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.

 

[bo0st]

Have you tried taking it to autozone / local place and seeing if it's throwing up any codes? Do you have a CEL or anything? When did the problem occur, after you did some mods or anything?? We need more info I think to help you out.

 

[Kod]

If smoke is coming out of your exhaust when hitting it hard that's never a good sign, could be something internal in the motor which means may have to re build it possibly.

Have you taken the valve cover off?
Make sure the lifters and all are in good shape and that none have floated?

 

[Bouche Dag]

If smoke is coming out of your exhaust when hitting it hard that's never a good sign, could be something internal in the motor which means may have to re build it possibly.

Have you taken the valve cover off?
Make sure the lifters and all are in good shape and that none have floated?

THIS.

Perhaps a rocker has slipped. Pull the valve cover off and inspect.

 

[miguelmcv]

Pull the valve cover off the see how it looks in there like (Bouche Dog) State it.

Look closely and even take some pics to show us and see if we can see something.

By the way how It happened? It was from the morning to the night?
Did you bought it like that?

Because It can be a rattle noise from the Lifters, and the 3k would be a bad or miss alignment TPS.

Bat, if it happens from the morning to the night then it should be some mechanical problem rather then electrical.

As more Info you give, as better help you can get.

 

[Bouche Dag]

Perhaps try replacing that lifter that you removed? Maybe it's just decided to give up.

 

[mike242009]

Yes, it was throwing the Po443 C fault code-purge valve circuit but I ran it like that for 6 months no problems, thanks.

Yes, its a constant problem just started a week ago. I will take the valve cover off in a little bit to inspect valves, rockers, and could it be the hydraulic lifters? Thanks for the feedback, will post pics soon.

 

[miguelmcv]

DSM is known for the rattle lifter noise which some times is a Pain in the ###.

Could be your problem for he noise, and for the 3K,, It could be your sensor that went off, which it was going off slowly like you mention.

 

[wvturbo2]

I had a suspected top end problem and wouldn't rev up very high car felt weird.and.it was a spun rod bearing. Once we pulled valve cover and everything was good it gave it away.

 

[mike242009]

Found out what it was, and it's not good. It's the crank going bad(the sound totally threw me off)only where cylinder #1 is(it's barely starting to score), but I'll have to replace the whole crank and bearings; connecting rods and pistons are new and so are the pistons. Had all that work done to it and now this, well at least I know what it is. So I guess it's time to replace it. Thanks everybody, I actually found out by taking valve cover, rockers off and noticed when I touched the piston the bottom end of the connecting rod barely moved.

wvturbo2 and kod was right!!!

 

[bigbird94]

Pull the oil pan and look at your balance shafts.

 

[starktech1]

I didn't see where he said whether or not he double checked the timing, did you?

 

[Curtisd03]

the timing was the first thing checked, timing i perfect

 

[dsmvenge]

I say waterpump call me crazy, they go bad and make hella noise my buddies talon sounded just like that but no overheating took forever to figure it out

 

[Curtisd03]

Its just becoming a real project just to identify the problem. I guess tomorrow i need to really get the car to my shop and put it on the lift so i can drop the pan..

ALSO... Although i already did remove my lifters and "re-bleed" and install them is it possible that one is completly junk and not even holding a prime anymore? Should i try to make the small investment into some new Lifters?

Whats do you guys think

 

[jimbob_843]

Yeah waterpump sounds good to me. But how about the compression? Could be bad rings on cyl 1 maybe you blew rings when the car overheated due to coolant in the combustion chamber, maybe bent a valve.

 

[Curtisd03]

They all sound like good ideas but the only part that is still confusing me is the compression results. After the first time of pulling and re-priming the lifters i had a big jump in my compression ( went from 15-60 )...

 

[scott90gsx420]

Its just becoming a real project just to identify the problem. I guess tomorrow i need to really get the car to my shop and put it on the lift so i can drop the pan..

ALSO... Although i already did remove my lifters and "re-bleed" and install them is it possible that one is completly junk and not even holding a prime anymore? Should i try to make the small investment into some new Lifters?

Whats do you guys think

Yes it is still possible for them to be bad.. You cant put nearly the load on them that motor will... And not at nearly the speed.. There really cheap why not just swap some in??
If your comp. numbers changed that much from just re-bleeding them then id say its something in that general area.. If it was rings you would more then likely know it.. Has it been going through lots of oil?? Get a known set of good lifters and throw them in and go from there..

 

[Egst]

It has a weird clicking noise on the cam side of my engine, it idles all over the place, sometimes around 3 or 400 and sometimes 8 to 1000. I am a little low on oil, it may be running a little rich. I was thinking an idle pully maybe, is there anyway to check yourself?

At night my lights in the cabin will flicker a little bit too, if that helps

 

[Calan]

Uhhh... not sure what "cam side of my engine" means, but you just described:

1. An oiling issue that is causing lifter tick (which is normal even with good oil pressure)

2. An idle surge problem

3. A fuel or airflow problem (running rich)

4. A battery or charging system problem.

I have no idea what the "idle pulley" comment means, but as for the rest... you need to knock out one issue at a time. Make sure all the maintenance is done, and then start working on each problem one at a time.

 

[minimoose]

^ Same advise. Obviously fill your oil, if its only lifter tick you can run slightly thicker oil to try and rid the noise altho it doesnt hurt anything, Mostly just annoying. My car runs really rich at the time and makes no funny noises so i doubt thats the probelm. As far as the pulleys go if you can get the crank damper off and pull the timing cover " plastic outer case" and try wiggling them by hand. They do go bad but I have yet to see this. More common problems with a knock on the timing gear side of the motor is usually the rear balance shaft, loose/bad timing belt hydro. tensioner, pulley failure, or water pump noise from a bad waterpump but usually if the pump has failed enough to make noise the motor also overheats from the impeller fins falling apart. Try checking these. When checking the rear balance shaft you will have to remove the timing belt and try turning the oilpump drive gear, the one that the belt was onin the lower right corner, by hand and listen for clicking or a loose feeling. keep me updated!

 

[Egst]

Alright thank you, i cant do anything today but tomorrow after school ill start getting into it and i will keep you poted, thanks again

 

[Gruff511]

is it steady somewhat faint clicking at idle?
if it sounds like its from the intake side of the head and not down low under the engine then it probably is your injectors opening and closing.
*just my 2 cents* =)

 

[TrevorS]

It has a weird clicking noise on the cam side of my engine, it idles all over the place, sometimes around 3 or 400 and sometimes 8 to 1000. I am a little low on oil, it may be running a little rich. I was thinking an idle pully maybe, is there anyway to check yourself?

At night my lights in the cabin will flicker a little bit too, if that helps

Varying idle could be a vacuum leak issue. You need to define "cam side" for us. If the oil is low, then either add oil or change it (depending on when your last oil change was). Why do you think it may be running rich? What mods do you have and how many miles on the engine? What do you mean by "idle pulley"?

 

[gsxeclipse97]

More than likely he means harmonic balancer, if there is sound coming from there you will need to replace it because it is separating and will leave you on the side of the road if un-attended to.

 

[eclipsemf]

I looked at a few other threads that sound kinda like my situation but not quite.I just replaced my stock 2g bov and soft piping and am now running hard upper intercooler piping(once piece) with a 1g bov. Now when I hit boost there is a loud Whistle sounds coming from either the turbo or piping. I am just wondering what this could be or if its nothing that I should worry about. It could just be hearing the turbo spool much louder now. Thanks for the help