Looking for some help -

I have tried to find a thread on this exact symptom, no luck... I hear a ticking noise, louder nowawadys, coming from behind the dash. It's not ticking when the car is at idle, but when I am in motion. Also, it doesn't have to be in gear, in fact, its most noticable if I put the car in neutral while I'm moving because the exhaust isn't making too much noise. It sounds like its coming from behind the dash or the front right wheel well. When I brake, even slightly, the ticking noise goes away. Lastly, the frequency of the ticking increases/decreases with speed. I question if its the pad, caliper, dust shield...

Any guidance would be appearciated!

 

Bump...I guess if nobody knows of the top what this could be, I'll just live with it.

 

Why dont you take the wheel off and see if anything looks suspicious? Its prolly something brake/suspension related.

 

Does it increase with speed? Nail in the tire?

 

I believe I also have the same problem! Yes, someone understands!!!!

I had CarMax inspect the calipers and rotors on 2 separate occasions to see if something was wrong with the brakes... but to no avail there.

Frankly I've learned to live with it (unfortunately). It does sound like something under the hood, hopefully minor. I'd hate for it to be something wrong with the engine. I don't think it's a knock...

 

Let's "debug" your issue.

That leaves any of the rotating assembly -- valvetrain, transmission, hubs -- in question.

This lowers the chance that it is transmission related.

This greatly increases the chance that it is a hub/CV issue.

This SUPER-greatly increases the chance that it is a hub/CV issue.

Some things to check:

You said the frequency increases as speed increases. Does it decrease when you upshift or stay the same? If the answer is "stay the same", then it is not RPM based and we can rule the engine out entirely.

Does the angle of your front wheels affect the loudness of the ticking? Find a parking lot and drive in tight circles, see if it gets louder or quieter depending on which way/how much the wheel is turned.

TBH, it sounds like your CV joint has gone dry.

 

Thanks - Not everyone will take the time to run through and diaganose someone elses issue, so I appreciate it. The CV joint suggestion might fit the bill. I only say this because its been raining the past two days and I haven't heard it since. If its "dry", does that mean its going bad, or does it just need to be oiled? I faintly remember seeing a CV joint post recently...a sign of things to come

 

CV joints are surrounded by a rubber boot that is full of grease. If it gets torn, water, dust, and road grime gets in there and starts to jam up your CV joint and displace the lubricant that keeps your CV spinning smoothly.

I wouldn't even bother getting under the car. Just take it to a mechanic and ask him to check the passenger side CV. If the boot is torn, he will take it of and check the CV joint for excessive wear. If he sees excessive wear or wants to get some money out of you, he will tell you that it needs to be replaced. Expect this to cost between $500-$1000. If he says the CV joint is fine, just needs to be cleaned, greased, and covered with a new CV boot, expect to pay considerably less. If you don't act soon, you will certainly get stuck with the bigger bill.

General reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant-velocity_joint

http://repairpal.com/estimator/resul...9be3e3db130f89

 

Great reply Slip, thanks for the info