Recent ticking noise???

[hold-on]

:b: I have a 97 vs series II, recently I have noticed my engine has been making an occasional ticking noise? I usually use 96 unleaded but Last tank I used 91 unleaded for a try, could the ticking noise be comming from the fuel being to low a octane????? or is it tappets/injectors????
Please help !!! love the sound of my car idling but not with this damn ticking

cheers for any help

[purebitch]

hey mate check your exhaust manifolds that the bolts are tight and that they arent cracked... other than that you might need an oil change... worked on a vs at work last week. but it also could be the fuel. if it does it with one and not the other...
just my two cents worth

[adam_vr]

yeah my car has a bit of a tick to it, only really noticable when your close to the engine with the bonnet up, ive always thought that its a rocker

[sircruisealotVS]

explain this to "tick" to me....does it become louder with acceleration? is it doing it all the time.. (i noticed you said "occasional" ticking) -so what are the conditions when it does tick?
i highly doubt it has to do with fuel, unless your car has been chipped to run 98 it wouldnt have an adverse affect using 91.
have a listen with the bonnet up at idle and see if you can establish the area the ticking is coming from.

[boojak87]

I had a hardcore ticking noise, when accelerating uphill. It sounded as if a chunk of metal had come loose and was hitting hollow metal walls in syncronization with the accleration. Got told it was a timing issue, and told to run premium unleaded. Did so, and it went away, never bothered about finding the source and have run premium ever since. I recently had a similar post up regarding this issue (poor fuel economy (15.5L/100kms), that ticking noise, rough idle(yet fluent, not about to stall) and also not the greatest power lately either) and ecu/memcal and/or injectors. No one could come up with an answer though. If anyone does have a clue about it....plz post up some replies.

Cheers, Boojakz

[VSIIBerlinaL67]

maybe get ur injectors cleaned

[genIIIbandit]

to many variables, start by doing compression test(wet & dry), oil change, could b sticky lifter either pumped up or not. You need to eliminate the variables to find the real problem otherwise ur just guessing

[hold-on]

noticable on idle slight acceleration it goes away, sometimes it goes away and comes back due for 5000km oil change

[hold-on]

also just run through inject cleaner

[VS CALAIS]

Hold on ,
just a thought check that all your leads are on the spark plugs fully, any gap between the lead and the plug will result in a ticking noise (as current jumps from lead to plug) had it happen on a mates VT V6 . look at the last plug near firewall on the drivers side always a b@#ch to get on properly, try applying a bit of petrolium jelly (very slight amount) to help the lead slide on the plug easier..

[hold-on]

forgot to mention car manual suggests 20/50 oil I acutally have penzoil semi syn 10/30 which has been in car for the last 5000 and this ticking is only recent. I am dropping oil out tommorow and trying valvoline 10-40 semi syn VR1.. I would put the reccomened 20-50 in but I cant find any semi syn and I dont want to put in sludge aslo it is winter now so the colder temp may have something to do about it. I hope with all this info someone may have a fair idea

[hold-on]

could be the one vs calais I have also just changed plug and leads

[hold-on]

a mate just heard car and reckons sticky lifter, anyone now how I can check or fix to start eliminating problems

[DaPlaya]

my guess would be,Hydrolic Lifters, at idle they are not recieving enough oil to keep them well lubricated resulting in a tapping/ticking noise (ever heard an old subaru engine?) however when oil pressure gets increased due to high rev's it stops ticking as there is more oil around the lifter to use. it generally means the Hydrolic lifters are wearing out.

how many k's has your engine done?

BTW if i'm wrong please correct me.

Cheers

[Goon]

Could be the lifters mate and k's would certainly answer that..

After you stop the car and the engine is off that ticking u might hear maybe the exhaust cooling down

Every tried a bottle of nylon tune up ?

[hold-on]

170,000 km how much would new lifters set me back????

[hold-on]

vs calais I think got it, checked plugs and leads tonight, and found the plug next to firewall driver side had become quite loose could do a full turn by hand it was that loose, let it ide and could not replicate ticking, however have not taken it for a test drive yet to confirm all good. maybe it will start when normal temp has been reached. but I think tightning plug should have sorted it!!!

[DaPlaya]

Nice work mate, there ya go worried you for nothing could you actually turn the plug by hand, or was that the lead?

if you could turn the plug by hand then thats dodge as!

[hold-on]

yeah mate could turn the plug by hand!! dodgy!!! a question regarding plugs and leads, how can I be sure the lead is on correctly?? I have pushed it on as far as I can but I am still not certain.

cheers for the help!!!!!!!

[Goon]

A click will determine if your lead is on right.

Ticking can also be caused by old alternator belt or fan belt or even maybe engine bolts and nuts becoming loose from grease or oil.

[kopper69]

You can measure the resistance of the leads to check if they are ok. Do a serach I made a how to a while ago. I found with some of my leads i had to warp them slightly out of shape to make a tight fit. I would think its the lifters youre describing tho. Go to the shops and have a look at some lifter quitener. Spitfire and some other brand make it. I have never tried it, but its only $10 and they say it should free the lifters and stop the ticking. If it doesnt its probably a bit of wear and tear.

[VS CALAIS]

HOLD ON,
no worries , if it was the spark plug or lead glad to help...hope it was only that easy and cheap fix

[hold-on]

thanks for advise, I will put a lifter cleaner in regardless
plus oil change always better to than not

cheers

[DaPlaya]

The only way I check whether or not a leads on or not is how easy it is to get off, quality leads shouldn't be easy to remove they should require a bit of a yank.

if the sparky's and leads were causing the tick, and now the tick has stopped there is no need to put any lifter quitener/cleaner in as it's obviously not them. If it was the lifters then they would still be creating a ticking noise regardless what you have done with sparky's.

I beleive in not putting in anything that is not needed in my engine/fuel as it's a waste of money and it's extra 'stuff' in your engine that if you don't need it it has nothing to do but clog stuff up, or burn in the fuel.... my opinion though so it's not gospel.

[hold-on]

good advise Daplayer