Ticking noise
 

Hi guys, I have a problem with my 2.0 V6, recently it developed a ticking noise that is heard from the driver's side (LHD car) when sitting inside the car and driving, it's not really so loud and you can only hear it if you're paying enough attention and only happens when slowly accelerating or decelerating between 2000-3000 RPM, and it goes at the same "ratio" with the RPMs (the more RPMs, the faster the ticking noise). It is not the intake manifold, new one was fitted with upgraded VIS motors, so that is to be left out. I know how a bad manifold sounds and that is completely different. I am thinking that ia has to do with the injectors maybe as I've recently replaced the thermostat and they were taken out of the manifold, even though, I fitted them all with new O rings on the rail side, but the middle and the head rings of the injectors that make them sit in the manifold were not replaced and I could easily take the injector out or put them back in or turn them around inside the manifold without much struggle, and maybe that would be the issue? Although none of them is leaking, not even a drop... I am thinking that one of them has packed up and is spraying too much petrol inside the cylinder and maybe there's the issue with the ticking, as ot developed rather shortly after replacing the thermostat.

It is also to be heard when starting the enginge cold, driving for about 1-5 minutes and then coming to a stop and letting the engine idle, in this case, you can hear it a little louder...

It sounds quite like this, but not really that loud:

Ticking

You mention the inlet manifold is OK - however i have had a ticking noise when my exhaust manifold gasket failed (down pipes to exhaust) the ticking noise was caused by spurts of gas leaking through the gasket - new gasket cured it - however the engine sounded a lot more throaty/noisy.

Also ticking may indicate a faulty timing belt - not sure of the set up on the V6 but in the 1.8t the belt is drivers side:shrug:

Just to eliminate the canister purge valve, disconnect the plug and see if it persists. The purge solenoid valve is mounted on the rh end of the upper inlet manifold as you look at the engine.

The purge valve only clicks in specific circumstances and usually at tickover and is similar to a bad tappet. Your sound seems more rapid but it's worth checking.

TC

The timing belt on the 2.0 V6 sits at the passenger side on a LHD (European) car like mine, so I quite doubt that this would be the culprit. Just checked my oil level and it is just slightly under minimum, about 2mm under to say so, hmm, interesting, will add up tomorrow and see if it goes away, haven't even thought to check the oil as I've changed it about 1 month ago and measured it after the change and the next day with a cold engine and it was showing right at the middle of the 2 lines on the dipstick, quite interesting that now it shows lower... Hope that topping it up will make the noise go away...

@TC, Will do right away and come with a reply

I was going to suggest checking the oil level. They can get a little tappety at the top end if oil starved. Hopefully a top up will rectify it

Just to clarify Galambosi, engine design is the same whether the car is LHD or RHD. The KV6 has three timing belts; the primary belt being on the RHS of the vehicle and the two secondary belts on the LHS.
The official MG Rover procedure for dipstick reading on the KV6 is with the engine at normal operating temperature:

1. Stop engine and remove dipstick from tube.
2. Wait five minutes for the oil retained in the upper engine to drain into the sump.
3. Carefully and slowly insert the dipstick into the tube, pushing it fully home.
4. Withdraw and take reading.

From what you've said, the noise may be from the hydraulic tappets due to possible incorrect oil level. I'd suggest that you start by taking the reading as described above to discover the true level.

Simon

@SD, of course engine design is the same haha, I was just clarifying that I have a LHD so nobody would confuse my passenger side with the RHD passenger side which is the opposite :o Well than if that's the case, could the ticking noise have something to do with my primary belt?

I managed to get the noise on tape with the engine on idle, here it is:

Noise

This is recorded with my phone sitting right between the right hand side of the intake manifold and the engine's firewall, that's the place where you can hear it the most. It just appears and disappears sort of sporadically, tipically after I slowly and gradually rev the engine up to 3000 rpm and then drop it to idle, it appears for avout 10 seconds and then goes away, and as said before, happens also mostly when driving betwee 2000-3000 rpms...

I've also heard one of the injectors ticking when listening to it from under the bonnet but that is normal I guess and it does not make that much if a noise to be heard also inside the cabin

@TC, It's not the purge valve unfortunately, unplugged it and still the same thing.

This is a Google Drive sign-in/registration page. :devil: Can you post the recording on You Tube as you did in your first post?

Before we speculate any further, you should make sure that the oil level is correct as previously described.

Simon

Oh sorry about that, thought everybody acces that link, will try and upload it somewhere and come here with an update, in the meantime thought about using a lifters additive from liqui moly, heard that is some of the good stuff that cleans the lifters and see how it works out.

So here is the noise, also edited it in the post above:

Ticking

That sounds completely different to the 'ticking' you posted earlier. Based on that, I'd put my money on a tensioner or idler wheel bearing on either the ancillary belt or the front timing belt. At what mileage were the timing belts last changed and crucially, is there an invoice for a new idler and tensioner pulley?

My further advice is:

• Make sure that the oil level is correct using the link I provided earlier.
• Don't use any additives in the oil. If the level is low, you're wasting your time and if the oil is contaminated a far better solution is to drain it and use Comma 'Flush Out'.

But all that rattling and belt noise is nothing to do with the oil.

Simon