2000 LS V8 knocking

I just purchased my 2000 Lincoln LS V8 with 56K Miles. I noticed when it is idling it has a ticking sound. If you have the windows down, this noise gets louder when you accelerate. Also, I noticed it is a little louder when in drive instead of park or neutral. It is really quite annoying, if anybody could point me to some things to check I would appreciate it, thanks.

It sounds to me like the injectors or A/C compressor. Can't do anything about that, really. Shut off the climate controll and see if the noise goes away. The injector tick is always present whenever the engine runs. Check your hood sealing surfaces for missing gaskets/weatherstrip and also for missing insulation. If any of these things are missing, the sound can escape the engine bay easier and make it seem louder.

If it goes away once the car is warmed up, it could be the exhaust manifold. If so, it would need to be replaced to eliminate the tick.

I doubt it's pre-ignition (engine knock), since it happens at idle...but you never know. What fuel are you running? It should be at least 91 octane. If you suspect it might be pre-ignition, you should run out the tank and pour a bottle of fuel system cleaner in the tank before refilling with 91+ octane fuel.

Lastly (but doubtful, since the car sounds driveable), it could be low fuel pressure caused by blockage at the inlets or filters or bad pump(s).

Thank you for your response. I have been listening more closely now and it sounds more like a mechanical noise, like a metal to metal knock or tick. The exhaust does not smoke and the engine has plenty of power and all. I am guessing the car still has it's original spark plugs in it, but I have not checked their condition yet. I changed the fuel filter, which was the original and ran a bottle of sea foam injector cleaner through it. I have been running 93 Octane BP Fuel. It almost sounds like it might be torque converter bolts, but I have no clue what those sound like if they are loose. I can hear it when I am driving too, but it is more of a constant engine noise than a tick when driving. I guess I can always get a mechanics stethoscope and listen to every part of the engine :)

I don't want to alarm you - but I had a "ticking" noise in my 2000 LS V8 at 27000+ miles - thank God it was under warranty (I had just bought it with 25,000 miles on it) - they immediately replaced the engine. I kinda think Ford knew something I didn't. Hope that isn't your problem.

Luckily I did buy the extended warranty, which I was going to just cash in since I think I got ripped off on the price anyway, but maybe I will take the car in for diagnosis before I do. If I need a new engine, I wonder if it would be possible to get a newer engine with variable cam timing. I imagine they are basically the same except for the PCM, but I don't know, any input is appreciated and thanks for your help.

No love on the newer engine. HUGE changes are necessary...
The new throttle is electronic no mechanical
Engine geometry is different, so the entire acessory package needs replaced.
Cooling is different.
Electronics are WAAAY different requiring most of car to be rewired.
Electronic park brake integrates with engine and tranny
tranny was redesigned and integrates with all the above
etc.
etc.
etc.

It'd be cheaper to buy a used '03.

I just purchased my 2000 Lincoln LS V8 with 56K Miles. I noticed when it is idling it has a ticking sound. If you have the windows down, this noise gets louder when you accelerate. Also, I noticed it is a little louder when in drive instead of park or neutral. It is really quite annoying, if anybody could point me to some things to check I would appreciate it, thanks.
My 2001 does it too. I notice most of the time at drive thru fast food when it echos off the bulding. It also goes away when put in neutral.