Why is my engine making a ticking noise? During a phone call one day, my cousin asked why is my engine making a ticking noise. I replied to her and said the first thing I need to know is how long has your engine been making the sound.
She could not remember when it started but said that it has been going on for at least two months now. I immediately told her to stop driving the car.
I had this problem before and wondered why my engine was making a ticking noise only to find out it was a small issue that could have cost a few bucks instead of the few grand I forked out to replace my engine.
Why is my engine making a ticking noise? Your engine needs oil and it needs oil bad. I’m not picking on young adults but this problem is reported by them more.
I realize that there isn’t always a handyman or family mechanic around to work on your car but that does not excuse the fact that work has to be done.
Gasoline is pulled from the fuel tank by a pump, which sends it to your engine to mix with oil. When the two mix, your sparkplugs emit a spark that causes combustion. The energy from the combustion is what moves the car and keeps the engine running after it is started.
Inside of your engine, there are valves. If your engine is a 4 cylinder, then there are 4 valves. Each of the valves are shaped like a can of corn and have a small lifter attached to the top of each of them.
When the engine is running, the lifters raise and lower the valves repeatedly. In order to do this smoothly both require engine oil to lubricate the space around each of the valves within the engine block.
Therefore, when the engine’s oil is very low, it makes each lifter have to work harder to lift the valves. Over time from the strain, this causes the bolts on the lifters to loosen and causes the ticking noise that you are hearing.
What Should You Do Now: Don’t drive the car until you add oil to the engine. Most cars hold 5 quarts of engine oil. If your engine is making a ticking noise, your engine has most likely burned away 3 to 4 quarts of the oil it needs to operate.
Grab your owner’s manual and look in the index under Oil or Engine Oil. Determine the type of oil needed. Check your engines oil level using its dipstick. Add oil until the level reaches the specified markings on the dipstick.
Note: Take your car in for a professional inspection as soon as you can afford to do so. While this is one solution because of the prolonged driving of your vehicle in this state, there may be other issues that pop up such as the need to replace a lifter.