Tick Question...

Wease · Apr 27, 2006

I've owned my car just over a month and I've started to hear a tick when the car is warm. Not when it's cold, only when it's warm. I can stick my head in the engine bay while the car is running and literally not hear it. All I can hear is injector and valvetrain noise. But if I get down on the ground behind the tires and listen (from either side), I can hear it coming from near the cats, it seems.

Those who've heard the dreaded "tick" in person and/or have had it themselves, does it sound like I have it? To me, it almost sounds like an exhaust leak, but I'm really not sure. Not on a car with stock exhaust (catback only) with 12K miles. I always thought the tick was heard from the engine bay, not only outside the car. Thoughts? I can take a video if you guys want to hear it...

Edit:
I just took two Quicktime vids of it, from under the car and outside the car. This is with the car very warm, I just drove home 25 miles from work:

Outside Car
Under Car

I hope these are good enough to hear it. In the Under Car video, I go from near the tranny, to the cat, and then up to the oil filter. As you can tell, when I get up there, you can't hear it as much. So like I said in my last post in this thread, it's much louder when I'm near the transmission and the cat. I swear, it's coming from the tranny. What would cause a noise like that to come from the tranny? :dw:

RedfireSVT · Apr 28, 2006

Mine does the same thing. That's not the head tick. Definately post the vid, I'd like to hear it.

3GROC · Apr 28, 2006

I have had my cyl head replaced 2 times.... I have had my car for 2 years....

it makes a nouse... it hasnt blown up...

its alllllllllllllllll good.......... I dont care anymore about it

CobraBob · Apr 28, 2006

3GROC said:
I have had my cyl head replaced 2 times.... I have had my car for 2 years....

it makes a nouse... it hasnt blown up...

its alllllllllllllllll good.......... I dont care anymore about it

Do you have the latest heads?
Left side head
Part # 2C5Z-6049-BAB
Right side head
Part # 2C5Z-6049-CAB

If not, the tick issue hasn't been fixed. These are the heads with the improved cooling passages and increased number of spark plug threads. You might want to check.

I8URZ28 · Apr 28, 2006

what you are hearing is exhaust noise

Wease · Apr 28, 2006

I8URZ28 said:
what you are hearing is exhaust noise

That's kinda what I figured. Tonight I'm gonna take a vid just in case.

After I posted this last night I really searched and got into the head tick noises in this forum. Found some threads with sounds like this that turned into the head tick and others that were exhaust leaks. Right now, I'm still thinking exhaust leak, but I just want to be sure.

I just find it odd that it didn't happen until after I changed my oil.

In about a week, I'll be going back to my friend who owns a dyno, he'll know for sure, as he's heard "the tick" in person and tuned/dyno'd hundreds of Cobras...

CobraBob · Apr 28, 2006

Ah, so this started right after you changed your oil and filter! I think the ticking might be from your oil filter. I know it sounds far fetched, but just last week someone started a similar thread and he was pretty sure it was related to either his oil filter or from the change to synthetic oil. Well, he changed his oil filter (went to a different and better brand I think) and the tick was gone. So, my first question would be what brand oil filter did you change to? My recommendation if it is an aftermarket brand. Go back to the stock filter.

Wease · Apr 28, 2006

CobraBob said:
Ah, so this started right after you changed your oil and filter! I think the ticking might be from your oil filter. I know it sounds far fetched, but just last week someone started a similar thread and he was pretty sure it was related to either his oil filter or from the change to synthetic oil. Well, he changed his oil filter (went to a different and better brand I think) and the tick was gone. So, my first question would be what brand oil filter did you change to? My recommendation if it is an aftermarket brand. Go back to the stock filter.

Wow, I'll have to look for that thread! I went with Castrol Syntec 5W20 and a Purolator Premium oil filter. What should I be going with? I'll change it again this weekend if it will make it go away.

