So im new to the forum so here goes. i seached ticking noises but didnt find anything quite like my problem. first off i drive an 03eclipse gts. the problem started id say maybe 2 months ago, so the weather was warm like 80 degrees, every once and a while when i would start my car, there would be a ticking sound coming from my engine that would continue for about 25 to 50 seconds. sounds similar to a lifter. but it only seemed to happen when the engine was cold and it did not always happen either. and i change the oil regularly. i took it to my mechanic, and what do you know it wont act up for him, even when he had it for a few days. he told me that what i discribed to him sounded like a leaky lifter. i dont know if this is what it is, but i need some advice. since it started ihave put probably 5000 miles on the car, and recently changed over to synthetic oil.the weather has gotten colder and it seems to make the ticking last longer, like more along the lines of a minute to two minutes. i have put seafoam in my oil by recomendations from the mech, but it has not stop the ticking sound. any suggestions guys.
p.s. sorry if this is already a topic

 

I have a ticking too with my 2003 GTS... when I push the cluch in, the tick goes away... not sure what it is, but planned to have it looked into ASAP.

 

how manyquarts did you put in tyour car for oil? ticking noises come from the lifter yes.. but you could be short a quart or so on your oil.

 

yea, sounds to me like a lifter and it shouldnt hurt anything, it is common in the eclipse's, thats one reason it is bad to hot-rod cars while they are cold... check your oil it might be low.. but sometimes it just takes a few for the oil to circulate through the head

 

naw the oil is at what the book recomends 4.2 quarts i check it regularaly . but i just added in some seafoam again, about a week ago, to the synthetic oil that i just put in and it seems to be happening alot less and if it does happen its ongly for a few seconds and alot quieter now.

how long till i have to change the oil with synthetic i heard that 5000 miles is when you change with synthetic, but i see alot of people that still change it at 2500 or 3000 miles?

 

You still need to get it changed every 3000 miles just to be on the safe side.

 

yeah i have the same problem, a mechanic wanted to charge me $50 service to check it out, I told him he was out of his mind.

 

the ticking has not stopped. and actually it has gotten louder in the cold weather. very loud. if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

 

if the ticking stops when the engine warms up(after running for a couple mins) it is fine, that is why you dont run it hard when you first start it.. even when you do have the recommened amount of oil in the engine, you still need to give it time to circulate all through under the valve cover, that top dont fill up..

 

this ticking does not happen every time i start it. even if its the same amount of time between starting it. and i dont think the ticking sound is normal. it is abnormally loud. like i hear it loud and clear inside the car with the radio on. and it does stop before the car is warmed up. and it only sounds like its coming from one centralized area, like one valve its self is doing it. not all of them.