Tonight I fired up the Z and the ticking was still there so since I had a couple of minutes I disconnect the VTC connectors and no change in the frequency or loudness of the lifter tick. Then I proceeded to connect the VTC connector green wire with a black stripe to ground. This did change the sound of the engine but did not eliminate the ticking. After this test I believe that the VTC solenoids, springs, and gears are ok. If I can get off work at a decent hour I will change the oil and filter again with a 10W-40 weight. It seems to not be an issue immediately after an oil change but after 30 minutes of driving it starts up again. I smelled the oil and it smells a little sweeter so I think I might be getting gas in the oil which would lower the viscosity and make the lifters tick. Just a guess at this point. I will know more after the next oil change. Does anyone know how to determine if there is gas in the oil? Of course you can smell it but my sense of smell is not that good. Cheers
