OWhatAThrill

If you've heard it personally, please describe in the best detail, what it sounded like to you, frequently, pattern, etc.

DaBoxSE

iTrader: (5)

I need that info too. My car seems to have a hissing sound...Kinda like air escaping from a pump when I accellerate. Is this it?

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

tick tick tick tick.. then you hit the gas.. tiktiktiktiktiktiktik.. let off the gas.. tick tick tick tick..
then about this time, the exhaust warms up and the expansion of the metal closes the air gap in the exhaust, and the hoises go away.

oh.. by the way.. I think that's the problem you've got with your car.. not positive, but if it onyl happens when you first start it cold, it's goign to be either a clunky lifter or broken exhaust studs.

DaBoxSE

iTrader: (5)

no ticking for me. then whats my sound from?

Sith

iTrader: (1)

where's the leaking sound coming from?
and is it like a leak or a hollowed out sucking?

OWhatAThrill

My noise doesn't remind me of a "tick". I had to get new lifters in my Jeep, I know exactly how bad lifters sound (in a Jeep anyway) and yes, I'd say that was "tick, tick, tick". I laughed and said I sounded like Jed Clampitt going down the road. This noise, which I heard for a few yesterday sounded more like "putt, putt". Its a more muted tone than the lifters tick in my Jeep. I started the car yesterday AM, ran smoothly, no sound, drove about a mile to Hardee's, pulled in the drivethru, and it started, went away when I pulled out on the road to leave. And interestlying enough, it's not the same noise like that first morning in Chattanooga..where it sounded like something wanted out on underneath that "thing" towards the back passenger side.

I don't know why but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the muffler...because I know that is doing some moving underneath occasionally. But thats a little rattle. Son crawled under the car the other day and pulled a broken bungee cord from underneath. That was in the rear tho. I want to take it to like Midas..don't know, don't know much about mufflers and let them put it up and check it all the way back to the engine. The sound I have reminds me more of a muffler problem than lifters but it's coming from the engine I'm almost sure. Next time I hear it, I will try to isolate where it's coming from but it's hard because it doesn't do it often nor for long.

OWhatAThrill

Just an add on, just took my daughter to school, started it, let it idle for about a minute and took off. School only a little over a mile, but no noise at all. VTC sound at the beginning is intermittant, correct? What about exhaust stud noise?

KITT

My car has a broken stud at the exhaust manafold. I have noticed that my car has been running a little rough. Is this because the 02 sensor is not getting a proper exhaust reading? Im getting it fixed next week......

NYC GS4

iTrader: (2)

When I had the problem, it literally drove me nuts, there was no escape from this noise. Bottom line is it makes your car sound like a POS. What Matt is saying about it going away when the car warms up is what I call the good version of this problem and in that particular case, the sound isnt that bad to begin with. Mine got to the point where I had this noise while driving in any situation, and I hear many maximas with the same problem every day. It turned out I had leaks on both the right and left side exhaust manifolds. Missing stud on one side and 1 missing +1 broken stud on the other. This job was done by the dealer, the year before I had the left side done by Midas but back then I didnt know about the stud situation and I guess all they did was change the exhaust manifold gasket.

Anyway, like Matt says the best way to describe the sound is a tick, tick and then that "tick, tick" speeds up as your speeding up. This is not the tick of the lifters, the lifters usually tick in a very consistent manner, almost like a clock ticks. In this case, its a tick that is only caused by accelerating. However if it only happens when the car is cold, then you could definitely live with it, but based on what you have said so far, I'm pretty sure that this isnt the problem your car has.


If you do decide to go to Midas, just give them the description you gave us and they are required to check it out for free and give you an estimate and after you would be free to leave ( Unlike the dealer- $65). I used them to diagnose everything and then went to the dealer to do it.

DaBoxSE

iTrader: (5)

now that I think of it, that is the sound mine makes. I hate the sound and I want it to go away. How about using some kind of high temp sealant or putty-like thing over the leaks? would that be a bad idea?