lifter noise when cold start??

Hey guys, searched the forums but no explicit answer I could find. I bought this 2000 jetta about 3 months ago (love this car!) 90,000 miles /auto, runs great! get 44 mpg`s on the hwy. Starts right up everytime, perfect! notice lifter noise when I start the car after it sits for a day or so, goes away within seconds. I used the shell rotella T when I changed the oil. I know about early american muscle cars as I restore them. (have a full shop setup) Usually there may be some "leakdown" and it is "sometimes" normal on these cars that have hydr. lifters but I`m not ceratain if this is normal for the tdi`s and if they use the hydr. lifters or solid. Sooo is this normal??? and one more question, I`m getting a rc2 and nozzles. I`m going to do the nozzles next week and intend to use the sprint 357`s. are these the proper nozzles and chip if I want to retain the mpg`s , and yet get some more power? I have 2 70` pontiac gto`s that have more than 500 hp. so I`m not going to get greedy with the tdi`s hp! Jeff comes to my neck of the woods in nov. CAN`T wait!!! Love this forum, read thru it everyday, thanx!!

A little clatter from a cold engine is common, especially in cold weather. Should only last a few seconds ,then go away. I can only speak to my set up, mpg's went down slightly with nozzles only, then up from original with a tune. I'm sure you know you're going to take a hit with AT. Best of luck.

Cold weather in Georgia in September?

What type of oil are you using in the car? Might wanna try something a bit thinner.

Yea it`s not cold here! I`m using shell rotella T 5w-40 oil, don`t believe you mean thinner oil, normally when you have lifter leakdown you should go to a higher viscosity/ at least with the american classic v8`s, as I stated i`m still in the learning curve with these tdi`s. I just wanted to be sure that this lifter noise at startup is nothing to be concerned about, Souza: maybe I`ll go with the rc1, I`m not sure which yet. thanx for the help and info

Stay with 5-40 - wherever. It costs a bundle to get different rating that is full synth and diesel rated.

My 2000 NBTDI often has at most a second of lifter clatter in the morning, even in the middle of summer. This is completely normal, especially since that car does not get driven nearly as much as the Golf.

The hydraulic lifters will still have some oil left in them from the last time the car was driven, it gets started up and the cam squishes what oil is left out before full oil pressure is reached at the head, so the lifters clatter in the interim. Perfectly normal.

I'm using Rotella T 5W40 in that car as well - it's hard to beat the price, although Quaker State Diesel Plus 5W40 will be going in at the next oil change - bought it for my PD Golf and have since switched to 507.00.

If you have questions regarding your nozzle choice, Jeff would be the man to ask. With nozzles and RC2 in that Jetta, you're gonna be ripping the asphalt off the Atlanta Highway!

scurvy

What oil filter did you install? Some have an internal baffle that helps retain oil in the filter housing and get oil pressure back up sooner. (OE Mann filter is my choice.)

HopefulFred said:

What oil filter did you install? Some have an internal baffle that helps retain oil in the filter housing and get oil pressure back up sooner. (OE Mann filter is my choice.)

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I've always used OEM filters with the internal baffle, either Bosch or Mann and replaced both oil filter o-rings at every oil change. Doesn't make a difference with the NB. It may only get driven once every few days and it always has lifter clatter for at most one second. Perfectly normal.

i hear lifter clatter every time i start it after sitting for more than 4-5 hours, only lasts a few seconds.