Ticking on a 1999 Grand AM GT - Page 2

fo44rd · 08-03-2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardude007617

haha ya, those bosch plugs are a lil scary. how about bosch spark plug wires....i somehow have those on my car too

Never tired them. I now have a good hook-up at an AC-DELCO and MOTORCRAFT wholesaler. I think the delco wires are less for me then the BOSCH (AUTOZONE PREMIUM BRAND) WIRES. So I wouldnt even bother buying them. The HYPE on those +2 AND +4 PLUGS was too tempting to pass up. They did slightly improve the fuel mileage, but the idle quality went to hell. I only have 31K on my car as of right now. I haven't had to do plugs and wires yet.

nate2023 · 08-03-2007, 08:53 PM

If you are losing oil pressure the ticking noise could be that you are about to spin a bearing. if thats the case then heavier oil will only quiet the problem a little. i'm wondering if the misfire and some of the noise might be a compression ring being damaged. OR when the LIM went and it leaked antifreeze into the oil you could've lost oil viscosity and wore a lot of parts down. Don't flame me, but thats the problems i had in my other 2 grand prixs before i got rid of them. next time you change the oil, lets it run down a smooth white surface and look for metal particles, it make the oil look like gold almost.

Hope these help.

mjtr21 · 08-04-2007, 01:14 PM

yeah so would a compression test tell me anything? should i get one done? are there any other kinds of tests i can do before getting another engine?

cardude007617 · 08-04-2007, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fo44rd

Never tired them. I now have a good hook-up at an AC-DELCO and MOTORCRAFT wholesaler. I think the delco wires are less for me then the BOSCH (AUTOZONE PREMIUM BRAND) WIRES. So I wouldnt even bother buying them. The HYPE on those +2 AND +4 PLUGS was too tempting to pass up. They did slightly improve the fuel mileage, but the idle quality went to hell. I only have 31K on my car as of right now. I haven't had to do plugs and wires yet.

so you think i should look into getting thoes off some day too? im stuck between MSD and taylors.

nate2023 · 08-04-2007, 10:17 PM

Cut open your oil filter at some point and look for metal particles

fo44rd · 08-04-2007, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardude007617

so you think i should look into getting thoes off some day too? im stuck between MSD and taylors.

Mine is bone stock factory. No MODS. So iwould stick witht he factoruy ones. It looks like you have been moding, so if more performance is your goal the factoryu ones are not going to get you that.

mjtr21 · 08-06-2007, 03:49 PM

yeah sorry to bug your little conversation there but i have some updates. my low oil pressure light hasnt come on in about 5 days and there is hardly any hesitation now. and my SERVICE ENGINE SOON hasnt come on for about a week now. so my problem might be clearing up but i still have that stupid ticking noise. i brought it to 4 different mechanics and 1 said it was rod bearing, 2nd said it was lifters, 3rd said it was lifters, and 4th said it could be either but more likely lifters. the mechanics told me that if it was the connecting rod or rod bearings it would be louder and sound more solid. but my noise is just a tap/click noise. they each told me different prices but what would and ideal price range be to get the lifters redone? please and thanks.

fo44rd · 08-06-2007, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjtr21

yeah sorry to bug your little conversation there but i have some updates. my low oil pressure light hasnt come on in about 5 days and there is hardly any hesitation now. and my SERVICE ENGINE SOON hasnt come on for about a week now. so my problem might be clearing up but i still have that stupid ticking noise. i brought it to 4 different mechanics and 1 said it was rod bearing, 2nd said it was lifters, 3rd said it was lifters, and 4th said it could be either but more likely lifters. the mechanics told me that if it was the connecting rod or rod bearings it would be louder and sound more solid. but my noise is just a tap/click noise. they each told me different prices but what would and ideal price range be to get the lifters redone? please and thanks.

I think tghe lifter are pretty expensive. Like at least $40 a piece X 12 of them. Plus other part and I amnot sure what labor goes for in your area but I am guessing at least $500. AT LEAST, if it is done right.

nate2023 · 08-07-2007, 04:36 PM

What about the low oil pressure light, low pressure caused your lifter mishap, what if you lost pressure again, not to scare you but, what if it comes back, probably should get that checked also.

fo44rd · 08-07-2007, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate2023

What about the low oil pressure light, low pressure caused your lifter mishap, what if you lost pressure again, not to scare you but, what if it comes back, probably should get that checked also.

