I am looking at a '96 gst. I had mike look at it and he said everything was cool with it. After I left I started to work it pretty good, and then i noticed this ticking sound at idle. It sounds like it is coming from behind the engine, up by the fuel rail area. Any ideas as to what that could be would be helpful. I have to let the guy know soon wheather I am getting it or not.

Either fuel injectors or lifter tick most likely. I would seriously doubt that it could be rod-knock. Does it always do it or just after its been beat?

Lifter tick... If it didn't do it, it wouldn't be a DSM. ;) Nothing to worry about.

EDIT: Or like he said, injectors... They're right on the fuel rail and make a faint ticking noise.

after i beat it didn't stop. I would getr louder at about 2000rpm's then i wouldn't hear it anymore.

Thats lifter tick, all the car needs is some good oil and good oil filter most likely. Not anything to worry about. Deffinately use a Mitsu oil filter, and stay away from Valvoline oils. A can of SeaFoam right before the oil changed wouldn't hurt either.

don't take my word but it sounds like the famious dsm tick. It has to do with lifter like matt d said. If that is it i don't think you have any problems cause almost all if not all dsm's do it.

i could be wrong I am alot of the time but that is what it sounds like.

Not ALL DSM's do it as lifter-tick is a problem, common, but still a problem. DSM's are very touchy about oil filters thats why it is always a good idea to use a Mitsu...that alone sometimes fixes the tick since they keep more oil preasure in the head.

What is the cost of a Mitsu oil filter? I personally have always used bosch.

$5-6 depending on the amount of club discount they give you. Sometimes you can get them for as little as $4.50.

One thing I find that works for me is I start up the car and if I hear any ticking, I shut it off. I then restart it and if I hear it again I let it run for about a minute and repeat. Usually it will stop after the second time. Mine stops after the first. It seems like the oil pump needs a little priming or something. Then it's usually good for my trip.

BTW, I have a mitsu filter and run 10w30 Mobil 1. It doesn't tick nearly as much now as it did before the mitsu filter but the same trick worked for me when i wasn't using a mitsu filter. Which reminds me, I need to change my oil.

Mobil one is not good for lifter tick... atleast from my experience... I just switched from Castrol syntec and it was way better than the new mobil I just swithced to. For lifter tick anyway...

If he gets it, we plan on swapping to synthetic oil. Is there anything that needs to be done before swapping in synthetic? I plan on flushing the oil first but haven't ever swapped a car to synthetic before.

just change the oil. It's not that big a deal!

BTW remy, :stupid: this should be in basic tech.

doesn't look like a direct tech question to me. More abotu a car he is buying. :woowoo:

He will probly pick it up tonight.