Scotty, I have a 2010 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Roadster that has a ticking noise very noticeable while driving and increases with RPMs. From what I understand, the V10s have this as a common lifter tick "issue". The car recommends 0w 40 oil. However, some say to switch to 15w 50 especially for the summer months. At 45K miles on it, will this hurt the motor or ok to do?
If the lifters are bad, they're bad. They need to be replaced.
Thanks Doc. Yes. I'm familiar with this. However, a little bit of research notes that the V10 is common to have this and that they aren't actually bad. The potential fix to quiet them is to go with a different oil. I thought maybe Scotty would have some insight on that.
It's possible but with Chrysler's reputation for extremely poor quality parts in their valve trains and the fact that it's already 12 years old, it wouldn't be out of the question. You could always try the different oil for a while and see if it helps. I usually use 5w30 in the winter then switch to 10w40 in the summer. But then again, I don't have a Viper.
I bought it used in December. So I cannot say that this has been a long problem or not. The dealer did not disclose any issues. Being a long distance sale, I relied on a 3rd party pre-inspection. The guy was very thorough, so I was confident in my purchase. One of these days I'll pull the valve covers and inspect. I just want to make sure putting that big of a difference in oil specifications wouldn't cause more damage than necessary.
fix to quiet them is to go with a different oil
that will mask the problem, not fix it. And now you're using oil the engine wasn't designed for.
I can agree with this. I just have been reading advice from other Viper owners and responses from Viper techs to them. I'm a DIYer and have no plans to take it to some mechanic. Scotty would probably be the only one I would trust. If the valves / lifters are "designed" to be "tappy", then I would have to live with it or mask it as you stated.