Does our VQ engines require valve adjustments?

I have 74k miles on my 03.5s and I can here a faint tapping noise @ idle.
And I here a tapping noise when I throttle the car, but it's gone when I don't gas the car..

 

The solid bucket lifters use shims to set the lash, Your FSM lists the 50+ thicknesses. You measure the lash and order new shims to correct...........common on high mileage engines where oil change interval exceeded 90 days or 3,750 miles.

The noise won't hurt anything.

Also use sthethoscope to make sure what you hear is not injector clatter.

 

Thanks!

 

You're hearing the injectors. Injectors on the VQ series have always been very loud. Put the metal end of a screwdriver on the injector cap and your ear up the handle base. You'll hear that injector tapping loud and clear. I spent 6 years on Maxima.org and I can't think of one VQ30 or VQ35 that ever needed the valves adjusted. Lots of guys swapped in cams and/or stiffer valvesprings and found the shims entirely fine and with no excessive wear.