..I’ve got a ticking noise from the engine…

ANSWER : Noises in the valve train are usually consistent and don’t change much with engine load. Noises that get stronger when accelerating may be deeper in the engine. But adjusting the valves is not too tough on your car so it would be a very good first step. That will also give you the opportunity to inspect the condition of the camshaft. If you would like to have that done professionally, you can contact Your Mechanic. they can send a technician to your home or office to adjust your valves and give you an opinion about the condition of the rest of the engine.

ANSWER : Hello. The sound of ticking is not normal in most cases. A technician will have to listen to the ticking sound in person to determine if the noise is normal or not. Oftentimes a ticking sound can occur from low-grade gasoline. I suggest to put a little premium in the gas tank and see if the ticking noise subsides. If this does not resolve the issue, enlist the help from a qualified technician who can diagnose the sound and make the necessary repairs to your vehicle.

ANSWER : Hi there. It appears you have more than one problem with your vehicle. The noise coming from engine area with a load on the electrical system, may be a bad diode in the alternator. Continuing to drive the vehicle with a bad alternator diode, may leave you with a dead battery. The hot air coming from the vents sounds like blend door actuator(s) problems. I recommend the concerns your vehicle has, it be inspected by a certified technician like one from YourMechanic to pinpoint the noise and help you fix it accordingly.

ANSWER : There should be no appreciable run-out on the crank pulley and if a physical inspection of the harmonic balancer reveals damage such as a broken, cracked or separated rubber bond, the balancer should be replaced. If you do have a failed balancer, don’t operate the engine because the imbalance and/or torsional forces on the crankshaft can cause damage to the crankshaft and main bearings. You can obtain an inspection/repair quote, and schedule the repair as you like, by simply visiting YourMechanic’s harmonic balancer repair service page and click on "Get a Quote". If you request this service, the responding certified mechanic will first inspect what you have and, if indicated, implement the required repairs and answer any questions that you might have. With regard to the ticking noise, that is almost undoubtedly valve train noise. A certain, minimal level of noise can occur on particular makes and models. Whoever performs the balancer inspection and repair, if required can evaluate that noise up close and let you know if it is normal or not. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. There must be more diagnostic work and testing done to determine what the issue is. Without a drive or timing belt, the engine would either not run at all, or perform very poorly. This does not mean that an inspection of the timing belt/chain should not be done. There are other components in the timing belt system that can become damaged and cause issues. The valve and lifter consideration is valid, and can be inspected visually with some time and energy. Unfortunately you may also have crankshaft end play or a bad camshaft bearing. Use the location of the sound to help you determine what to check into first. One by one, check into the systems in that area until you find the culprit. For more help resolving the noise, contact our service department.

ANSWER : If the ticking sound seems to be dependent on temperature, I might suggest taking a look for an exhaust leak somewhere. Small exhaust leaks will normally begin when cold and diminish as the engine warms, but in my experience, I have seen exhaust manifolds and pipe connections that will respond in the opposite, like you are describing. I’m not sure if this is the case in your situation, but it is another credible place to look.

ANSWER : Hi there. I honestly hate hearing horror stories like this and am very sorry this has happened to you. There are several things that could have caused this issue, ranging from the oil service place forgetting to put the oil cap back on, tighten the oil pan bolt or the oil filter was improperly installed; causing the oil to spray, increase engine temperature and many other possible damage to internal engine components. The first thing I would do is contact the oil service location and inform them of the problems you have experienced. They should be given every opportunity to resolve and repair this issue; or at least, have an "accident claim" filled out by you; as it’s possible that major damage may have occurred. If they are unwilling to help, I would set up an oil leak inspection from one of our professional mechanics so they can determine where the oil is leaking from and any other damage that has occurred. In the best case scenario, the issue can be resolved easily.

ANSWER : Hi there. The code that leads me to believe might be the source of your knocking issue is the P0343 trouble code. P0343 is an OBD-II generic code for a voltage problem with the camshaft position sensor. This is a fixed electromagnetic sensor that’s connected to a rotating part on the camshaft that records the position of the “teeth” to indicate the stroke of each piston so the computer can apply the appropriate fuel and spark. The position of the camshaft creates various gaps between the sensor which change the magnetic field to change the voltage from the sensor. Because a faulty camshaft position sensor can cause the engine computer to supply the incorrect amount of fuel and or spark, it’s likely that you’ll encounter poor driving conditions with a P0343. It’s typical for the code to result in bucking, engine knocking issues, surging, stalling or inconsistent starting issues.