Ticking type noise only when warm

[cjmcglaughlin]

05 Tahoe 4.8 4wd
Hi all, so I’ve noticed this issue for a while and it seems to somewhat come and go. I have a noise I would describe as a tick, but not a “sharp” metal to metal sound. I can hear it only from the driver side fender well. If I listen with the hood open from up top I can’t really hear it. I thought maybe a lifter but I thought I would hear noise from that up top too. It only happens when warmed up, I have not noticed it on a cold start. I thought it was an exhaust leak, as I had a broken stud in this area but I sealed it with a clamp and it’s still there. The noise is overall pretty quiet but you can hear it in a drive thru for example. Any help is appreciated.

 

[strutaeng]

A good quality video from different perspectives will get folks with good ears and experience giving some pretty good guesses. Upload to YT then post the link here.

A cheap HF stethoscope is only like $8 and probably your best best for pinpointing the noise.

 

[nonickatall]

I studied quantum mechanics and worked for the European space administration for a while. In a very sophisticated five Billion Euro project I developed this Hightech tool to find problems like this.

Due to the confidentiality agreement, I can only disclose this information in this forum. Nowhere else...

That means of course you are now also a secret bearer. So stay away from North Koreans, Iranians or Russians...

I've been using something like this for years.

You stuff something into one ear, hold the pipe to the other and use it to go through the engine compartment. This means you can hear very clearly where noises are coming from.

Better than using a stethoscope, which is more suitable for finding sounds that take place deep in a solid material, example the engine.

But for finding noices outside the engine, for example in the beltdrive, this is very suitable.