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Anyone develop a "tick" under hood?

Delta Tango

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Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

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We've had a few trips now towing our 24 foot Coachman Catalina travel trailer. Last weekend (Canada Day long weekend) we went on serious Canadian Rockie Mountain camping trip traveling between Lake Louise and Jasper Alberta. Our 5.3 litre equiped 2014 Sierra did everything it was expected to do towing that trailer, even over the "Bow Summit" which is approx. 6000 feet above sea level. What a great towing vehicle!

 

Now this week I hear a "tick" at idle. No active check engine lights. No miss fire. No vibration. Just an annoying "tick". Seems to be coming from the #1 cylinder area, driver's side of the engine. You can not hear it in the interior, but is very noticeable standing beside left front corner of the unit, at idle or just above. It might have been going on for a while, just that I'm a little more watchful after our last run in the mountains.

 

I run 0w-20 synthetic Castrol engine oil. It has been changed according to my schedule, which is every 5000 kms. And the truck now has approx 21,000 kms on the clock.

 

More camping trips planned with our Coachman, I'm hoping a few others have come across this racket, and have nothing but good news that it's just some kind of a control valve, or a mechanical PCV valve?

 

And why not "just take it to the dealer?" I guess I don't want to lose the truck for two and a half days just to hear "it's nothing".

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glcbn Enthusiast

glcbn

Posted
Posted

Glad to hear your truck performed well. :thumbs:

As for the tick. Are you certain that you never heard it before this? All these new direct injection engines have a noticeable tick. It's the injectors making the noise. Can't hear it inside the cab,but very much so outside.

Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

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Thanks for the prompt reply. It's been good times with my Sierra since I got caught up with all the recalls. And with that, we've been just driving it and enjoying it. So after our journey over the Bow Summit, i've become extra cautious in watching for leaks, odors, and......this noise.

I'll go with the idea of the direct injection sound and as mentioned earlier, there's no check engine lites or misfire.

2strokesmoke Enthusiast

2strokesmoke

Posted
Posted

Direct fuel injection, also known as GDI in gasoline engines, is a system where fuel is sprayed under high pressure directly into the combustion chamber of each cylinder. GDI is new technology that maximizes power and fuel economy allowing a smaller, lighter engine to provide the same or better performance as larger ones.

This technology has been around for a long time, but now it has been refined for greater fuel economy.

The noise one hears is "tick sound" is the fuel being injected into the combustion chamber on its compression cycle.

This pressure is very high, and when the gas hits the piston and injecter shuts off a tick sound is created.

If one hears random ticks this is not normal! Noise should be noticeable at idle in park accross both banks of cylinders.

 

thxs

Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Direct fuel injection, also known as GDI in gasoline engines, is a system where fuel is sprayed under high pressure directly into the combustion chamber of each cylinder. GDI is new technology that maximizes power and fuel economy allowing a smaller, lighter engine to provide the same or better performance as larger ones.

This technology has been around for a long time, but now it has been refined for greater fuel economy.

The noise one hears is "tick sound" is the fuel being injected into the combustion chamber on its compression cycle.

This pressure is very high, and when the gas hits the piston and injecter shuts off a tick sound is created.

If one hears random ticks this is not normal! Noise should be noticeable at idle in park accross both banks of cylinders.

 

thxs

I should know all of this!

I deal with Detroit Diesel "DD 15" engine platforms all the time. It's all new school to me stil though, including direct injection on gas engines. There's certain noises that a fuel rail makes on a DD15 at times that sends us in the right direction for troubleshooting. But we still rely on the lap top to sort things out.

Gone are the days of a mechanic's stethiscope or sticking a large flat blade screw driver at the troubled area and then shoving your ear next to the screw driver. LOL.

 

I better check both banks for this "tick".

VMaxtastic Enthusiast

VMaxtastic

Posted
Posted

Keep us posted. My truck, as well as all others on the lot, ticked. Mine seems to be about the same, maybe a bit louder, at 15,000 km.

Silverado-Hareek Senior Enthusiast

Silverado-Hareek

Posted
Posted

My truck has "ticked" from day one. It sounds exactly like the 4 cylinder GDI engine in my wife's Hyundai hatchback. That's right, the Silverado now sounds like a cheap Korean compact car........

Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

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Sorry for the basic question.

 

As we are having a real summer up here in Canada right now, perhaps the "tick" is a bit related to warmer weather? Or A/C compressor operation causes enough load to make the injection work a little harder?

 

If there's any resource a person can read on the basics of this GM direct injection, please pass that on.

 

Thanx!

fondupot Senior Enthusiast

fondupot

Posted
Posted

Sorry for the basic question.

 

As we are having a real summer up here in Canada right now, perhaps the "tick" is a bit related to warmer weather? Or A/C compressor operation causes enough load to make the injection work a little harder?

 

If there's any resource a person can read on the basics of this GM direct injection, please pass that on.

 

Thanx!

 

 

No. Its the injectors on a direct injection motor that are ticking.

 

Here is a detailed article about Direct Injection.

 

http://delphi.com/pdf/techpapers/2011-01-1216.pdf

 

read the first paragraph after the Introduction.

Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank you "fondupot" for the excellent paper regarding direct injection and it's noises.

fondupot Senior Enthusiast

fondupot

Posted
Posted

Thank you "fondupot" for the excellent paper regarding direct injection and it's noises.

 

Cheers pal. I've linked that one a few times on these boards. Does a pretty good job of explaining things.

14SLTZ71 Enthusiast

14SLTZ71

Posted
Posted

Sorry for the basic question.

 

As we are having a real summer up here in Canada right now, perhaps the "tick" is a bit related to warmer weather? Or A/C compressor operation causes enough load to make the injection work a little harder?

 

If there's any resource a person can read on the basics of this GM direct injection, please pass that on.

 

Thanx!

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorhead-university/sponsored-content-gasoline-direct-injection-101

Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

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It still seems like there's too much noise? More on the left bank? I might go to a dealer and see if I can listen to another unit. Still pulls nice tho.....and no codes!

Delta Tango Enthusiast

Delta Tango

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Listened to a 2014 with 5.3L and 5000 kms on it this morning. It isn't close to "tick" than mine makes.

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