Anyone cure engine tick problem yet?

[eddiejoe56]

After searching and reading numerous threads about engine noise, it remains unclear to me what is actually the cause of the common engine tick, click, clack, or knock.

These various threads have attributed the noise source (in order of popularity) as:
a) valve train noise (excessive cam-to-valve stem lash clearances), or a
b) loose, sloppy piston wrist pin on #1 cylinder, or a
c) burnt rod bearing on #1, or a
d) cooked crankshaft main bearing, or
e) the VCTS butterflies fluttering, or
f) turbo fan blade contact with housing.

Still others have claimed the noise is due to a:
a) cracked exhaust manifold, or a
b) split or broken EGR tube, or a
c) cracked sparkplug wire insulator resulting in high spark snap.

The softer tick noise appears to be the by-pass solenoid located near the TB. This does not cause much concern among MSP owners and does not bother me.

The louder click, clack, and knock (however it is described) is more problematical. It appears to emanate from the drivers side of the engine, near the #1 cyliinder.

My MSP did not develop this until after reaching 65K miles, and then only when cold. It usually went away after warming up. Now with over 75K miles, it is always present hot or cold, and is getting louder. It is worst when revving the engine without a load, and begins to sound tinny when the RPMs wind down (e.g. between shifts). Revving the engine with or without the clutch depressed does not change the sound. My exhaust manifold is not cracked, the turbo rotor spun freely when checked, and the EGR tube is in tact.

I dont buy that this noise is normal for our engines and we should just accept it. I had a 94 Escort GT with the Mazda 2.3L N/A engine and got 210K miles out of it without click noises like this. Because this is so common with the MSP, there must be a design flaw with the bearings or in the oil journals.

I dont want to perform an exploratory tear down to reset valve lash or replace a bearing as I can not afford to be without a car for a long period of time. Id like to have a specific target to fix.

Has anyone discovered and corrected the cause of this engine noise?

 

[gimpo2]

sounds like it could be a ****** bearing.

 

[djarkitek]

mine is a bad egr tube

 

[msp35]

there is a solenoid that ticks LOUD on the driver side. Actually it is attached just before the TB on the cold pipe. You can even feel it as it ticks. And now that Im thinking about it, it's been gone since the weather warmed up.

 

[mazdaspeed777]

I am also wondering what this is. I have a 03 P5(same engine as the MSP, just not turboed) and I have this same ticking while my car is idoling. It's not E or F in your first list because I removed my VTCS when I P&P my intake manifold, and its not F cause obviously I don't have a turbo. It is not anything in your second list because all those are brand new on my car and are fine. So I am guessing its one of the things mentioned in A-D. Would anyone know how to cure this or what it is exactly in my case?? Like I said this sound only happens when the car is idoling

 

[MakeMeGoFast]

Can't the injectors cause a ticking noise aswell

 

[ProtoType5]

The most common click, tick is the valve train clearance....I've had some results adding 1/2 quart of oil...it tends to quiet things down a bit...Since I put in the MP3 ECU, no butterfly rattles in the engine anymore, but still got the tick.....

 

[808MP5]

yup got the damn same problem on a 02 pro5. Any one narrow down what it really is? I put a stethescope right next to the oil cap and the ticking sound is loudest there. Unlike some ppl though my car does it after diving a few minutes. It doesnt do it in the mornings when I first start up the car. Also it only does it under a certain rpm/load. If I go wot it goes away but if I just hold the gas ever so slightly just to maintain a certain speed it ticks like crazy. It also ticks a little when I release the gas to shift gears. If I'm in neutral it ticks at a specific rpm anywhere in between 1500-2500. What the hell!

 

[xelderx]

yup got the damn same problem on a 02 pro5. Any one narrow down what it really is? I put a stethescope right next to the oil cap and the ticking sound is loudest there. Unlike some ppl though my car does it after diving a few minutes. It doesnt do it in the mornings when I first start up the car. Also it only does it under a certain rpm/load. If I go wot it goes away but if I just hold the gas ever so slightly just to maintain a certain speed it ticks like crazy. It also ticks a little when I release the gas to shift gears. If I'm in neutral it ticks at a specific rpm anywhere in between 1500-2500. What the hell!

That sounds like valve clearance issues.

The cold start rattle is due to oil pressure being non-existent at start up. I installed an Accusump to have some oil pressure before the motor is started. I have no more valvetrain noise at start up.

