Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online!
Automotive Forums .com - the leading automotive community online! 
-
Latest | 0 Rplys
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Chevrolet > Malibu
Reply Show Printable Version Show Printable Version | Email this Page Email this Page | Subscription Subscribe to this Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 06-09-2010, 05:30 PM   #1
Malibugry
AF Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Mount Pearl
Posts: 2
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
2004 Malibu Ticking

Hey. This is my first post automotive wise. Be patient. I have a 2004 3.5l V6 Malibu with 173,000 km. There's a quick ticking noise coming from my engine. It's by the area with the little green cap close to the belt and alternator. I also get this bad zinging/tick like sound when giving a good push on the gas. Like say going up a hill. Not sure if its related or not. I have checked error codes at least and came up with a bad thermostat. I doubt that has anything to do with it though. Help would be very very appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Malibugry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2010, 05:30 AM   #2
wpbharry
AF Regular
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Posts: 409
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Re: 2004 Malibu Ticking

I can't relate to your situation on a 3.5L, since my '04 is a baby compared with yours. However, since the '04 3.5L is related to the 3.1L of the earlier generation, this might help. My '98 3.1L developed a ticking at around your mileage, and it was diagnosed simply as an old engine loosening up. Read: on its way out. Fortunately, I was about to buy a new car at that time.

Maybe someone more mechanically inclined can put this in more scientific terms....
wpbharry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2010, 10:48 AM   #3
slls
AF Regular
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: bangor, Maine
Posts: 355
Thanks: 0
Thanked 10 Times in 10 Posts
Re: 2004 Malibu Ticking

With that mileage I would suspect timing chain, hitting the cover.
slls is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2010, 08:50 AM   #4
wpbharry
AF Regular
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Posts: 409
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Re: 2004 Malibu Ticking

FYI, there are a bunch of folks in another well-known forum with '04s (Maxxes in this case) with over 150K miles on them, still running strong. It would take me another 10 years to hit that mark, and I'd bet that the rest of the car would be shot before the engine.
wpbharry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2010, 01:44 PM   #5
67malibu
AF Regular
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Posts: 157
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Re: 2004 Malibu Ticking

That's about 108,000 miles (notice the post said km!) The engine's just broken in well. When was the serpentine belt changed last? Sometimes a tick or zinging sound could be a bad spot on the belt. I would take the belt off, then spin each pulley and accessory by hand to feel and listen for bearings, etc. As far as the timing chain, all GM V6 and V8s for quite a few years now have forged gears and the timing sets aren't a maintenance item. If it something is wrong, it's due to a failure, not wear as only the composite gear timing sets would be close to worn at that mileage.
67malibu is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD


Tags
2004 , 3.5l , accelerate , malibu , tick
Go Back   Automotive Forums .com Car Chat > Chevrolet > Malibu

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:33 AM.

Community Participation Guidelines | How to use your User Control Panel

Powered by: vBulletin | Copyright Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
 
 
no new posts