an upsetting noise

[Daves95Contour]

My SVT is making a ticking noise that is audible from standing outside the car. The noise is a steady tick,,tick,,tick,, and upon accelerating tick,tick,tick, it seems as if it gets a faster with the rising rpm's. The sound seems loudest when you put you ear by the chrome oval just underneath the hood between the headlights. I did a search on this and I guess it could be a leaking exhaust gasket or a possible lifter. Maybe even an injector.. I just changed the oil using motorcraft fl820s and penz. platinum synthetic oil. The car had a bosch filter on it when i bought it and the oil was very black when I drained it... I just changed the plugs, wires, and put new tranny oil in. Any help/suggestions will be awsome! I would love to find out why she is ticking!

 

[FavoriteMystaque]

Does it sound like a small lawnmower engine or a small pip noise, that would be exhaust.

 

[karter]

I had a ticking sound on my 'tour once. Turned out that one of the sparkplug wires had come loose somehow. The ticking sound was the arcing from the end of the sparkplug wire to the sparkplug.

 

[Daves95Contour]

How do you find out if its arcing? I bought a set of brand new motorcraft ignition wires and installed them on my 95. One night I had my hood opened and I reved the gas and I seen a light flash under the hood. I know that that was arcing. I defect exchanged the wires and it was gone. Well, I just got a new set of motorcraft ignition wires for my SVT. I wonder if the new set could be arcing?

 

[69Boss302]

easiest way, which you've done before, would be to find a dark place, turn off the headlights, pop the hood and look for light show with the engine running. You'll see flashes of light if it is arcing. Give it some gas at the throttle body also to see if it get's worse as the rpm's go up. Sometimes the sparks may not be visible at idle.