LakeShow

I posted this over at 6speed as well...

I've noticed this the last couple of days. I went for a drive, everything "felt" ok, but the noise remains. It seems to start after I rev the engine... Any ideas? Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZC38hTQ3Z8

tpenta

Sounds like a bird pecking on the roof...

LakeShow

Ha... Wish that was it.

yemenmocha

Sounds like the roof rat in my attic and then in the wall once it had eaten the poison pellets.

Minok

Just after starting only?

Heat expansion related would be my guess if its only when you start from cold.

LlBr

+1

Especially if it's timing is random (i.e. interval between clicks) and the tone/pitch of the sound changes as things warm up.

Skibum

From the video to me it sounds like a high voltage discharge. Is it definitely a click or could it be a discharge?

LakeShow

The randomness of it is strange. Heat expansion could explain that... I drove the car early in the morning and noticed it, then again in the afternoon, and again at night. I only listened for it in my garage though. Let me see if it goes away after a 5 minute drive. You can't hear it in the car with all the other noise. Going to test...

LakeShow

It's definitely a click. And it's much louder right under the rear of the car...

yemenmocha

How cold is it where you are?

Coochas

If it's just the expansion/contraction standard popping sounds, you should hear it when the car has been turned off as well.

I agree that it could be electrical. Those pops sound a little concerning to me. Of course if you're still hearing the sounds after the car is shut off, then it's probably not electrical.

LakeShow

Not that cold. I'm in the bay area, CA and the car is garaged. It might get down to 50 at night and up to 80 in the day (the last week or so anyway).

LakeShow

Alright I'm going to go do some tests... Narrow down exactly when I hear it and when it stops. Thanks.

LakeShow

Ok here is what I found out...

- Started the car cold, within 2 minutes the clicking starts. I turn off the car and the clicking stops.

- Went for a 10 minute drive, stopped, got out of the car while it was at idle and still heard some clicks (although less frequent).

- Drove home, pulled in the garage, got out at idle and heard no clicks. Turned it off, waited 5 minutes, turned it back on... Still no clicks.

So the expansion theory sounds likely, BUT the fact that the sound stop when turning off the engine doesn't make sense.

I'm going to let her cool down and try again in an hour...

Pincomar

Sounds like a trip to the dealer is in order!

Mark.