Loud exhaust and ticking

[pianoman78]

'00LS8...I live in a cold weather climate and when I start my car in the morning it's making a loud sound like an exhaust leak. I previously had a car w/ an exhaust manifold leak and it sounds similar. If I drive away before the car warms up, the sound is very noticable as I accelerate. Once the car warms up, the sound goes away...but, I do notice a 'ticking' sound then when I'm accelerating (I have never heard the 'ticking' from inside the car, but if my spouse acclerates and I'm outside I can hear it). Thoughts on what this could be?

[shorod]

It does sound like you may have an exhaust leak. I'm just a lurker on this forum, but I'm not aware that cracked exhaust manifolds, manifold studs, or other exhaust leaks are common on the LS. Maybe one of the regulars will jump in with info on that.

Since it's cold now where you live, you may be able to spot an exhaust leak by looking around the exhaust outdoors and see if you can see an exhaust stream coming from somewhere other than out the tail pipes.

Could the ticking that you are hearing when the car is warmed up be your fuel injectors turning on and off? Are you positive that ticking is a new noise on not one you are listening for now due to the possible exhaust leak? If so, it is normal for fuel injectors to tick audibly (under the hood) as they open and close.

-Rod

[matt ls]

I have a 2000 LS V8 and with only 65000 Km, it was doing the same thing, so I took it in to get looked at, and they told me that one of the manifold bolts was broken off. So I had to wait a couple of weeks for the new bolt and manifold gasket to come in. I took it back in and then they told me that the whole manifold was cracked and had to be replaced. I think when they tightened the new bolt they put it on too tight and cracked the manifold. All was covered under warranty.