Forscythe87

Ran into a new problem today. I made a somewhat large trip (70 miles) yesterday. When I stopped through the drive through to grab some food my engine started a distinct ticking sound.

So, I checked to make sure it wasn't my belts or the radiator fans.

Ive narrowed it down to the center engine area (yeah that helps a lot).


Any ideas? My buddy says at 126K stuff can wear down and ticking can be ok. It seems to subside as I accelerate and oil level etc... is good.

Ive paid to have the car properly maintained, im starting to get sick of all these little problems.

Any ideas?

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1998 Chevy Lumina LS 3.1L 126K Miles

sad-lumina-owner

my engine has about 170k on it and (after a lot of things like new timing belt and fan belt) it too showed a small tick recently, which seems to come from under the front Overhead Cam cover (center front of engine under hood).

The rear overheadcam cover is also integrated with the intake manifold, so I think the back 3 cylinder cams are muffled better.

It is possible that a valve is worn or loose.

I noticed that the noise was quieter when I added a quart of synthetic motor oil (it was down a quart).

Even if your dipstick says you are not down oil, you might try adding a 1/2 quart because the dipstick may be inaccurate.

Another option is to add an oil additive that seals and coats parts and increases compression. I tried such a product (for aging engines) with good results.

This might also reduce noise and add life to moving parts in engine.

Remember to check oil when engine is OFF but check transmission when engine is ON (and when car is level).