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Clicking noise - Help!

Hammy1105

CEG'er
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
Messages
172
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
I just started hearing a clicking noise that sounds like its possibly moving with the engine timing, does anyone know what this could be?
 
maybe you picked up an African tribesman or something and it's talking to you?
LOL. :laugh:

In all seriousness, I would check out the exhaust first. Drive up ramps or jack up the car and put on jack stands. Then check for leaks. And answer all questions posted and we will be able to help more.
 
wait, if you are hearing a ticking noise on the top of the engine, then its the fuel injectors. in which case thats entirely normal.
 
My first thought was plug wire was loose & there is some arching going on. That will sound like a tick in the cabin, under hood it sounds like a snap. Perhaps a cut in a wire & you've got grounding... How's the car running?

Anyway, check your wires are properly connected and boots in good shape. If everything there seems like it was OK, then pull the plugs one at a time to check for cracked insulator.
 
hey there....so i have that same problem and its intermittent..is yours? and sometimes its worse then other times...

and the way i would describe the sound is like a playing card hitting the spokes on a bicycle wheel and it makes the noise at low RPMs when you rev th mototr or start out driving...

let me know what you find
 
hmm ive got the same sound...only thing with mine is that ive had it since i got the car lol (96 GL ATX). it BARELY makes the sound when not in gear, but it can be heard a bit more when its put in gear (more prominent in drive than reverse). and when my car warms up to the N-O range on the temp gauge the sound starts to die off...the sound seems to be originating from the top of the motor from the far cylinder (passenger side). a couple buddies of mine told me that they thought it was a lifter, and ive seen that tossed around here a couple times but ive never seen a straight answer :shrug: . i can tell you that mine has not gotten worse and it doesnt appear to affect my already horribly low-powered tour :crazy: haha
 
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I had the same problem on my GF's car, and it would go away as the car warmed up. It ended up being a cracked exhaust manifold in that case. I would definitely check for an exhaust leak near the engine. Smelling exhaust fumes as you start the car is a good indicator of this as well.
 
No, I don't think it's anything with the exhaust, im not smelling anything, but I am gonna check the fuel injectors and the plugs and wires. Yea, it's intermittent and it only sounds loud every once in awhile along with another new noise.....wtf!! Guess I can't complain too much, engine has 150k miles on it and I still get it 130+ whoops...
 
hmm ive got the same sound...only thing with mine is that ive had it since i got the car lol (96 GL ATX). it BARELY makes the sound when not in gear, but it can be heard a bit more when its put in gear (more prominent in drive than reverse). and when my car warms up to the N-O range on the temp gauge the sound starts to die off...the sound seems to be originating from the top of the motor from the far cylinder (passenger side). a couple buddies of mine told me that they thought it was a lifter, and ive seen that tossed around here a couple times but ive never seen a straight answer :shrug: . i can tell you that mine has not gotten worse and it doesnt appear to affect my already horribly low-powered tour :crazy: haha

Actually they are right, it is a lifter.

Pre98 Zetecs did that, when the lifters start to get old to almost make a knocking noise, but as soon as the engine gets up to operating temperature it all goes away.
 
ya i guess one of my friends said something about it getting oily or something? i dont recall, he was listing a whole bunchload of possiblities, but i guess the lifter kinda bangs around in there he said. im not much of a car guy so it was difficult to piece together :). im learning :D.
 
****, well anyone know how time consuming that is, or whether its even worth my time doing? I plan on swapping the AER engine by the end of the summer so it is really worth my time?
 
however, one thing that might need to be made of note is that the engine has been making that sound since i got the car with 59k...think that could be a problem? maybe an early death for the engine? lol
 
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