Middle RPM Tick

[DuRWooD]

I've searched through numerous threads about a ticking that occurs between about 2500 and 3k rpm. All of the threads seem to die without being resolved.

I recently developed this ticking as well (seemingly suddenly), and I'm wondering if anyone has a definate answer to what it is.

It sounds most certainly like valve train, not a knocking or anything. I had the valve cover off to make sure oil was getting to the top, and everything looked fine.

Any answers? I'm hoping to fix it this week.

 

[mrpopo573]

I would do a motor cleanse. Miatas have a head design that "invites" ticking by being more susceptible to particulates in the motor, so with mine I ran, for about 500 miles, some diesel grade delo motor oil. Super high detergent.

I did this in the summer time, which is constantly above 50 degrees. 15-40 is heavy stuff, but I wasn't the only one who saw good results from it.

Otherwise look into seafoam, my friends have great luck with it, I just never tried it.

Just my opinion, good luck

 

[DuRWooD]

...

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

Uh, depending on your mileage, cleaning out the oil system may do bad things with your seals...don't know if I would attempt that at over 75k miles. These motors suck at retaining oil, and seafoam in the crankcase is probably going to make that worse. As for the ticking, not sure what to tell you...have you eliminated rod knock?

 

[mrpopo573]

Uh, depending on your mileage, cleaning out the oil system may do bad things with your seals...don't know if I would attempt that at over 75k miles. These motors suck at retaining oil, and seafoam in the crankcase is probably going to make that worse. As for the ticking, not sure what to tell you...have you eliminated rod knock?

I find it hard to imagine that high detergent oil like delo would somehow destroy his motor. I have used this on 6 different cars, all with over 130k Miles on them. Nissan, Mazda, Honda and Toyota. The results were positive, and none of them had more issues as a result.

The fear of seafoam I understand, that is why I go the diesel oil route.

 

[StealthWyvern]

Uh, depending on your mileage, cleaning out the oil system may do bad things with your seals...don't know if I would attempt that at over 75k miles. These motors suck at retaining oil, and seafoam in the crankcase is probably going to make that worse. As for the ticking, not sure what to tell you...have you eliminated rod knock?

I never had a issue with my old p5 other then the stupid oil presure sensor kept leaking oil. After the 3rd on I didnt seem to lose any oil using 10w30.

I find it hard to imagine that high detergent oil like delo would somehow destroy his motor. I have used this on 6 different cars, all with over 130k Miles on them. Nissan, Mazda, Honda and Toyota. The results were positive, and none of them had more issues as a result.

The fear of seafoam I understand, that is why I go the diesel oil route.

I can see how 15-40 might do damage due to the weight of the oil but thats it.

 

[DuRWooD]

have you eliminated rod knock?

No, not eliminated, and it has symptoms that would lead me to suspect rod knock. However, it sure doesn't sound like rod knock, too high pitched, and it's definitely not piston slap.

The ticking happens ONLY under slight load of the engine such as maintaining a constant road speed. The only way to make it tick with the car in neutral, is to rev it so the engine works against the flywheel. It doesn't really occur on decel either.

Today I'm going to try and pin point where the noise is coming from. It sounds like the top end, but I'll hopefully know for sure today.

Does this sound anything like the intake failure the '03s got recalled?

 

[ProtoType5]

The intake recall/failure would be LOUD and destructive...to be sure you can pull the intake manifold and check the screws on the VTCS and VICS butterflys. I would imagine you've just got valvetrain noise, which comes over time, and really can't be fixed without rebuiling the head. JUst keep the oil topped off and that should reduce the amount of noise it makes.

 

[DuRWooD]

This tick is loud. It sounds like something is seriously wrong with the hood up

 

[ProtoType5]

I would not run the car #1, and check the intake manifold for all the screws. If there is a screw loose in the head, it will do significant damage, and may work its way into a cylinder and destroy the engine entirely.

Or it still may just be really bad valvetrain noise...Good luck(bolt)

 

[DuRWooD]

Thanks, I'm taking the day tomorrow to figure it out. If the engine is toast, there's my excuse for the KLZE swap.

 

[StealthWyvern]

take a video of the sound.... kind hard to point you in the right direction when we cant see it or hear it.

 

[mrpopo573]

I can see how 15-40 might do damage due to the weight of the oil but thats it.

My Miata handled it fine, so has the Toyota's 22re, all small capacity motors. I'm not saying using it for the life of the car, just once to help cleanse it. The miata forums have many users of this technique.

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

I never had a issue with my old p5 other then the stupid oil presure sensor kept leaking oil. After the 3rd on I didnt seem to lose any oil using 10w30.

Stealth,
Was your pressure sensor just bad, or was there actually oil leaking from it? I have been trying to troubleshoot my oil consumption for months, and have pretty much settled on valve guide seals as the culprit. Maybe if my pressure sensor is bad it could be causing me to consume oil...but there's none leaking.

In my defense, there are a ton of P5 owners on here that add a quart every 1000 or 1500 miles. I wish it wasn't the case...and I wish even more that I was not one of them!

 

[Skorch]

I get this same kind of knock. Do you get the knock sometimes when you start up too? Kinda of a ticking sound?

 

[StealthWyvern]

Stealth,
Was your pressure sensor just bad, or was there actually oil leaking from it? I have been trying to troubleshoot my oil consumption for months, and have pretty much settled on valve guide seals as the culprit. Maybe if my pressure sensor is bad it could be causing me to consume oil...but there's none leaking.

In my defense, there are a ton of P5 owners on here that add a quart every 1000 or 1500 miles. I wish it wasn't the case...and I wish even more that I was not one of them!

Yeah theirs two kinds of bad for the presure sensor 1 being the obvious one and the other is leaking oil.... or well.. 3 kinds leaking oil and no signal. lol I went through 3 or 4 on my old p5.

 

[DuRWooD]

Well, I haven't solved it, I didn't really spend much time though. I have narrowed it down to top end.

I get this same kind of knock. Do you get the knock sometimes when you start up too? Kinda of a ticking sound?

Sometimes on start up, but it's always done that, I think this is different.

 

[808MP5]

subbing to see if a solution is found

Last time I had ticking noise (boom)

 

[DuRWooD]

I'll have to wait until Monday to look at it again. Hopefully she holds out until then...

 

[Skorch]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I just drove my P5 with the noise cross country. 1600 mi trip. Not sure if it's related or not, but I ended up dumping about 4 quarts of oil along the way. It looks like I've got a leak near my transmission, but it's oil.