How many owners have had their valve clearance adjusted at 60 or 70,000 miles? And if so, did you hear the lifters when starting up the vehicle? Or is having the valves adjusted a rare event and maybe never done?

Thanks in advance for replies.

 

It is unheard of. Valves are not adjusted, at least on our SC430's.

 

I agree with what you've said, but it is in the maintenance manual at 60,000 miles.

"Engine Valve Clearance (except GS 300 and IS)
Inspect for excessive lifter noise and engine vibration
and adjust if necessary. A qualified technician should
perform this operation. (The GS 300 and IS are
equipped with hydraulic valve lash adjusters, which
require no periodic clearance inspection or adjustment.)"

I was wondering if anyone has heard excessive lifter noise, maybe during warming the engine up, and had to have the valve clearance adjusted.

 

If there is no apparent lifter noise, you should be OK. Nobody has complained of the valve tuppet noise that I have read around here. That's how good the 4.3 is.

 

A lot of the recommended check points in the manual are suggested and can be easily evaluated.

 

The reason I brought up the topic is that my wife's SC has about 70,000 miles on it and when she starts it up I hear what I believe is lifter noise at the very beginning of the start-up and then it goes away, no engine vibration whatsoever.

 

Our engines do use hydraulic valve lifters. So, I'm not sure what adjustment we're talking about. As for lifter noise on start-up, I've had a few cars that as they aged needed a little time to pump up the lifters. On one of them (an Audi 5000CS TurboQuattro) it was just one balky lifter, and the noise completely went away when I switched to full synthetic oil, and came back whenever I tried conventional oil.

Does your noise sound like just a few lifters, or is is clattering like a cold diesel engine (sounds like a bag full of marbles)?