Ticking Noise

[lionelkirk2009]

Test drove an 05, drove great. Has hesistation when accelerating from a stop, also noticed parked at idle there's a ticking noise coming from the engine? Any ideas?

[Ruley73]

I believe the ticking noise is normal. If it is hesitating under acceleration and has more than 80K miles on it, it could just be due for a tune-up.

Ours ticks what I would call louder than normal too. I took it back to the dealer shortly after we bought it since it was a GM Certified Used vehicle and still under warranty at the time. They said it is normal for this engine and that the noise is from the fuel injectors. I've also read some other similar things (including the TSB mentioned below) about this online that seem to back this up. It still runs great at 55K miles so I don't worry about it much.

There is a TSB (# 08-06-01-022) out that addresses a ticking noise caused by excessive exhaust valve stem to guide clearance, but the TSB only applies to 2006-2008 Equinox/Torrent. It also suggests making sure the ticking noise in question isn't just the normal sound of the fuel injectors.

I'd also check the oil level. These vehicles had the incorrect oil capacity (4 quarts) printed in the owners manual, but the correct capacity is 4.5 quarts w/filter change according to a TSB that addresses this error. Albeit, a half quart difference really shouldn't make the engine tick.