3.6 subtle tick at idle

[22Tradesman]

Hey everyone!
I just started to notice my 3.6 has developed a slight tick at idle. I first noticed it while on my little road trip out to Palm Springs this past weekend. It seems to go away when driving the truck. Oil pressure is 31-32 psi at idle, and the truck's oil level is good. Currently at 9887 miles and the truck has been super solid otherwise! Should I be nervous or is this a normal sound these Pentastars make? What do you all think? Thanks!

Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j-khLnAGmZQ

 

[Atcer2018]

Hey everyone!
I just started to notice my 3.6 has developed a slight tick at idle. I first noticed it while on my little road trip out to Palm Springs this past weekend. It seems to go away when driving the truck. Oil pressure is 31-32 psi at idle, and the truck's oil level is good. Currently at 9887 miles and the truck has been super solid otherwise! Should I be nervous or is this a normal sound these Pentastars make? What do you all think? Thanks!

Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j-khLnAGmZQ

The Pentastar has been known to eat a cam or two over its production run but that was supposedly corrected in 2018 with improved internals. At less than 10k miles on a 2022 you should still have warranty left so I’d personally get it into the dealer soon. Don’t be surprised if they tell you it’s normal. After watching your vid I could hear a slight tick but to me it sounded more like injectors than lifters. Does the sound accelerate with increased RPMs? If you don’t drive it for a few days is tick more pronounced? It could also be a bad serpentine belt tensioner but if you’re still under warranty let the dealer figure it out.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Hey everyone!
I just started to notice my 3.6 has developed a slight tick at idle. I first noticed it while on my little road trip out to Palm Springs this past weekend. It seems to go away when driving the truck. Oil pressure is 31-32 psi at idle, and the truck's oil level is good. Currently at 9887 miles and the truck has been super solid otherwise! Should I be nervous or is this a normal sound these Pentastars make? What do you all think? Thanks!

Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j-khLnAGmZQ

It's been a while since mine was that new but I feel like I noticed the same change a long time ago and it's been that way ever since. If I were to record my gen2 3.6L it would sound like this too. I think yours is a 3rd gen 3.6L but I'm not sure if that is the case with Rams.

 

[22Tradesman]

The Pentastar has been known to eat a cam or two over its production run but that was supposedly corrected in 2018 with improved internals. At less than 10k miles on a 2022 you should still have warranty left so I’d personally get it into the dealer soon. Don’t be surprised if they tell you it’s normal. After watching your vid I could hear a slight tick but to me it sounded more like injectors than lifters. Does the sound accelerate with increased RPMs? If you don’t drive it for a few days is tick more pronounced? It could also be a bad serpentine belt tensioner but if you’re still under warranty let the dealer figure it out.

Thanks for the reply. I was leaning towards injectors as well. I don’t think it increases with rpm, I can’t hear it when I rev the truck up. I still have about 4 years left on the factory warranty so I'm in luck. My plan is to not worry about it for now, but when I need an oil change I’ll take it to the Dodge dealer and mention it to them.

 

[22Tradesman]

It's been a while since mine was that new but I feel like I noticed the same change a long time ago and it's been that way ever since. If I were to record my gen2 3.6L it would sound like this too. I think yours is a 3rd gen 3.6L but I'm not sure if that is the case with Rams.

I appreciate the reply. Im guessing that my truck has the 2nd gen engine. Are all of the 3.6 etorque engines in the 5th gen trucks 3rd generation engines?

 

[SitKneelBend]

I appreciate the reply. Im guessing that my truck has the 2nd gen engine. Are all of the 3.6 etorque engines in the 5th gen trucks 3rd generation engines?

E Torque could almost be considered a 4thgen 3.6L. The PUG 3.6L made changes to icrease efficiency and performance. On many vehicles with the PUG, it's easy to identify as it adds a EGR cooler to the engine but I'm not sure if that cooler is present on Rams...if so it is definitely a 3rd gen.

