Engine Noise / Ticking, Knocking, Tapping MERGED

[eric489]

All threads with vague titles regarding engine bay noises are now merged HERE.

If you honestly feel we can diagnose an internal engine problem from a poor description or low-quality video / audio sample, give it a shot.


I own a 1997 gst spyder and there is a ticking noise comming fron the engine. It comes and goes and it mostly sounds bad at idle. I have 97,000 miles on it and i change the oil regularly. I changed it about 2000 miles ago I need help to fix the problem.

 

[uberswede]

After weeks of tweaking and replacing little things, I FINALLY got my car running near how I wanted it to yesterday.

Looks like the last guy used the cheapest plugs he could find and didn't even gap them...

After replacing those, I was running a smooth 17psi right up to redline... occasionally spiking to 18.something... no hesitation at all, not running too lean, MAYBE a tad rich... but nothing seemed wrong at all... FOR ONCE!!

ANYWAYS.

That was yesterday. Today I was on my way to the gym, and just started doing a second gear pull, really... didn't even make it to redline or full boost; I hit just over 13 PSI then the engine bucked HARD.

It felt like I hit something, which I'm pretty sure I didn't... and it made a noise that I can only compare to grinding gears... it sounded HORRIBLE.

I let off... the car idled fine, nothing leaking out that I could see... so I just continued on to the gym.

After the gym, the car started and idled fine. Let it warm up a bit... and drove home. It drives totally fine under 3000 rpm.

If I rev it up in neutral, it'll bounce off redline like nothings wrong.

If I floor it, it absolutely will NOT go above 3 grand. I had something kind of similar before, that ended up being an intake pipe just popping off.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...t-pre-modded-talon-5-days-later-no-power.html

But this... this is different. That noise I heard when the engine bucked was... horrendous, to say the least. The car will just NOT go above 3grand.

Could this be some kind of failsafe because of a major knock or something? I wasn't even boosting as high yet as I normally would...

Seriously, one thing after another with this car, and nothing but people telling me these cars are money pits. I really really don't want to give up on this car so soon... but seriously... this is getting ridiculous.

HALP ME, please and thank you.

 

[cutty2fast]

i've been told thats what fuel cut feels like???? unhook your battery and let your ecu reset see what happens?

 

[uberswede]

I've considered that possibility... as well as a dead turbo, or a blown BOV.

If that IS the case, something happened to cause the engine to do that... THAT'S my concern. What if the BOV just blew the hell up and sent something through the motor? That cause the buck, and the ECU to limit my RPM's maybe?

I would go unhook the battery now and try that, but we're suddenly in the middle of a thundershower... so... maybe tomorrow



Any other ideas anyone?

 

[cutty2fast]

well people have descibed fuel cut to me as your tranny falling out.... look it up on here

 

[uberswede]

My main concern with that is WHY it would happen though.

Why would I suddenly hit some major one-time fuel cut seemingly at random...

The only reason I'm not freaking out is because it still idles and drives fine, and I can rev it all I want in neutral... so it still leads me to believe it's something outside the motor...

 

[Guzman08]

fuel cut feels like hitting a brick wall

 

[uberswede]

Well, is the fuel cut what happened initially? The crazy bucking with grinding noise?

Or is fuel cut what is happening now that the car won't go above 3grand?

I searched around for fuel cut, and didn't find anything that sounds like what's happening to me right now. :S

 

[cutty2fast]

my guess is if your car still runs/sounds fine that the ecu is keeping your motor in like a safe mode

 

[uberswede]

I realize that at this point, that is more than likely what's happening NOW... but what CAUSED that initial noise/buck?

It was running so smoothly up to that point, and I wasn't even under full boost,

...then suddenly... WHAM!!! My car hates me.

 

[schroder]

Ok, it may sound dumb and if I ask something you've done, so be it. Forgive me or not, its whatever. BUUUUTTTTTT....

Is there a check engine light on, or did one flash. If no, we'll keep going. If you answer yes to either of these, have you checked it. If no, you are wrong and you need to go get it scanned. If yes, what as the code.

You are also saying it made some form of a noise and then bucked hard. Have you checked to make sure all of your connections are tight and you dont have a massive boost leak? Your boost leak could be causeing a rich condition and then you would have hit fuel cut.

Also, you say theres an upgraded fuel pump. What kind of RRFPR do you have? If you are running a 255 without one, again, your wrong.

What are your settings and what not for your SAFCII. Have you messed with the tune? Is everything still connected? What does your AFR read?

It sounds like you nailed fuel cut. We cant tell you why, because well...sometimes its a dsm. You need to check all your piping and make sure everything is good and tight. You also need a regulator for that pump or you can run into fuel cut. What's your fuel pressure set at too, and does it fall off or go down the higher you go in boost? Is there smoke that comes out of your exhaust...noticiably. If yes, what color? Without being there, we need as much info as possible so we can see it, without seeing it. Best of luck!

Oh, how's your knock sensor? If thats bad, it'll pull so much timing you cant move out of your own way.

And have you boost leak tested the proper way? Or any way? If you blew out a gasket on the intake side, that could have been part of the noise and/or bucking for fuel cut because that would be a nice boost leak. And have you checked your turbo for shaftplay or to make sure everything is still intact? Just covering all the bases...