Excellent point. If low oil pressure re-appears with the new lifter job it is an excellent chance of wiping them out too.

mjtr21 · 08-20-2007, 04:56 PM

well my car died on me last night about 20 feet from my driveway. i coasted in and now it wont start. well i shouldnt say that because it does start. what happened was i was driving down the road and getting close to my house and the car started chugging and hesitating bad (no hills just flat road). and the low oil pressure light came back on again and then the car just shut off. i havent had my oil pressure light come on in a couple of weeks either. so i parked it in my driveway and checked oil and it was fine. i tried starting and i had to hold in start for about 5 seconds and when it started the car was shaking and dies after about 5 seconds. thats all it does now. so what does anyone think happened?

fo44rd · 08-21-2007, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjtr21

well my car died on me last night about 20 feet from my driveway. i coasted in and now it wont start. well i shouldnt say that because it does start. what happened was i was driving down the road and getting close to my house and the car started chugging and hesitating bad (no hills just flat road). and the low oil pressure light came back on again and then the car just shut off. i havent had my oil pressure light come on in a couple of weeks either. so i parked it in my driveway and checked oil and it was fine. i tried starting and i had to hold in start for about 5 seconds and when it started the car was shaking and dies after about 5 seconds. thats all it does now. so what does anyone think happened?

No idea.

My advice is to start a new link. People might have made original comments on the original topic and dont check this one anymore.

BTarb24 · 08-31-2007, 06:21 PM

any news on this? Mine is doing the EXACT same thing yours was. I have a 99 gagt with ~135k miles. over the last week it developed a fairly loud ticking sound (not the normal slight tick during warmup i used to always hear). I already did my LIM and head gasket about a 1.5 years ago. I meticulously torqued everything down to spec and aside from this I haven't had any trouble.

It has the oil pressure light when I let off the gas as well. It seems to only do this on warmer days. In the evenings it is perfectly fine.

The sound comes from the drivers side of the engine, just like yours. It is loudest under the PCV.

I always change the oil between 4k-5k miles... when i heard the sound and saw the light I changed it the next day, but this made no difference.

Sometimes when I come to a stop and idle the car will start to sputter slightly... once it stalled, but started right back up. If i put it in nuetral while stopped and rev slightly it runs fine. .. it just doesn't seem to like idling for some reason.

Sprucegagt · 08-31-2007, 06:52 PM

When did the oil pressure light come on?

BTarb24 · 09-01-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sprucegagt

When did the oil pressure light come on?

on hot days, after the car has warmed up, it comes on when i take my foot off the gas and the car idles. it does not happen every time, but it seems to be more frequent with higher temperatures.

Sprucegagt · 09-01-2007, 01:31 PM

Sounds to me like you have some worn out bearings or oil pump.

BTarb24 · 09-01-2007, 01:49 PM

where is the oil pump located? Is it a bolt-on or is it located inside the bottom half of the engine? I know it's not above the heads since i've changed the head gasket and didn't see it.

traingeek087 · 09-01-2007, 04:59 PM

ok I dont keep up on this forum that much b/c I just dont have the time but I can throw out some infromation that may be helpful. I am in school for automechanics and we come across this stuff here and their.

1.) RARELY will your oil pump ever "go out". The pump is submerged in oil (lubricant)
2.) Lifters will "tick" high pitch, also consider the speed of the engine when it's idling. A camshaft moves 1/2 the speed of the crankshaft, so time the tick to the cam, is it the same? or is it faster?
3.) A bearing is going to "knock" lower pitch than a lifter. power break the engine when your stopped and see if it gets louder or goes away
4.) Drain your oil and when you do it put a flashlight up to the oil when it's draining. if it is sparkley there is metallic flakes in it.

Also, what kind of oil did you say your running?

BTarb24 · 09-01-2007, 05:22 PM

I took the oil cap off and was looking at the lifters in the valve cover while it was running. The ticking was definitely not happening at the same speed that the lifters were going up. I would say it was closer to 50% of their speed.

What does this mean? and would it be why the low oil pressure light comes on?

ps: sound is hard to describe without comparison, but I consider it to be more of a low-pitched sound. It's definitely more of a solid, in the depths of the engine type of sound. it did not get louder when I opened up the oil cap.

