06 Maxima (3.5L). My wife went to wal-mart for an oil change, despite me telling her not to, and they didn't tighten the oil filter. So the car ran for 3K miles with little to no oil, and my wife didn't think to mention the worsening tick in the engine. When I heard the tick and checked the oil, the dipstick was bone dry, and the loose oil filter was covered in old oil and dirt..

But I changed the oil filter, filled the engine with 5w30, and added Z-Max to the engine. Filling it with oil didn't help the tick, but the Z-Max makes it a bit quieter once it circulates (usually takes a couple of minutes). Still though, the ticking is loud when the car starts, and is still there even after the Z-Max gets circulating. And despite the Z-Max, the ticking will get loud again if we drive long enough.

The ticking noise is coming from the area behind the belts, on the left side of the engine (if you're facing the engine). I've only done things like change alternators, water pumps, oil, pumped gas, lol, so I have no clue what the ticking is. Your help would be much appreciated though!

Thanks in advance for you help!


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## Maximum Maxima (Jun 3, 2011)

Okay, so I found out that it's the timing chains. I bought the new timing chains, tensioner, oil seal, o-rings, everything that I was supposed to need, but the I discovered that changing the timing chains involves tearing down the entire engine to it's core on all sides. I might as well do a complete rebuild while I'm in there, lol..

But hopefully this will help people out.. You might as well buy every gasket for the engine if you're changing the timing chains, because you'll need to remove the engine and tear it down to the rockers and cams...


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## trs (Jun 13, 2011)

*So what did you do???*

So did you end up replacing the timing chain and tensioners yourself? How long did it take, how hard and do you have any tips? My 04 Max also just developed a very loud tick yesterday coming from the passenger side of the engine that I'm afraid could be timing related.


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