tomservo291

When my car is warmed up and has been run for a bit (not when it starts cold .. runs pristine then.)

I can only hear it with the hood open, it seems to come from behind the rear bank (but there's no moving parts there?! what the heck.)

It's a very consistent sound, probably between 1 - 2 seconds inbetween each soft *pop* sound. It's almost like a little bit of air pressure building up then blowing off. Not related to engine speed or anything, seems to be completely independant.

It's quiet enough that if i rev up the engine it either a. doesn't make it anymore, or b. the engine just drowns out the sound and I just can't hear it.

Also, I swear last night when I first noticed it after a 3 hours drive home and I was looking around the area the sound was coming from I could see flashes of light (small sparks) underneath one of the top molded intake pieces. Upon closer inspection from the top I couldn't see this flash, only from looking at the front at eye level ...

What gives?

I just fixed everything! Fixed a P/S problem, replaced my cheap brakes and got the lines bled ... just did an oil change, so for about a week my car was as good as brand new (TB was cleaned two weeks ago.) It runs so perfect when it first starts up, but it makes this weird sound after running for awhile now.

PRPmax

It could be a relay. Those make a light sound when in use. Are you just driving and not touching nothing or switching something on when you hear it?

tomservo291

just at idle

5 speed, out of gear, everything off.. everything on, doesn't effect it

it might always be doing it, but like i said if you rev it up at all the engine is too loud to be able to tell


just for kicks i was looking at autozones website and they have a problem identifier for retards, and checking up on my problems one of it's suggestions (the rest were assonine) was PCV valve, and upon looking at where it's located it's possible that that's what is making the sound. It's in the vicinity of where it eminates, is it possible for a dirty/nonworking pcv valve to cause a popping/ticking "ish" noise and probably once every 20-30 secs it makes a sputtering sound (not the engine though)