[gordon59]

My 2009 Jetta TDI makes an occasional loud engine ticking sound when started and for the first mile or so when driven. The car has 15500 miles. It didn't make this sound before reaching the 14,000 mile mark. Oil level is fine although was over filled by dealer at 12 month and 24 month service which I had corrected both times. Engine runs smooth. Any idea what could be making this sound? Should I be concerned?

 

[chittychittybangbang]

What oil did they use? Ticking like that is normally the lifters but a new car with good oil shouldn't have clogged lifters, especially with that low mileage.

VW oil spec for the newer DPF equipped engines is 507.00. Take a look at the DPF FAQ article for more on this.

Try this: open the hood and note where the moving belts and fans are. You don't want to go near them. Take a stethoscope or the mechanic's stethoscope (a long thin screwdriver with one end on your ear) and probe around to see if you can narrow the source of the ticking down. Some places to look are the fuel pumps (follow the fuel lines) and the flywheel area, or the cylinder head.

 

[gordon59]

Thanks for the advice CCBB. I will post my findings next time I hear ticking noise. I hope the dealer used 507 spec oil. Its advertised at the dealer (Gunther).