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.

 

[LiquidX]

Does it make it in free rev or no? Only moving and at what speeds or is it RPM dependent?

 

[DJ23GSX]

I've noticed something new today that may pertain to this issue. I took a closer look at the water pump pulley for the alt and ps belts on the engine and I noticed that its all wet behind it. It looks like oil maybe. I pulled off the ps and alt belts and that pulley spins freely and didn't have and wobble to it when I tugged on it. I put my ear/hose down between the exhaust mani and ps bracket and it sounded like the noise got louder. Its right in the neighborhood of that pulley and also the balance shafts as well though.

 

[Jerkychew]

It is my personal opinion that you are rubbing your front cover. most likely with your TB or a gear.

 

[DJ23GSX]

It is my personal opinion that you are rubbing your front cover. most likely with your TB or a gear.

Possibly but what would cause that to go away after the car warms up a bit?

 

[deviousgst]

Possibly but what would cause that to go away after the car warms up a bit?

so it does go away after your car warms up? or the noise gets worser when it warms up? if the noise goes away when its warmed up. most likely your lifters

 

[DJ23GSX]

so it does go away after your car warms up? or the noise gets worser when it warms up? if the noise goes away when its warmed up. most likely your lifters

Yeah most times it goes away completely when it warms up and sometimes it gets very very quite after it warms up. It never gets worse than you hear in the video. Its def at its worse when the car sits over night and is ice cold. I thought lifters as well considering the car sat for a few months and then this problem started but I opened the oil cap while at idle and revved it a bit and the noise didn't seem to get any louder. You should be able to hear noisy lifters like that right?

 

[cwriley]

it does it only in gear when car is leaned back from hard acceleration or on a hill in first, it doesnt do it in free reving or slow reving up to 6krpms. its louder on the passenger side. i have sat in both seats and listened for it.

 

[cumpersgsx]

Hey guys I have had a few dsms and I'm pretty sure I've had lifter tick in all of them . This one seems to be new to me though. Its very noticeable from inside the car. The car was already warmed up. Its not a timing cover either. From 2000-4000rpms it makes a clicking sound. Its really noticeable in 1st gear but I noticed it before I started driving and I got out and revved the engine and the noise was coming from the drivers side toward the back of the engine. I don't know if it is knock. My logger died and erased my program. I don't recall seeing any smoke from the tailpipe.

 

[dented_coffee]

Could be the DREADED crank walk. That noise could be coming from the crank sensor being hit.

If I were you I would go and tap center bolt on the crank pulley and carefully use a pry bar to pull the crank back toward the drivers side tire while measuring the movement.

I will be in Bay City at Motown MOD this Saturday. If you could bring your GSX there I could measure the crank play for you if you don't have the correct tools. I bring a full arsenal of tools when I take my DSM anything over 5 miles from my house . Just in case anything happens I can limp her back home or some where safe.

 

[ohmygahitsjosh]

Tore into it over the weekend....all the flywheel bolts were loose. Don't know how it happened but it did. I had them torqued to spec with locktite too

did that fix everything?

 

[yoice2k]

i have a 95 talon tsi fwd with a 16g and all supporting mods, I am on version 2.5 on ecmlink so every time i loose power i loose my tune, i recenly replaced my battery so i had to re-tune the car, i was out cruising and i did a 2nd to 3rd gear pull to let the computer adjust, then i noticed a knocking noise coming from under the hood. I pulled off the road and sure enough there was a loud knocking noise coming from the tranny side of the engine. I thought it was a rod or a lifter at first but ecm link is saying that the car is running normal and isn't picking up any knock. So im trying to diagnose what it is before I tear my car down any ideas?

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

It can be multiple things, really.

Here's a short list.

1 : Lifter Tick
2 : Bad Transmission
3 : Bad Motor mount -if the engine is shaking-
4 : Bad Throw Out bearing (Most likely)
5 : Flywheel bolt backing out
6 : Pressure Plate finger breaking off
7 : Clutch Spring Broken and bouncing around

These are just a few possibilities on what it could be. However, in order to help we will need more information. Can you elaborate a little on the noise, what you were doing at the exact moment you noticed it, and even if you can a video would be a tremendous help.

