Loud ticking in V4 mode
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 34,551
Likes: 505
From: Auburn Hills MI
Loud ticking in V4 mode
Little things are starting to pop up. Just over 1900 miles and today we did our first extended trip in ECO mode with it running in 4 cylinders most of the time.
Turned down the radio because I heard a loud ticking noise coming from the left side of the car. At 80mph, cruise on, 7th gear. Sounded like an exhaust tick. Touch the gas to put it back in V8 mode and its fine.
Left it in V8 mode for a bit, then put it back in ECO, no problems till about 50 miles later, then the tick returned.
That and now my auto exit died. Hit the button today, car beeped a few times, now the button no longer operates even though Easy Exit is turned on, doesn't do it when you turn the car off, or hit the button. It does return to position when you hit 1 and when you open the door.
Anyone else seen/heard this tick?
Turned down the radio because I heard a loud ticking noise coming from the left side of the car. At 80mph, cruise on, 7th gear. Sounded like an exhaust tick. Touch the gas to put it back in V8 mode and its fine.
Left it in V8 mode for a bit, then put it back in ECO, no problems till about 50 miles later, then the tick returned.
That and now my auto exit died. Hit the button today, car beeped a few times, now the button no longer operates even though Easy Exit is turned on, doesn't do it when you turn the car off, or hit the button. It does return to position when you hit 1 and when you open the door.
Anyone else seen/heard this tick?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,596
Likes: 120
From: East Tennessee
Since I have an auto and its in V4 mode often I noticed the V4 ticking a couple days after I had it. It will do it around 1400 and 1700rpm and it sounds like a header leak - it can get pretty loud. Give it a little more throttle and it bumps into V8 and goes away.
I can stall it up in 3rd gear standing still to 2000rpm and there is no noise at all, AFM wont kick on of course sitting still.
I think its just some exhaust weirdness, the AFM valves are closed it just may be some noise in the headers or cats. Some guys have blamed it on the belt tensioner but I had a bad belt tensioner that leaked all the oil out it was more of a screech/chirp in V4, different from the exhaust leak sounding tick.
Its pretty embarrassing at times, sounds like an old car with a cracked exhaust manifold sometimes. It runs fine, seems quick enough and gets 30mpg on the highway so I'll live with it. If it is something in the valvetrain GM has 4.8 years and 96,000 miles to worry about it, not me
I can stall it up in 3rd gear standing still to 2000rpm and there is no noise at all, AFM wont kick on of course sitting still.
I think its just some exhaust weirdness, the AFM valves are closed it just may be some noise in the headers or cats. Some guys have blamed it on the belt tensioner but I had a bad belt tensioner that leaked all the oil out it was more of a screech/chirp in V4, different from the exhaust leak sounding tick.
Its pretty embarrassing at times, sounds like an old car with a cracked exhaust manifold sometimes. It runs fine, seems quick enough and gets 30mpg on the highway so I'll live with it. If it is something in the valvetrain GM has 4.8 years and 96,000 miles to worry about it, not me
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Ontario California
You are not the only one. I noticed the same ticking or what I would call a clattering sound coming from the engine while at the apex of 1/4 mode. Mostly while cruising at highway speeds. Just before bumping back into 1/8 where the engine needs more power, the motor will sound like it is pinging with poor quality gasoline.
I tried to tell myself that I purchased a bad tank of gas. It didn't go away after the next tank. It is getting louder and is very unnerving when it happens. I'm almost always find myself stepping harder on the accelerator to bump into 1/8 or paddle shift into a lower gear before it happens now. I'm also noticing a slight lurch before dropping back into 8cyl from 4cyl, but that may be just me being over sensitive.
I picked her up in December and just broke 11k miles. Yeah, I know I've driven her quite a bit, but she isn't going to be a garage queen. All the fluids check out fine. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations other than just taking her back to the dealership for diagnostics?
Shibby...
I tried to tell myself that I purchased a bad tank of gas. It didn't go away after the next tank. It is getting louder and is very unnerving when it happens. I'm almost always find myself stepping harder on the accelerator to bump into 1/8 or paddle shift into a lower gear before it happens now. I'm also noticing a slight lurch before dropping back into 8cyl from 4cyl, but that may be just me being over sensitive.
I picked her up in December and just broke 11k miles. Yeah, I know I've driven her quite a bit, but she isn't going to be a garage queen. All the fluids check out fine. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations other than just taking her back to the dealership for diagnostics?
Shibby...
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 21
From: Durham NC
Mine has a tick at certain rpms, and you can also hear it when idling. Haven't noticed in V4 mode as I haven't really used it. From the other threads I've seen, this is due to the direct injection and is normal.
