Hey all...got help from the forum on a hesitation problem, so i figured i will try to get help with a noise problem. Here is the deal, a 2004 Chevy cavalier 2.2 eco, stock no mods...i hear a very rapid ticking sound coming from the engine bay when the car is in DRIVE and at a stop, with the brake fully depressed (like at a stop light). The noise goes away once car starts driving again, or if I put the car in NEUTRAL...AC on or off doesn't affect the noise, so it's not the blower motor. Just wanted to see if anyone had this issue before and found a resolution. Also the noise is not present with the engine running, and the tranny in PARK. Thanks for any help!

UPDATE: had the car on the incline of the driveway, and the ticking noise was still present with the car at a stop (due to the incline) and no brakes applied. Don't know if that helps at all with details, but any ideas on what it could be?

upper or lower part of engine? camshaft speed or crankshaft speed? does it go away with increased engine rpm? Is the oil level ok? light ticking from the top end at camshaft speed could be lifters, If it goes away at higher engine rpm you could have low oil pressure.

Youtube is a great place to listen to engine noises.

Thanks for the input prime. Might sound stupid, but i don't know the difference between camshaft and crankshaft speed, could you break that down for me? but the ticking, or rapping noise is only present at low idle rpm, around 500-600 rpms. Also the noise is only present with the engine under load, drive , 1, 2, 3 gears. Automatic tranny. Sound still goes away instantly when shifting to neutral or park. Checked the oil level and it was a little low, decided to just change the oil altogether. Poked around the engine while duplicating the sound with the e-brake on, and the car in drive (chocks were in place) using the screwdriver method, and the sound is most noticeable on the upper part of the engine. Checked out youtube videos for engine noises, couldn't find anything spot on to what i'am hearing. Is there a way to check the lifters for the source of the noise without removing and replacing them? Any other ideas? Thanks for the help!

Camshafts rotate twice as fast as the crankshaft. A noise from the crankshaft has a pause at idle (tik...tik...tik) A noise from the camshaft is continuous (tik tik tik tik tik) if that makes sense to you. I hear when the tensioners go bad on ecotecs it sometimes makes a ticking sound.

try checking your oil. had 10W30 in mine a few month ago then did an oil change with 5W30 nd the clicking noise went away for me

Stainless steel lines? Who needs them? Just don't brake O.O

Makes perfect sense Silvr, thanks for the knowledge. I would have to say it must be camshaft speed then, there is no pause in the noise when at idle, it's a rapid tick. I would say a rough estimate would be 4 ticks in a second, with no breaks. I have also read about the tensioner causing noise when it is starting to fail. Shawn I will try 5w30 this weekend, see if I have the same luck as you did. Thanks for the new ideas on what this could be guys. It doesn't sound too terrible yet, and I want to find the source before it becomes a much bigger problem.

camshaft turns 1/2 the speed of the crank. I'd check for low oil pressure.

Tried a couple of things to troubleshoot, plus they needed to be done anways lol. Changed the oil to 5w30, no positive results yet, got a higher octane fuel (hey, who knows right?) no change. Checked the serp. belt, found a chunk missing, got happy! Maybe this is it!! Changed the belt, no change....argh. Oil level is good, new filter...the whole nine. Thought for a minute it was the EVAP purge solenoid, but it wasn't. Low oil pressure check begins tomorrow. Any tips from you Prime on a good starting point??Noise hasn't gotten any worse, or better...but it is still only present with the engine under load and at idle. Thanks for the all the help thus far guys.

Also to determine if it is something in the belt driven system you can see if the noise goes away with the belt off.

prime M wrote:camshaft turns 1/2 the speed of the crank. I'd check for low oil pressure.

Thanks for the correction, I don't know why I got it mixed up.