 

[number18]

Hey everybody, all of a sudden my 94 laser rs turbo started knocking. Do you know what the sound is coming from exactly? I have a feeling it could be a wrecked head bearing but not really sure.
Thanks!
YouTube - Dsm 1g engine knock

 

[Colt90tsi]

Its hard to tell the video sound quality sucks. However the noise is getting louder with RPM's. Its probably a spun rod bearing. Drain the oil and check for shavings or pull the pan.

 

[WORPeclipse]

I'm having a sim prob my self. I cant seem to trace it down alone. I just finished building a 63/64 hybrid motor. Was trying to start for the first time didnt want to start and then the starter skipped and then hit again and ever since i have been having this knockin sound. It seems to me its coming from bellhousing area but not 100% sure. Like the OP said pull the plugs it almost completely goes away. I have pulled the tranny nothing in there. The first starter had to be replaced due to it missing and hitting broke the starter. Pulled the clutch and flywheel off. Had one loose flywheel bolt. Noticed a few bad spots on the teeth, but none missing. Cleaned the teeth up re-installed the flywheel and everything else still doing it. It almost sounds like a rod banging around inside the motor. I know 100% sure thats not it. All pistons move smooth and completely by turning on crank pulley end.

 

[number18]

YouTube - Dsm 1g engine knock

Thanks!

 

[Bigmac88]

YouTube - Dsm 1g engine knock

Thanks!

You kind of thread jacked, but that sounds like really bad valvetrain chatter or maybe a misfire. It's a little hard to tell from the quality of the video.

 

[anthonydinatale]

That would do it!

 

[yoice2k]

Finally got a chance to take it apart, dropped the oil pan and it was a loose rod bearing. Any good tips or tutorial links to change them?

 

[Clinical]

You're probably looking at an overall rebuild.
The rod bearing most likely damaged the rod and the crank.

 

[mazda-man]

You can almost for certain say the crank is scored slightly which will require it to be polished by the machine shop. Worse case they have to turn it which then will require you run oversized bearings for the rods. If they can polish it then you can get away with running standard size bearings.

 

[cwriley]

i have a 93 eclipse n/t. there is a knocking sound during hard acceleration. it sounds like it is coming from passenger side. will only make noise when body is rocked back from hard acceleration or on a big hill. i can slowly accelerate to 6k rpm's without it making noise (also had trans re-built bout 12k miles ago). it makes noise both going straight and turning. it is not an evenly spaced noise like a clicking but is speradic like a piece of metal banging back and forth but its loud.

i have replaced all 4 motor mounts, both axles, tie rod ends, sway bar links, lower control arm bushings. and im lost. all and any suggestions or ideas are appreciated.

i know both of the lower ball joints boots are broken but the joints are still good, and passenger side wheel bearing is going bad but i figgure that both of those would click when i go around corners. ?

 

[AllShallPerish]

Post a vid,

I used to get this from a worn bushing on my LCA. Just jack up the car, secure it with jackstands. Then get under it and wiggle the hell out of everything until you find what is loose. Get a rubber mallet and tap on everything and look for any amount of play.

 

[Moodster205]

I am going to guess that ^^^ above video is a symptom of rod knock. I could be wrong...

 

[MO2G]

So lately I've been noticing this squeeking noise occasionally when I either engage/release the clutch or sometimes when I press the gas. The best I can describe the sound is the sound a CD makes when it skips, I actually thought it was my CD skipping the first time I heard it until I realized I had my ipod plugged in

This just started happening, but the other thing thats sorta always been there, since I bought the car, is it feels like the engine kinda jumps or makes a weird knock noise whenever I push in the throttle. Its only right when I start giving it gas from no throttle. I never thought much of it until I read up on some signs of crankwalk, so Im really hoping this can be attributed to something else. Any help would be appreciated

*edit* car is a 96 TSI FWD