 

[GST4g63T]

When you rev it, do you see boost?

 

[nestamon99]

Try checking your CAS bolts, if they came loose your timing could be off!! It happened to my talon. Once I set the ignition timing to spec problem went away

 

[uberswede]

I've since tried resetting the ECU, and it seemed better for a few seconds, then seems more like when I had a boost leak... so my guess is SOMETHING blew, and might have even sent something small through the intake. Either way, I'm not in the clear yet.

schroder :

There was already a CEL on from before, for p1105... something stupid I'll eventually rectify, so I can't say whether or not the CEL flashed at all. But I DID have a new code I never had before; a p1400... looked up on it, and it's something about the EGR valve? Could this be related?

I have half-assed checked all my hose connections, and thus far, haven't found anything majorly noticeable. I was dressed in nice clothing and not on a hoist, so I didn't want to get elbow deep just yet. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a much better look around again. Any chance I blew the gasket between the intake manifold and the head??

I don't know WHAT kind of fuel pump I have, to be honest. Fuel pressure is sitting over 50psi most of the time, according to the gauge, if I remember correctly.

When you keep saying "your wrong", what exactly are you meaning by this?

The SAFC, for the most part, is sitting around -20 across the RPM board at hi-throttle. This is still right around where it was when I got the car... I was playing with it trying to get rid of some sputtering under boost, which just ended up being crappy spark plugs... so I haven't gone back in to try to lean it out at all; it was still running pretty rich.

Any recommendations on a fuel pressure regulator? From what I recall, the pressure stayed around just over 50 psi, and I don't remember it swaying much from that under boost...

I've never had anybody say anything about smoke from exhaust aside from maybe a bit of black in between gears when I was running rich.

As for my knock sensor... I really couldn't tell you how that is. I wouldn't even know where/how to check it.

I haven't properly boost leak tested it yet either. I'll definitely get to that eventually, and check the turbo for shaftplay tomorrow as well.


GST4g63T :

When I rev it, I don't see much for boost... less than 1psi anyways.


nestamon99 :

The CAS is right on the passenger side of the valve cover, correct? I think it was maybe 3 bolts... I kind of tried shaking it earlier and it didn't seem loose, but I can check the bolts too when I get a chance.

 

[Bubba9110]

Ok so originally I thought it was a belt or something of that nature but every time I drive and my car starts boosting I can hear this noise that I think has to do with the turbine. It's not like a whine but kind of like a fan hitting something or maybe it's loose? I'm not sure. But it only happens when I'm in first gear and then once the car has been driven for a little while it doesn't do it anymore. I sometimes leave it warming up for 10-15 mins and it still does it but once you've actually driven for a little bit it stops. So does this sound like a turbo issue or am i not even close? And if so how could I diagnose this? Oh btw everything is stock on the car.

 

[BLINKY619]

take your intaske off and see if the fins are hittin... alsocheck for shaft play

 

[Bubba9110]

How do I check for shaft play? I haven't ever done that before so forgive my ignorance.

 

[drknorris]

Take the intake off and wiggle the compressor wheel and see if the wheel it hitting the compressor cover.

 

[KKneipper]

Take off your air intake pipe, and look at where it connects to the turbo. You will see the axle for the turbines in the turbo. Grab a hold of the axle and wiggle it gently.

You may be able to feel a little up and down movement on the compressor wheel, but there should be NO in and out play. If there is, then it's time for a rebuild.

By the way, the T25 turbo should be replaced when you do the timing belt (about 80,000-100,000 miles), so if you have high miles and shaft play, its probably the original turbo.

 

[paiutey]

When you're boosting and it sounds like a supercharger (whinny noise) then you have shaft play and your thrust bearing is getting worned down. That's what the whinny noise is, the shaft is wearing the bearing down.

 

[idoceclipse]

When you're boosting and it sounds like a supercharger (whinny noise) then you have shaft play and your thrust bearing is getting worned down. That's what the whinny noise is, the shaft is wearing the bearing down.

is this completly true? Cause my t-25 sounds like a supercharger and I checked for shaft play and there is none what so ever.

 

[KKneipper]

My T25 sounds like a freakin jet taxi-ing down a runway. Very high pitched and there is no shaft play.

 

[whyadsm]

Ok, so my turbo was bad and I replace it with used t25. So far so good,but the noise is still there. I think what happen was when we did a compression test, we did not remove the fuel fuse or unplug the triangle piece by the injectors. Could that be a problem? I think I may have a bent valve or something in the head.

 

[red_talon]

I decided to change my cam seal after figuring out that it was leaking from there.
I change both of them as well as all the belts. The timing is dead on with the markings at TDC. After installing everything, the car starts right up like before but now with a noise that seems like its rubbing something. maybe lifters or something else? its pretty loud, does anyone knows what is wrong? before this, the cars was driving good with no problem....

 

[gofer]

If you had a video or recording of the sound it would be a lot easier to diagnose.

 

[DSM-Hottie]

Did you use OEM? New everything?
My Balance Shaft Tensioner Bearing went bad and it sounded like a rusted hamster wheel. What kind of sound is it?