If you confirm that the valve lifters make a rattle/clatter noise for two to three seconds when the engine is started cold on Nissan vehicles with VG30E or VG33E engine built before Oct. 13, 2003, replace the valve lifters, P/N 13231-V5005 (quantity 12).
Note:
To duplicate this incident, the engine usually requires an overnight “cold-soak.” You should hear the noise coming from one or both valve covers. A moderate amount of engine noise that may occur during starting or during the time needed for oil pressure to build (about one second) is considered normal, and doesn’t require repair.
Go to the EM section of the appropriate service manual for lifter replacement instructions.
Technical service bulletin courtesy of IDENTIFIX.
For additional tech tips, visit www.identifix.com.