Piston slap, rod knock, and wristpin failure are all much louder than valvetrain noise and usually can't be mistaken.

 

[808MP5]

That sounds like valve clearance issues.

The cold start rattle is due to oil pressure being non-existent at start up. I installed an Accusump to have some oil pressure before the motor is started. I have no more valvetrain noise at start up.

Piston slap, rod knock, and wristpin failure are all much louder than valvetrain noise and usually can't be mistaken.

thanks for the info... now what is Accusump? my friend who is a mechanic also said its hard to tell but he assumes its wristpin failure? by louder what do you mean? It is pretty loud, i can hear it over my exhaust but it only does it when i lightly hold the pedal mainly to maintain speed. Oh and i think you got it backwards. It doesn't do it at all when i first start up the engine in the morning. After start up in the morning it starts after the engine temp reaches normal operating temp. And throughout the day it just gets worse. Even if i stop driving for several hours it just gets worse throughout the day. Only in the mornings at first startup does it not seem to be there.
Anymore info on this?

Thanks again

 

[xelderx]

Not sure man. I have seen the small oil journals in the cams get clogged with stuff and that prevents oil from reaching the cam journals. That can produce some top end noises. You'll know rod knock when you hear it. Sounds like some one is hitting the inside of your motor with a ball peen hammer 5 times a second.

 

[808MP5]

I looked up accusump. That's a pretty penny for something I might not need but would definently like to have. You mentioned valve clearance. How do I go about checking that and if necessary correcting it? I appreciate your feed back.

 

[xelderx]

Checking valve clearance in the FS-DE requires a Mazda special tool. I've never done it, but I hear the dealership gets about $400 in labor for the job. I've read the manual on it and it's pretty complicated.

 

[808MP5]

sh!t for $400 I might as well a new/used head. Do you know of any more products that might help? I've tried changing the cam shafts and cam gears but I still get the ticking sound. I tried an oil change and adding fuel injector cleaners (Zmax)and that sort. Tried higher octane fuel. Im still debating on going forged but dont want to spend the money if it wont definently solve the problem. Only if i could properly diagnose the "exact" cause of the noise cause i would definebtly pay to have it fixed. Until then ill be stuck with a "ticking" time bomb.

 

[eddiejoe56]

This is exactly how mine behaves. I'm learning towards either the #4 cylinder rod bearing or the hydraulic lifters/cam clearance since this cylinder is at the end of the oil journals. But if I decide to tear down the engine, I want to know exactly what I'm going after to replace to have the parts on hand. And I don't want to invest in parts needlessly. I still have time yet. I can always wait until the engine busts something.

 

[MazdaLemon]

Mazda3 '04 - 55k engine replacement

Having issue w/ Mazda3 - at 55k loud ticking & diagnosed w/ wrist pin problem. Solution: at 61k engine replaced. And at 78k it's doing it again...
Anyone know of silent recalls or ways to get past the regional rep to a higher power at Mazda?

 

[exNeon]

you might try posting in the mazda3 forum to see if others have had this issue.

 

[jdwk]

My car started ticking when cold a couple months back (around 50k miles). It has continued to get worse, and take longer for it to go away since.

The noise isn't terribly loud, and I can't hear it with the windows rolled up, but it is terribly annoying. The engine has to have load on it, meaning I need to stomp on the gas in neutral or be moving a little. If I just slowly raise the revs in neutral I do not hear it.

It definitely sounds like valvetrain noise. Is there a fix for this? The car did not do it for the first 50k, so what has changed?

 

[thefrog1394]

.

 

[xelderx]

Bringing back an old thread... sorry

My protege has a noise like this too. Up top i can hear the usual loud valvetrain noise and fuel injector noise (both of which i'd describe as click's).

But its when i listen below my car that i can hear the "klank" or "clack" sound that is obnoxiously loud outside the car. Its been like this for the 6k miles i've had the car, and I've always wondered what it was. It doesn't sound particularly healthy, but I figure the worst that happens is my engine dies and I buy a used one for $800 or whatever protege garage sells them for lol

Sounds like rod knock. If that is the case and you rebuild it before there is any damage done to the crank or rods you can usually rebuild the entire motor for less than $500. Just need all new bearings/seals/gaskets, rings, water pump, honing. It's a pretty easy job and if you have enough tools/ability to pull the motor out of the car, you can rebuild it. The motors aren't overly complicated to completely rebuild with just some general knowledge and a manual for the torque specs/RTV locations.