I have heard this noise in other cars, but I was wondering if it means there is a possible problem. By the way, I hear this noise after my car warms up, when it is running, and after I shut it off after driving. Also it is a 97 SE with stock exhaust.
Thanks, tED

 

More than likely, what you are hearing is the "guts" of the catalytic converter contracting as it cools down after shutting the engine off.

This is normal for most cars.

 

i thought it was the whole exhaust
because when u ran it the exhaust was hot so it expanded once u cool it, the exhaust shrinks again giving u that nice lovely ticking sound

 

Why does this only happen to this car? I never heard this noise on my 95 Max. Is this maybe a sign that my cat converter is going bad or something?
tED

 

I have this exact sound only after i cut the car off.
( or at least i cant hear it while running)

Pings/Ticks more loudly the faster/hotter i ran the car.

BG

 

I dunno, my '90 Taurus and my '95 Max does it, my 94 Z28 never did, and my '00 Silverado doesn't do it.

I guess it just depends on the car. But from what I know it is perfectly normal. Heat causes matter (in most cases) to expand, and cooling causes it to contract. So if your exhaust gets hot enough, and the metal has a low expansion temperature, it's completely normal.

Don't worry about it, nothing is going wrong with your car, and nothing ever will as a result of that noise.

 

Coo, thanks guys.
tED