I had 5w30 oil in there, but when i changed it this week i put 10w30 to see if it would make a difference.. but nope.

traingeek087 · 09-02-2007, 11:05 PM

if it's not at the same speed as the lifters then it's not the cam. that would make it 50 percent faster, basically the crankshaft or lower engine. Maybe main bearings or a rod knock? It's hard to tell w/o having the car right there. One thing is for certain, lack of lubrication can't be it if your running 5/10w30 for oil. did you ever run the thing with low oil? I have a couple days off here from school and I've got a few books on engine diagnosis, when i get some time i'll do some searching to see if i can find anything. Good luck in the mean time.

08-03-2007, 08:53 PM	#22
nate2023 GAGT - Moneyless AKA: Nathan Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mars Posts: 175 Vehicle: 1999 Grand AM GT Coupe	If you are losing oil pressure the ticking noise could be that you are about to spin a bearing. if thats the case then heavier oil will only quiet the problem a little. i'm wondering if the misfire and some of the noise might be a compression ring being damaged. OR when the LIM went and it leaked antifreeze into the oil you could've lost oil viscosity and wore a lot of parts down. Don't flame me, but thats the problems i had in my other 2 grand prixs before i got rid of them. next time you change the oil, lets it run down a smooth white surface and look for metal particles, it make the oil look like gold almost. Hope these help. __________________ Currently Driving: 1999 Grand Am GT Coupe! Mods: CAI, Resonator Delete (Yea, Not Alot) Check it Out: Old Pictures, no Camera, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2580593

08-04-2007, 10:17 PM	#25
nate2023 GAGT - Moneyless AKA: Nathan Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mars Posts: 175 Vehicle: 1999 Grand AM GT Coupe	Cut open your oil filter at some point and look for metal particles __________________ Currently Driving: 1999 Grand Am GT Coupe! Mods: CAI, Resonator Delete (Yea, Not Alot) Check it Out: Old Pictures, no Camera, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2580593

08-07-2007, 04:36 PM	#29
nate2023 GAGT - Moneyless AKA: Nathan Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mars Posts: 175 Vehicle: 1999 Grand AM GT Coupe	What about the low oil pressure light, low pressure caused your lifter mishap, what if you lost pressure again, not to scare you but, what if it comes back, probably should get that checked also. __________________ Currently Driving: 1999 Grand Am GT Coupe! Mods: CAI, Resonator Delete (Yea, Not Alot) Check it Out: Old Pictures, no Camera, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2580593

08-31-2007, 06:52 PM	#34
Sprucegagt Schwartz Power! AKA: Andy Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Ranson, WV Age: 46 Posts: 2,027 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT	When did the oil pressure light come on? __________________ 2000 Grand Am GT (some day it will be SC/T) Mods: alot Last edited by Sprucegagt; 08-31-2007 at 06:58 PM.

09-01-2007, 01:31 PM	#36
Sprucegagt Schwartz Power! AKA: Andy Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Ranson, WV Age: 46 Posts: 2,027 Vehicle: 2000 Grand Am GT	Sounds to me like you have some worn out bearings or oil pump. __________________ 2000 Grand Am GT (some day it will be SC/T) Mods: alot

08-04-2007, 01:14 PM	#23
mjtr21 V6 HO AKA: Mike Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cornwall, Ontario Posts: 121 Vehicle: 1999 Grand AM GT	yeah so would a compression test tell me anything? should i get one done? are there any other kinds of tests i can do before getting another engine?

08-06-2007, 03:49 PM	#27
mjtr21 V6 HO AKA: Mike Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cornwall, Ontario Posts: 121 Vehicle: 1999 Grand AM GT	yeah sorry to bug your little conversation there but i have some updates. my low oil pressure light hasnt come on in about 5 days and there is hardly any hesitation now. and my SERVICE ENGINE SOON hasnt come on for about a week now. so my problem might be clearing up but i still have that stupid ticking noise. i brought it to 4 different mechanics and 1 said it was rod bearing, 2nd said it was lifters, 3rd said it was lifters, and 4th said it could be either but more likely lifters. the mechanics told me that if it was the connecting rod or rod bearings it would be louder and sound more solid. but my noise is just a tap/click noise. they each told me different prices but what would and ideal price range be to get the lifters redone? please and thanks.

