My baby has started ticking, almost like the sound of a bent push rod or bad lifter. If it weren't for the fact I have good oil pressure, I wouldn't rule out a main bearing. However, it is stranger than that. I used a stethoscope and could not make out if it was a push rod or lifter, but it did sound louder on the driver's side so I removed that valve cover and pulled all of the push rods, their perfect. Now sometimes, it will steam my windshield, and this ticking only happens after the car has been running for about 15-20 minutes. When I first start the car, it will run for about 3 minutes then a loud crack sound happens, almost like when you hold a torch to a piece of cracked sheet metal and it snaps into place. after that crack sound, the car still runs quietly until it has run for about 20 minutes. then it starts ticking and it progressively gets louder. There is absolutely no impact on performance or the smoothness of the engine, it still runs perfectly. The car though is getting hot and I have to keep the a/c on if its hot outside. When I get out of the car, there is a faint hint of antifreeze smell. Could this be a water pump? I have never had a shaft driven water pump before, and every water pump I have ever changed that has went out has never sounded like this. But it does follow some of the other symptoms, it is running much warmer than usual, the smell of antifreeze (like its coming out of the weep hole) and the steamed windshield. I do not have the means to change this myself as the spondylitis in my spine will not allow me to bend over like that, so I would appreciate any advice before spending 600.00 to have my mechanic do it.

Thanks

 

if its steaming on the inside of the windshield it could also be a heater core.

 

You could also have an air bubble in the cooling system, or a sticking thermostat.

If the water pump is leaking, you will often see a line of coolant spray on the underside of the hood, as it drips on the serpentine belt and slings off.

 

I thought this thread was going to be about the famous diner on Rt 3 in Clifton.

(people from NJ will undertand this ).

 

Too often folks jump on "cracked head" but what you describe kinda points in that direction. Your mechanic can run several tests to determine if a head is cracked and not break the bank.

 

I would back way off and try to isolate where this problem is. To me it does not sound like engine at all but........

I would first turn every thing off inside the car. No radio, no AC, no fan, no heat ( hopefully you get my point ).

Now does this happen at idle? Does it begin ticking right away? Does the loud crack noise happen every time and after how long running? Does it happen with all the accessories off? Do you still smell the anti freeze? If yes turn the heater on in the car and do you smell the anti freeze in the car? Does the ticking go away when you rev the engine slightly? How old are your ignition wires?

If you smell anti freeze can you look under the car for a small drip or puddle.

I have always found going back to basics and eliminating some of the obvious can help locate the problem quicker.

 

Has your coolant level dropped? Maybe try re-routing the heater hoses and bypassing the heater core? Is your passenger floormat wet? Good points by others-looking for coolant presence in engine compartment, cockpit and ground beneath car.

test kit for exhaust gas in coolant are available or your mech. can do it. sorry, forgot about your physical condition. He or someone you trust can do these things.

 

Thanks, I have done all of this previously. It runs and acts exactly the same whether or not any accessories are on. The only difference is without the ac on, it heats up faster. The cracking noise happens only the first time each day the car is started. After that I can have it in the parking lot at work for 9 hours and it will not do it again until the next morning. It happens almost exact same spot every day, about 1 mile from my house. This noise is in fact what led me to believe it might be the water pump, because it happens at just about the time I would predict the thermostat opens for the first time and sounds like perhaps a fin is cracked or the housing for the fins is cracked and snapping into form when the hot water is released and the first dose of cold water comes in the block. The only confounding variable is the ticking. I have never heard a bad water pump tick like a bad lifter or push rod; however, as I said earlier, I have never had a shaft driven water pump before on any of the other vehicles I have ever owned. And the ticking noise only happens at idle speed, once the engine is above 1000 rpm it goes away.

As for some of the other (well appreciated) comments. It does not steam the inside of the window. There is no sling marks on the hood, but the belt doesn't run directly below the water pump either. If the head was cracked, it should be leaking either oil, antifreeze or both, not to mention a loss of performance, possible foaming of the oil, and almost assuredly an engine miss. None of these are present. The engine runs fine and even when accelerated hard, it does not miss or hesitate or lose any performance. If this is an internal engine problem, I will be very surprised just by how good the engine runs all of the time.

Thanks for all of the posts º¿º

 

I'm thinking the sheet metal sound you hear might just be that, it could be a heat shield that is loose or bound and it moves when heated. Have you tried to warm it up in the driveway and maybe tell where it's coming from?

The ticking going away over 1000RPM says to me it's probably not internal engine wear, it could be an oiler that's plugged though. I'm not sure how the oilers work on these cars but how did the internal engine look? Also a very small exhaust leak will make a ticking sound especially if it's up by the manifold, try listening around the exhaust and look for black marks where it would blow out. It will be small most likely. The last thing I can think of that would tick that way would be a bad spark plug wire arcing to metal or even a cracked spark plug, it sounds just like a lifter.

The steam or fogging on the windshield is evidently outside, right? There is a good chance it's just from outside humid air hitting the cold AC. It's happening on my vette and my wife's Tiguan when it's really humid.

I would imagine if your water pump had slipped a blade it would have seized by now and the noise would not go away if it had not.

Things to look for on the ticking are does it stay constant with the RPM under 1000. Does it get louder as the car warms up ( exhaust noise will change as it gets hotter ). Once you find the area the ticking is coming from it will be easier to narrow it down further.