By the way, I got your shifter gasket in the mail yesterday. I'll probably install it tonight. Thanks for the quick shipping!

I8URZ28 · Apr 28, 2006

I believe the stock filter is a motorcraft don't have the PN though

Wease · Apr 28, 2006

I'm looking for that "oil filter tick" thread right now, anyone have a link to it?

Wease · Apr 28, 2006

Nevermind, I think this is it. So I take it that I can change the filter without actually changing the oil? I'm sure I can, I just never thought of that before, but I will try it this weekend for sure...

TEABG · Apr 28, 2006

I8URZ28 said:
I believe the stock filter is a motorcraft don't have the PN though

Yes they do !

NHRACobra · Apr 28, 2006

Purolator makes Motorcraft filters.

Motorcraft
Long Lasting FL-1A
Basically, it appeared to be a Purolator Pure One filter cartridge in a Purolator Premium Plus case. Don't be fooled by the differently shaped holes cut into the oil inlet. This is the only difference. I have, however, seen that the Motorcraft line tends to change manufacturers. For a while they seemed to be Champion Labs filters, then they went back to Purolators.

Wease · Apr 28, 2006

Well, I'm going with the Mobil 1 filter like the one guy did in that thread and see if that does it...

etfhb · Apr 28, 2006

you are describing exact traits of the tick.

1. much easier to hear when engine is warm

2. hard to hear when you stick your head under the hood (the tick noise becomes lost with all the injector noise)

3. very noticeable when you listen from one of the front wheels.

4. you have not reported noticing the tick next to a wall (ie. drive through.)
next to wall on a quite night you should be able to hear the tick from atleast ten feet away.

this is a low quality vid of my car ticking:

http://media.putfile.com/2partalmostready

Wease · Apr 28, 2006

etfhb said:
you are describing exact traits of the tick.

1. much easier to hear when engine is warm

2. hard to hear when you stick your head under the hood (the tick noise becomes lost with all the injector noise)

3. very noticeable when you listen from one of the front wheels.

4. you have not reported noticing the tick next to a wall (ie. drive through.)
next to wall on a quite night you should be able to hear the tick from atleast ten feet away.

this is a low quality vid of my car ticking:

http://media.putfile.com/2partalmostready

After talking with the guy on the board here who had the bad oil filter, my car's noise mostly closely resembles that. I'll be swapping out filters this weekend, so I'll know for sure. It's more of an exhaust leak tick than metallic, which makes me think it's something other than the head. After hearing a few sound clips online, plus driving my own car today, I feel much better about it being something else, but I'll keep everyone posted...

I8URZ28 · Apr 28, 2006

my 01 GT had an exhaust tick It was actually nothing but me hearing the exhaust echo off the bell housing -- The dreaded engine "TICK" is very noticable form what has been said on this forum --I believe you'd know something wasen't right in the valvetrain immediately

lukem80 · Apr 28, 2006

sometimes I think I hear the tick when I'm in a drive-thru type situation... sometimes I thinks its just the exhaust doing it or the injectors..

that video.... mann that bitch is ticking :??:

TEABG · Apr 28, 2006

Wease said:
Wow, I'll have to look for that thread! I went with Castrol Syntec 5W20 and a Purolator Premium oil filter. What should I be going with? I'll change it again this weekend if it will make it go away.

By the way, I got your shifter gasket in the mail yesterday. I'll probably install it tonight. Thanks for the quick shipping!

In the past I have went with Castrol becuase Wallmart was out of Mobil 1, but Tommy do not likeee Castrol. Wallmart oil-change with Fram Extra Guard filter and your choice of Mobil1 or Castrol Syn oil is $39.99 FYI. I swear that I had weird noises with Castrol, and Mobil 1 cured my noises in my cam covers or the noises in my head. I am not sure which !

shocker 420 · Apr 28, 2006

If you have "the tick" then about how many miles on the car would it take for it to come up?

Tick Question...

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