08-20-2007, 04:56 PM	#31
mjtr21 V6 HO AKA: Mike Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cornwall, Ontario Posts: 121 Vehicle: 1999 Grand AM GT	well my car died on me last night about 20 feet from my driveway. i coasted in and now it wont start. well i shouldnt say that because it does start. what happened was i was driving down the road and getting close to my house and the car started chugging and hesitating bad (no hills just flat road). and the low oil pressure light came back on again and then the car just shut off. i havent had my oil pressure light come on in a couple of weeks either. so i parked it in my driveway and checked oil and it was fine. i tried starting and i had to hold in start for about 5 seconds and when it started the car was shaking and dies after about 5 seconds. thats all it does now. so what does anyone think happened?

08-31-2007, 06:21 PM	#33
BTarb24 GAGT - Member AKA: Bill Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Age: 39 Posts: 135 Vehicle: 2007 350Z & 99 GAGT	any news on this? Mine is doing the EXACT same thing yours was. I have a 99 gagt with ~135k miles. over the last week it developed a fairly loud ticking sound (not the normal slight tick during warmup i used to always hear). I already did my LIM and head gasket about a 1.5 years ago. I meticulously torqued everything down to spec and aside from this I haven't had any trouble. It has the oil pressure light when I let off the gas as well. It seems to only do this on warmer days. In the evenings it is perfectly fine. The sound comes from the drivers side of the engine, just like yours. It is loudest under the PCV. I always change the oil between 4k-5k miles... when i heard the sound and saw the light I changed it the next day, but this made no difference. Sometimes when I come to a stop and idle the car will start to sputter slightly... once it stalled, but started right back up. If i put it in nuetral while stopped and rev slightly it runs fine. .. it just doesn't seem to like idling for some reason.

09-01-2007, 01:49 PM	#37
BTarb24 GAGT - Member AKA: Bill Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Age: 39 Posts: 135 Vehicle: 2007 350Z & 99 GAGT	where is the oil pump located? Is it a bolt-on or is it located inside the bottom half of the engine? I know it's not above the heads since i've changed the head gasket and didn't see it.

09-01-2007, 04:59 PM	#38
traingeek087 shin'n lik-a diamond Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nebraska Age: 33 Posts: 570 Vehicle: 1999 Grand Am GT Sedan	ok I dont keep up on this forum that much b/c I just dont have the time but I can throw out some infromation that may be helpful. I am in school for automechanics and we come across this stuff here and their. 1.) RARELY will your oil pump ever "go out". The pump is submerged in oil (lubricant) 2.) Lifters will "tick" high pitch, also consider the speed of the engine when it's idling. A camshaft moves 1/2 the speed of the crankshaft, so time the tick to the cam, is it the same? or is it faster? 3.) A bearing is going to "knock" lower pitch than a lifter. power break the engine when your stopped and see if it gets louder or goes away 4.) Drain your oil and when you do it put a flashlight up to the oil when it's draining. if it is sparkley there is metallic flakes in it. Also, what kind of oil did you say your running?

09-01-2007, 05:22 PM	#39
BTarb24 GAGT - Member AKA: Bill Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Age: 39 Posts: 135 Vehicle: 2007 350Z & 99 GAGT	I took the oil cap off and was looking at the lifters in the valve cover while it was running. The ticking was definitely not happening at the same speed that the lifters were going up. I would say it was closer to 50% of their speed. What does this mean? and would it be why the low oil pressure light comes on? ps: sound is hard to describe without comparison, but I consider it to be more of a low-pitched sound. It's definitely more of a solid, in the depths of the engine type of sound. it did not get louder when I opened up the oil cap. I had 5w30 oil in there, but when i changed it this week i put 10w30 to see if it would make a difference.. but nope. Last edited by BTarb24; 09-01-2007 at 05:25 PM.

09-02-2007, 11:05 PM	#40
traingeek087 shin'n lik-a diamond Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nebraska Age: 33 Posts: 570 Vehicle: 1999 Grand Am GT Sedan	if it's not at the same speed as the lifters then it's not the cam. that would make it 50 percent faster, basically the crankshaft or lower engine. Maybe main bearings or a rod knock? It's hard to tell w/o having the car right there. One thing is for certain, lack of lubrication can't be it if your running 5/10w30 for oil. did you ever run the thing with low oil? I have a couple days off here from school and I've got a few books on engine diagnosis, when i get some time i'll do some searching to see if i can find anything. Good luck in the mean time.