 

[Atcer2018]

E Torque could almost be considered a 4thgen 3.6L. The PUG 3.6L made changes to icrease efficiency and performance. On many vehicles with the PUG, it's easy to identify as it adds a EGR cooler to the engine but I'm not sure if that cooler is present on Rams...if so it is definitely a 3rd gen.

What’s a PUG?

 

[SitKneelBend]

What’s a PUG?

PUG = Pentastar-Upgrade

PUG — the Pentastar V6 engine upgrade

PUG — the Pentastar V6 engine upgrade: what it’s all about

www.pentastars.com

 

[Atcer2018]

PUG = Pentastar-Upgrade

PUG — the Pentastar V6 engine upgrade

PUG — the Pentastar V6 engine upgrade: what it’s all about

www.pentastars.com

Thank you.

 

[22Tradesman]

A little update, I wonder if it’s an exhaust leak instead of an internal tick? I washed the truck today, and started it up to let it idle while I wiped under the hood. Everything sounds completely normal with the hood open. When I shut it, I could hear the ticking. I climbed underneath the passenger side wheel well, and it sounds like the noise is coming directly from where the catalytic converter mounts to the cylinder head. I didn’t touch anything because I didn’t want to incinerate my hand. Is that a possible issue with these engines? Is there an easy way to check if this is the case? I know it happens on the Hemis. Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[Atcer2018]

A little update, I wonder if it’s an exhaust leak instead of an internal tick? I washed the truck today, and started it up to let it idle while I wiped under the hood. Everything sounds completely normal with the hood open. When I shut it, I could hear the ticking. I climbed underneath the passenger side wheel well, and it sounds like the noise is coming directly from where the catalytic converter mounts to the cylinder head. I didn’t touch anything because I didn’t want to incinerate my hand. Is that a possible issue with these engines? Is there an easy way to check if this is the case? I know it happens on the Hemis. Thanks again for all the replies.

I have no knowledge of the 3.6L breaking exhaust manifold bolts. You mentioned the catalytic converter, they have a heat shield and the spot welds may have separated causing a rhythmic tick. Never heard of it but it’s possible.

 

[Rado]

Check the Flange on the Y pipe !
The studs rotted off in mine and was replaced under warranty!
A few years later the studs rotted off again and my mechanic drilled out the studs and put a Nut and bolt in place

 

[Rado]

Please UPDATE what you do find out ! Thanks

 

[DILLIGAF]

I run Red Line 5w30 in the 3.6L in the wife JK. Runs way quieter.

 

[Atcer2018]

I run Red Line 5w30 in the 3.6L in the wife JK. Runs way quieter.

Mine does too. 5W30 is the way to go.

 

[SitKneelBend]

Check the Flange on the Y pipe !
The studs rotted off in mine and was replaced under warranty!
A few years later the studs rotted off again and my mechanic drilled out the studs and put a Nut and bolt in place

Y pipe?

 

[22Tradesman]

Mine does too. 5W30 is the way to go.

I agree. I’ve seen other people put 5w30 in to quiet them down. I think the 3.6’s are just in general a little noisier than other engines. The 3.6 in our Grand Cherokee L makes way more noise than my ram, and it’s been problem free for the past 3 years.

 

[22Tradesman]

Please UPDATE what you do find out ! Thanks

Will do, but in the mean time i’m just rolling with it. Like I said to Atcer2018, I think these 3.6’s are a little noisier in general from what I’ve read, and heard with our 21 Grand Cherokee L. I haven’t noticed any changes since I first heard the tick, and the oil pressure and level looks good. I’m gonna try 5w30 on my next oil change.

 

[ramffml]

I think the 3.6’s are just in general a little noisier than other engines.

This is interesting. I had a 3.6 in a 2012 jeep before getting my ram and I was pretty shocked once I started listening closely to my truck on stock oil and brand new. The 3.6 was dead quiet in comparison, though I did get that cold startup rattle every once in a while on the 3.6 too.

All that hemi noise is literally why I started researching oil, locating bitog, seeing burla post there about redline and then coming here to this forum to discuss.

Guess not every engine behaves the same.

 

[Rado]

Y pipe?

Yea the pipe off the manifold to exhaust pipe.. I may have wrong name for it