Engine Ticking Noise
 

My 2007 g35x has had the engine ticking noise since I bought it last year. It isn't that loud, but noticeable when outside of the car. I cannot hear it when I'm in the cabin. When the hood is opened, you definitely can hear it pretty well.

I took it to the dealer last winter and they said it was normal. However, I'm not too sure that the engine is supposed to have a ticking noise. The ticking noise doesn't go away even if the engine has warmed up, and I made sure the oil level is normal. Even after driving around a couple hours I can still hear the ticking noise after I get out of the car before I shut off the engine. I didn't notice any oil consumption though (never had to add oil between oil changes). The serpentine belt has been changed very recently, so I know the noise isn't due to the serpentine belt.

Should I take it back to the dealer? My warranty is almost up (March 2011). My G has almost 50k miles. I'm afraid maybe the oil pump is failing? I've changed oil every 4k-5k and used dino oil until now (Mobil 1 HM 5w-30). I still have not noticed any oil consumption.

Take it to a different dealer

What kind of problem could this be? I don't want to drive an hour to a dealer to be told that "it's normal." Does anyone else's G make a slight ticking noise?

Mine doesn't, I doubt that's normal.

I think some people hear the fuel injectors ticked. I think this might be that some are more sensitive to the noise than others.

kind of like a small valve ticking noise?

They told me it is normal as well.

Yeah...I think it's that sound. It just sounds like small ticks that don't go away no matter what. Is this a major problem? I don't want to drive all the way to the dealer and waste gas and my time...

I wonder if this should be covered under warranty.

no sounds here either, i have however seen a few cases with the G37's with VVEL that have ticking problem if the factory ester oil is not used... but that should not apply to us since we dont have the vvel tech on out cars intakes.

I tried searching on youtube, but my car sounds almost exactly like this (the ticking noise). I'm sure my dealer will tell me again that the valve tick is normal.

I'm going to try to bring it to a dealer asap and hopefully they can tell me that they can fix the tick. It really annoys me that such a nice car has this tick at such an early age.

Are you saying you hear it from the cockpit?

Not really, you can definitely hear it when you're outside next to the hood. It gets even louder once the hood is opened. Once the filler oil cap is opened, it gets even louder. Since it has bothered me, you can also kind of hear it in the cockpit, but that could just be psychological.

the ticking in that video sounds like injectors.

The Audi video definitely sounds like injectors. The FSI engines always seem to have relatively loud ticking noises.

If the noise you're hearing is legit and not just the injectors it could be a stuck hydraulic valve lifter.

Funny, I watch that video and don't hear any "ticking"... that just sounds like an engine to me at idle. Mine probably does the same ticking!