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Ontario California
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,596
Likes: 120
From: East Tennessee
The tick has always been there on my car, and still is right after replacing the second leaking tensioner.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 34,551
Likes: 505
From: Auburn Hills MI
DI motors do tick, that's normal.
This is not a DI style tick. This is loud and very pronounced, sounds like a bad exhaust leak.
I'll have the tensioner checked when it goes in on Tuesday. Is it primarily from one side of the motor? Mine is from the drivers side.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
I noticed this about 2500 miles. Tracked it to the transition from V4 to V8 by watching the display that shows V4 or V8. Just before the transition, I would hear a loud ticking noise that sounds like cylinder knock due to bad or low octane gas. After the transition to V8, the noise disappears. I fixed this temporarily with a Diablo Sport Tune that locked the car in V8 mode. Noise hasn't recurred since, but I'm planning to put it back into stock tune and return it to the dealer for diagnostics when its time for an oil change.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 8,615
Likes: 60
From: Haymarket Virginia
Sounds normal. Mine has done that since 1k miles and the dealer said it was normal. I'm thinking you are hearing the DI since you're at a low RPM cruising.
I've had bad gas before and the car would sound like it was knocking, really loud!
I've had bad gas before and the car would sound like it was knocking, really loud!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,596
Likes: 120
From: East Tennessee
Its really easy to hear with the roof off going around 40mph on a side street, it sounds like it comes from the LH side and its pretty loud. Its a little too constant to be detonation, sounds like a header leak or a cracked exhaust manifold. With an auto you can put it 3rd gear and stall the converter to past 2000rpm and you dont hear it all s its not an exhaust leak. Only when driving and its in V4 at a certain RPM.
If I'm driving at a speed where I hear it a lot with the windows down or top off I just put in in manual mode. With the windows up, radio and AC on I dont hear it.
Wonder if anyone hears it with a manual trans and not in ECO mode (no AFM) or if its more an auto thing since the V4 is active a lot
Last edited by kp; May 24, 2014 at 08:17 PM.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 34,551
Likes: 505
From: Auburn Hills MI
I think its something happening in V4 mode, with the afm valves closed it may be doing something in the exhaust. Could also be the lifters bled down too I guess.
Its really easy to hear with the roof off going around 40mph on a side street, it sounds like it comes from the LH side and its pretty loud. Its a little too constant to be detonation, sounds like a header leak or a cracked exhaust manifold. With an auto you can put it 3rd gear and stall the converter to past 2000rpm and you dont hear it all s its not an exhaust leak. Only when driving and its in V4 at a certain RPM.
If I'm driving at a speed where I hear it a lot with the windows down or top off I just put in in manual mode. With the windows up, radio and AC on I dont hear it.
Wonder if anyone hears it with a manual trans and not in ECO mode (no AFM) or if its more an auto thing since the V4 is active a lot
Its really easy to hear with the roof off going around 40mph on a side street, it sounds like it comes from the LH side and its pretty loud. Its a little too constant to be detonation, sounds like a header leak or a cracked exhaust manifold. With an auto you can put it 3rd gear and stall the converter to past 2000rpm and you dont hear it all s its not an exhaust leak. Only when driving and its in V4 at a certain RPM.
If I'm driving at a speed where I hear it a lot with the windows down or top off I just put in in manual mode. With the windows up, radio and AC on I dont hear it.
Wonder if anyone hears it with a manual trans and not in ECO mode (no AFM) or if its more an auto thing since the V4 is active a lot
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,596
Likes: 120
From: East Tennessee
I bet if you look at the rpm at that speed and if you can get it to go in V4 in a lower gear at at the same rpm and lower mph you will hear it too. Mine is the worse at ~1200 and ~1700rpm, when it goes into V4 and you give it a little throttle and it doesnt go back into V8.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 185
Likes: 7
From: Baltimore Maryland
However when transitioning from V8 to V4 in ECO MODE I get a loud noise and a small jerk, is that normal?
I have manual 7 speed
Last edited by Theo Harris; May 25, 2014 at 08:49 AM.
7th Gear
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 7
Likes: 1
From: Ontario California
Noel48 was correct! The issue according to the dealership and GM was a bad TENSIONER. They replaced it today and the rattle is gone. I'm planning on taking it for a long cruise tomorrow but she rode home tonight without a hitch.
T.A.C. Case Number 71-1311786318
T.A.C. Case Number 71-1311786318
Racer
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 313
Likes: 44
From: Little Rock AR
I purchased one of the RANGE V8 plugin modules & it's taken care of the noise. Whether this is a bandaid fix or a true solution, I don't know, but so far so go.
Wormwood