Loud ass ticking in engine bay...!?
 

Hey guys!
Just posting to see if you guys have any idea what this could be...The other day after some driving, a really loud clikcing started happening in my engine bay. It's only noticable at idle too. I have a P5 with about 36,000 miles. A friend was saying it might be one of the belts starting to get tired or somethgin like that, but i don't know much about belts yet cuz i've never had to deal with them. Any input?
Tre

we'd have to hear it but it could be the VCTS, a bracket vibrating, heatshield...anything like that. any chance you can get a sound clip?

A friend of mine had that happen to his mustang, it turned out to be a very small hole on the header.
It could be anything though.

in probes these engines are notorious for having the timing belt tensioner go bad, sounds A LOT like a knock, check the tension of your TB...

Are you sure it isn't the valvetrain and you haven't noticed it before? How long since you have changed the oil? Just a suggestion, something else to rule out if it's ok.

I know your all going to think I am mad, but this could be a similar problem to one we have had with the Probes in the UK with FS engines.

Check your oil level, fill it to just over the max like (I mean like 3mm over) and then see if the noise dies away.

If it does you may find that its most quiet when cold..

if all of this is correct then I would guess that you have the same oil pump problems we get.. Must admit I would have thought Mazda would have fixed that by now tho.

another good opinion from the father-land.

If oil pressure is dropping then you will notice more vavle noise and I promise you it's better to catch it now than to wait for it to go out.

It turns out that the origional oil pump used in the 2.0 FS engine here caused foaming of the oil, basically it introduces air bubles into the oil, causing your HLA's to colapse and this of corse makes a loud ass ticking sound...

This is not a major problem, if this is the cause of the problem that is. I ran my car like this for 30,000 miles.. and no issues, I replaced the oil pump last year and she is back to being quiet as ever.

This problem is MUCH more noticeable once the oil is really hot as by then its also really foamed up and the HLA's colapse further, the slight over fill on the oil floods the oil pump and can be an interim fix.

Replacing the oil pump is not a HUGE problem but make damn sure thats the fault before you shell out $400US on a pump.. thats what they cost over here ;)

I don't know how loud the sound is, but sometimes a clicking-type sound under the hood can be caused by electrical arcing, especially in the ignition system area. If you haven't changed plugs in 36,000 miles and have a huge gap, it is easier (requires less energy) for the spark to discharge elsewhere. Especially if you have a damaged cable (with a cut in the insulation or debris tracked along a terminal stud that forms a conductive path). Just my suggestion, but I would make sure that acring is not occuring before dumping a lot of money in mechanical stuff. Always start with the simplest thing when root causing a problem, and work your way towards the more complex stuff. If it is electrical arcing you are hearing, you should be able to see it. Bring the car into a dark garage, open the hood, start it up, and look for any flash from discharge. One thing to look for - if you have a lot of misfiring due to an electrical short, you should also have a MIL.

yes I have the same problem, and have investigated it a bit, to confirm that we have the same problem, is when you start you car in the morning go over to the passenger side of the car and get low where the wheel cavity is, you should hear the rythmic ticking only on that side. More so if you have a garage and you can hear it louder when you put your car in reverse the its possibly either A) a belt other then your timing belt, or your water pump.

Let me know if this sounds to be the same, and I will go over more with what I have found on my inspection of the area.

My Protege had that same problem and it turned out i had NO OIL in it, so im guessing that could be your prob?

well for me it had nothing to do with oil, my oil level is full and I get oil changed for free at the dealer...

its something mechanical , the ticking is rythmic , not and disappears after the car is warmed up. I really seem to hear it when the car is engaged in a gear, but like i said only when the car is cold, I mean deep sleep cold
in the day, I can start the car and not really hear it that loud.
Tomorrow I am going to use my Studio mic and see if I can pick up the tick

my car does the same crap. it will have a rythem going on and the sometimes it will stop the loud ass clanking, and then return to that annoying sound. im becoming afraid to drive with this condition. i dont know if the motor will freeze up or just keep going. i am completely mad at it.... and in a few months (when it gets warmer) im gonna tear apart my motor to find out. replacing what is either broken or warn out.