hey guys

i wondered if someone could help me with a problem im having with the GT4 (gen3 3sgte)

i noticed yesterday afternoon that it was making some uncharacteristic ticking/rattling type noises as i drove home - faint, but loud enough to hear from the cabin, and only under load at low rpms.

just now, i went out and started it up, and at low revs, as i play with the throttle, it is making a noise that sounds like if you were to tap the bottom of an empty tin with a key - it makes this sound just over 1k rpm (so not at idle) and it gets higher pitched and more frequent as engine rpm's increase. its scaring me and i dont want to drive it till i figure out whats going on (for fear of making it worse).

i cant quite identify where the sound is coming from - but it seems to be anywhere around the top of the motor.

any ideas? if you need more info ill do what i can.

PS. i tried to make a sound file with my camera, but the noise which is clearly audible over the background to my ears, gets drowned out completely on the camera. *shrug

Aftermarket intake?

It could be lifter tick? Does the Group A 3sgte have solid lifters? If so, it sounds like they need to be adjusted

its totally stock
lifter tick - i thought that was audible at any rpms

well i got brave enough to take it for a drive

it dissapears sorta at higher rpms like 4-5k (and below 1k rpm)
the performance symptoms it is showing is the same problem i had before (missing, surging, pulling back) but MUCH worse - i was hoping was an ignition problem which i havent had time to fix yet

no check engine light, but i will pull the codes (there was a 23 and a 41 in there before from god knows how long ago)
cant see any smoke from where i sit (i did try) but the fumes smell much worse at idle.

at the end of the drive the ticking noise went away ALMOST completely - but the performance remained terrible.

somethings wrong, your ecu is retarding timing.

Change the plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor and oil...See if that works first.

Sorry for this stupid question, but what kind of fuel are you putting in?

could be anything from exhaust manifold leak, to a clutch issue.

i bought this car stethiscope from sears, it really does a great job at helping you find the source of the problem. see if you can find something like that.

i had a similar strage noise coming from my engine bay, it turned out it was coming from the clutch and throwout bearing.

-lagos+Feb 16, 2005 - 10:29 AM


I had that same problem, and it ended up being the same thing. The bearing.

98 octane fuel
a car stethescope you say... ill look around for that
i hope its not anything clutch related cos man thats gonna be a pain