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.

 

[black97spyder]

It's hard to tell by the video.

Do you have an auto? The stock flexplates are known to break and sound like a knocking rod.... Ask me how i know

Almost sounded like a nasty lifter tick, but it seems too prominent to be just the lifters. And with a knocking rod It will have lost a fair amount of power a lot with that nasty sound

 

[Firsts tuner]

I'm by no means an expert but it almost sounds like an exhaust manifold leak? I don't hear that distinct knock sound, but that's just one persons opinion.

 

[vingasoline]

At 38 seconds it makes a noise, at 40 the vid stops. 2 seconds to guess that sound over a revving engine.

You should update your profile so people can know what their listening to.

IMO, if that engine is stock, you have problems. Even my je pistons don't make that much noise. And believe me, they are noisy

 

[GODofWARREN]

the car is a 1997 Talon tsi awd. It does have a small exhaust leak due to a shot gasket on the header. And this seeminly runs fine, builds boost and boosts fine, it is all stock except tubular headers on a stock turbo. and its a 5 speed, not an auto.

 

[Riceburning101]

I agree with the exhaust leak. From my quality laptop speaks I don't notice the metal destroying its self noise. I wish I had a video of my friends GST that had rod knock. You could hear him coming and it wasn't the exhaust.

 

[GODofWARREN]

and the sketchy sound is at 4 secs, 30 secs, and 38 seconds you can deffinitely hear something not quite right

 

[V8srslow]

I just diagnosed a rod knock on my bros svx. Doesn't sound like it. If it was rod it would get worse with temp and rpm. Could chk oil pressure hot and cold. And can kill 1 cyl at a time to see which cyl it is. Or pull pan and chk caps.do the simpler stuff like exhaust leak

 

[acidreian]

sounds like lifters to me if i took a video of my engine with a phone you would here lots of noise.. compare you video to a true rod knock on youtube you can def tell your fine the noise is something else

 

[Afizzle]

sounds like exhaust leak to me.

in the form of exhaust manifold. bad gasket or possibly a crack in the manifold.

 

[GODofWARREN]

heard the sound again today, was just babying the car. It sounds like its right in front of the drivers seat..? Its definitley a knock of some kind, almost sounds like the exhaust pipe hitting something but the pipe doesnt move, or have much play..? when im doing about 50+ i can clutch in and hear it extremely well. Could it be a bad tie rod or something..? I have winter tires and rims from a 94 3000gt so the offset is a little screwy but i wouldnt think that would cause a knocking sound coming seemingly right in front of the drivers seat in the engine bay?
Any suggestions on how i should approach this?

 

[jones1989]

Ok car just started ticking when i went to get gas in it today. Has been sitting for 2 weeks after driving it home from doing valve seals, drove and acted fine when i drove it the 2 days after work was done. Took off valve cover everything seems to be getting oil, noise is coming from the intake side of cylinder 1. Also seems like it doesn't want to pull or go over 4-4.5k rpm.

 

[magicshlong]

So recently my dsm was low on oil but I refilled and it is still making this weird noise from the right side of the engine. It is a 4g63 but I don't think it's crankwalk. Could somebody help me figure this out? This is the video I made so you can check it out. Thanks!


[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dT6R38NfLf4[/ame]

 

[boost97gst]

You check all your pulleys? Also check timing just to be sure and HLAs. Could be a gunked up lifter and its bad valve train clatter youre hearing.

 

[turbo98eclipse]

HOW low on oil? Like oil light came on and engine locked up low? Was it making the noise before you added oil? Try pulling spark plug wires 1 by 1 and see if the noise changes or not.

 

[thomcasey]

Sounds a little deeper than a lifter. Do as suggested above and pull plug wires starting with Cylinder #1. If the noise goes away, spun rod bearing.

 

[Hillala]

Yeah, sounds like a rod bearing to me as well. I've had more than a few engines that's happened to. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1k7ZKzXbqM]bad rod bearing noise. - YouTube[/ame] Just to give you a side by side on the sound.

Edit* I should also note that if you do remove the plug wires and the sound doesn't leave, it could be the main bearing. Sounds close to the same as a rod bearing but that's a way you can tell.

 

[magicshlong]

I'm not home now but when I get home I'll pull the plugs n let u guys kno how it went. Much appreciated for the response!

 

[Hillala]

Same sound as Magic? If it's down low, yeah it's a good chance it's the main or rod bearing.

I had a 2000 5.4L triton f-150 under 50k on it, maybe half a year old if that... this is going to sound like something a stupid kid would do but hey, I was like everyone else at one time... I rev'd the balls off that engine and it killed the main and rod bearings on it.

So yeah, if it has the same sound pull the plugs to find out if the sound goes away and so on. It very well could be your bearings.

I should note to anyone driving with this type of damage to you engine... please stop driving, It'll only destroy it.

 

[DSM 2G Brendon]

I started my car this morning and it started knocking , to me it sounds like it's coming from the head but I think it might be a spun crank or rod bearing. I'm not sure what to do from here , it's my dd, and it was rebuilt 3500 miles ago. Any suggestions or solutions will be greatly appreciated.

[ame=http://youtu.be/vuWL36sFtNM]Possible rod knock - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Jdabishop]

Ok so my car has its first 100 miles after rebuild and ive been generous on the accelerating but it has a little power loss and when i come down from higher rpm it makes a whining/rattling noise like as if the cams arent rolling smoothly. But from low rpms around town its not bad so would this be a bad lifter? Had the same issue before rebuild and no its not rod knock motor is perfectly healthy.

Please help as if its the lifters I can knock that out no problem.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

I started my car this morning and it started knocking , to me it sounds like it's coming from the head but I think it might be a spun crank or rod bearing. I'm not sure what to do from here , it's my dd, and it was rebuilt 3500 miles ago. Any suggestions or solutions will be greatly appreciated.



Possible rod knock - YouTube

Sounds like a rod or somethin, time to pull the pan!

 

[MitsuRu]

Drove my 98 gst on the highway got off the highway and it was making a loud Tick.

 

[miliman13]

Sounds like rod knock, aka you spun a rod, it may also be piston slap. But i dought it, see how the noise is not 100% present but rather 95% so every once in a while it quiets down ,, my experience that is spun rod bearing. if it were piston slap i believe the noise would be 100% present. take the timing cover off, check your timing to eliminate the probability of piston slap. Next, remove your oil pan, you may find small pieces of metal shavings. if so, take your bottom end into a machine shop and rebuild. Please don't just blindly buy another engine, you will most likely end up in the same spot if you do. good luck

Yeah, sounds like a rod bearing to me as well. I've had more than a few engines that's happened to. bad rod bearing noise. - YouTube Just to give you a side by side on the sound.

Edit* I should also note that if you do remove the plug wires and the sound doesn't leave, it could be the main bearing. Sounds close to the same as a rod bearing but that's a way you can tell.

This is very good advice. I am also familiar with this.

 

[MitsuRu]

Ok thanks for the infne question will i need to pull the motor and separate the bottom from top?I'm being told it's expensive just to have one rod fixed from a machine shop..Any suggestions on a good shop to do the work in OHIO? Thanks

 

[miliman13]

well if i were you i would take the head off. Then pull the block. and take the head in just for inspection, since you are already there. And have the machine shop inspect the bottom end to see the extent of the damage. Then go from there, you may just need a polish, and a bearing, you may need more. in the end it will be worth every penny, to have something done correctly.



I hope you know, of find a real good machine shop. it took me a while to find some one who is trust worthy and has 25 yrs of experience, and has the most competitive pricing. That is why i hand things over to my machinist instead of trial and error. If not, Bogus on here is well known for being the best.