When I start my car in the morning I hear a ticking noise. When it first began it was fairly faint, but now is a lot more noticeable than before. It only happens when the engine is not warm. Is this normal? I know that a lot of Chevy engines have this noise, but just because its common does not mean its acceptable.

I heard of a TSB for this issue, but not sure if any recalls exist or if the dealerships will fix under warranty. My powertrain warranty still has a couple years on it, but my bumper to bumper is up in about 400 miles .

Car is 2007 impala SS

 

Id take advantage of that warranty and get it to the dealer.

 

its going tomorrow morning (friday) but if they are like most dealerships they beat around the bush and dont fix the issue. It would help me if I could at least attempt to point them in the right direction, because they very often SAY something is fixed when it isnt.

 

I hear ya, I am sure someone here will point you in the right direction.

All that comes to my head is the oil is taking a minute to lubricate the top end or it could be a sensor. The oil level is good isnt it?

 

I just checked it this morning and it looked ok, but the dipsticks on these engines are difficult to read...I know it sounds ridiculous but there will be oil about and inch up the dipstick, but not so much on the hatch marks... Maybe I will add half a quart and see what that does. But if thats the case, then why the hell am I losing oil?!

 

Are you sure it is not piston slap? It is a common problem with GM since the engine was introduced. GM replaced a lot of engines early until they discovered how many had the problem. They then decided it was normal and refused to replace any more. It usually doesn't hurt anything but it is unnerving.

The engine has a short skirt and GM's specifications are not tight. A piston that is slightly undersized but still with the specs. combined with a cylinder bore that is slightly oversized but within specs. combines to cause the problem.

 

When you spend that amount of $$$ on a vehicle it needs to work right. Make them fix it or replace the engine, while you still have them by the "warranty".

 

Everyone who I know (family, coworkers, etc) that owns a GM vehicle has confirmed that this issue is "normal." Several of these confirmations came from some very mechanically inclined people. I will treat the issue as normal for now, especially since the dealer said the same and that there was nothing they could do for it. They said that some ticks ARE problematic, but the tick I am hearing is not one of them .


Thanks for the replies. I will let you know if things get worse. The car is also due for an oil change, so that may be why the noise has gotten slightly louder.