Nick Carter

Morning,

I'm bracing myself for some bad news here.


I'm based in the UK. My newly acquired 2004 S has started ticking. The ticking is best described as follows:-


Starts approximately 10 minutes after the car is started from cold when the car is idling or at low revs.


Disappears approximately 3 mins after starting. Returns occasionally.


Disappears when the car is revved of 2k rpm.


Source is the passenger side of the car (left as in UK).


Heard most clearly via the front left wheel arch. Not really audible over the sound of the running engine.


Ticking frequency does not speed up or down with engine revs.


How loud it is does alter but again, not in relation to the rpm.

No warning lights on as yet.


Appreciate any thoughts or guidance. If you think its the piston liners, please let me know as then I can think about how to get rid!

v10rick

Post a sound clip if you can.
Burning oil?

Nick Carter

I will get one.

I don't doesn't seem to be burning oil.

19psi

If this is true, it's NOT an internal engine issue.

deilenberger

Interwebz panic is a hard thing..

Before panicking completely, consider there can be other sources for a "tick" noise. A bad bearing on an idler pulley for the serpentine belt for instance. A bad serpentine belt. A bad bearing in the AC compressor clutch assembly, a bad bearing in the water pump. Or a noisy injector (way more common then ring/piston failure IMHO), loose spark-plug, bad exhaust manifold gasket, cracked exhaust, etc.. etc. and on and on.

If you don't have one - try to find a "mechanic's stethoscope" - it's like the one your MD uses but with a long metal probe coming out of the end. You can use it to help isolate where the sound is coming from. In the US these are REALLY cheap - around $3 US from a chain of stores selling Chinese tools - Harbor Freight. I'm sure there is an inexpensive source in the UK too.

Use that to try to localize where the noise is coming from. Then get back to us.


BTW - just saw: That ABSOLUTELY means it is NOT a bad cylinder. It is - as we say in New Jersey - FORGEDDABOUTIT..

user 83838290

Not picking up with revs - no scoring.
Turn up the radio. Problem solved ;-)