Hey Guys,

parking my car this evening as I got home from work I noticed a "ticking" noise coming from the engine compartment. I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from. I haven't noticed such a sound before - even this morning the car sounded fine. My car is a '99 WS6 with 30K miles on it (and due for an oil change).

I did a search on the problem and half the posts concluded that it may be "normal" valvetrain noise (?) or piston slap (or a variety of other causes) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> Should I be worried about this? What can I do to resolve the ticking problem?

If anyone else has any suggestions on a course of action, I would appreciate the help.

Thanks in advance,

-Bradster <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

loose plug wire? bent pushrod?

I'm installing headers this weekend so I am changing plugs (making sure wires are snug) and changing pushrods.

 

Thanks, DrD.

I will check the plug wires ASAP - they were just installed about a month ago (MSD 8.5s) so hopefully the solution is as easy as that.

-B

 

If it is a loose plug wire, the ticking sound is the plug arcing. It will more than likely be #6 or #8. The hardest ones to get to, of course. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />

 

My car went to Ticking Hell about a week ago.

Possibilites (which I'm exploring)

Ignition Wire:
Turn the lights off in your garage lift the hood have somebody turn the ignition. If it is arcing, you SHOULD be able to see the flash.

Exhaust Leak:
ATAP should indicate high LTRIMs (I think). I have also been going over my engine with some leak finder (ie soapy water) in a spray bottle.

Valvtrain:
Here the sky is the limit. Bad spring, bad lifter, bad rocker, bent pushrod yadda yadda yadda. I have chosen to replace my lifters because of where my ticking is coming from.

Good Luck

tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick

 

Thanks for the feedback, NoGo <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

I checked my plug wires and they seem fine. I'll do the leak finder thing with the soapy water to see if it is a header leak <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> I hope it is not a valve train issue.......

The weird thing is, when I started it up this morning to go to work, the ticking was still there, but way quieter than before (although my exhaust is considerably louder at start up too, so the ticking may have been masked a bit by it) When I got to work I parked, kept the engine running and popped the hood, but the ticking that was so clear yesterday was not there (?). Maybe because I was outside as opposed to inside a brick garage..... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />

Anyway, I'll listen for it again when I get home and I'll do the soapy leak finder thing to check for exhaust / manifold leaks.

Thanks again,

-Bradster <img border="0" alt="[judgement]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_judge.gif" />

 

Just another 'tick-tick' club member signing in....Is your tick louder in the tire wells? Makes since for a header leak or y flange. I installed hooker shorties about 6 mo ago. I can't see any carbon marks on top so next thing to do is get it to a shop and lift it up for inspection. I am going to chech the plugs to.
Do you get an odor in the cockpit at times? I get an odor but doesn't smell like what I would think....
Any thoughts?
BTW, someone mentioned different or suspicious LTrims values. I am pretty consistant -1 to -3.5 during PT, which is where I understand to be a good range.

 

Not an expert here, but I have read on the boards before where some people noticed an increase in valvetrain noise after they went with headers. Couple that with dirty oil, which could possibly not be lubing the valvetrain like it should, and hopefully that's all the tick, tick, tick is. I know that on my LT1 I could always tell when it was time to change the oil regardless of mileage by the ticking noise I would start to intermentantly get from around the valvetrain area. Hope this helps and is all it is. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

Originally posted by mdog:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> I could always tell when it was time to change the oil regardless of mileage by the ticking noise I would start to intermentantly get from around the valvetrain area. Hope this helps and is all it is </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think you may be onto something there, mdog. My car is due for an oil change <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> Plus, the wierd ticking thing has appeared to subside the last two days <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> I know I wasn't hearing things the other day, but now the ticking appears to have stopped. The plug wires are on good, and the car runs fine. it just made that weird ticking sound that one day that freaked me out. Oh well, you can't be "too cautious" when it comes to the welfare of your engine.

Anyway, thanks all, for the feedback. I'm changing the oil this weekend anyway. I think the ticking the other day may have been just one of those flukey things......

Thanks again,

-Bradster

 

I've had some serious ticking since day one. They warmed it up good for me when I went to pick it up so I wouldn't hear it when I bought it but the next day it was there. I've taken it to 2 different dealerships and they both said it's normal but there's no way it could be, it's soo loud. I've written numerous e-mails to Pontiac. They've called me several times to talk about it and say it's normal, there is a fix coming out in March, then later they said April, then May, and it still hasn't come. They tell me it's because there are no skirts on the pistons but I think it's an overbore like people have discovered when theyre dealers actually take off the heads or at least valve covers, both dealers I went to didn't even pop the hood, they just listen to it for a sec and one tried to tell me he couldn't hear it. I did get a free extended warranty from Pontiac for 5 years, 100,000 miles. I've finally just said screw it and I'm going to put my headers on anyway and hope they don't void the warranty if a fix ever does come out. yeah right.
I've got some sound clips of my ticking if you want to compare yours. Just ask and I'll give you a link to them.
Chris

 

I think it was your fuel evap system.

Hard to say, but if the noise came and went it was not an exhaust leak.