Engine Tick - 2015 GMC Sierra 5.3

AdamGMC2017 · July 7, 2018

Gonna bring this back on track....

So my tick/chug/rattle/buzz, i.e. marbles in a can noise still occurs more often than not. Went to run some errands yesterday. Did it the whole time for the first two stops. Ran into a store for 5 minutes, started my truck back up, and no noise for the 5 mile trip home. Started it this morning, same noise again.

When I can hear the marbles in a can while driving, I also have a buzzing sound that accompanies it. I always get both, or neither so I assume they are basically the same thing. I can hear the buzzing when the truck is parked, most audible at 2000rpm. So I did an experiment today. Revved it up in the driveway to 2000rpm, and turned the wheels from lock to lock. At full turn to the left, the noise when away. Turn it back any at all, buzz comes back. Had my wife do the revving and turned with my head under the hood and couldn't hear any difference.

I am no further along in diagnosing the cause or the repair, but it seems more and more like it has to be something rattling. People have replaced the full exhaust and still have the sound, so it isn't that. Fuel feed line TSB didn't fix mine or anyone elses. My engine runs fine, and the sound is intermittent, so I doubt it is the engine. Turns and bumps can initiate, or stop the sound.

Someone please figure this out!

Jonty711 · July 8, 2018

I'm thinking it's the internals of the cat are rattling

Jonty711 · July 9, 2018

20 hours ago, Blk17Machinep said:

There shouldn’t be any cats under the front foot area. Idk how many there are but I assume 2 off the headers and 1 or 2 on the exhaust, that’s how my Titan was.

had long tubes and catless the exhaust shop had examples of messy cats and for that to happen to relatively new cars is concerning. I rule out the cats and can’t point my finger anywhere besides the internals of the engine itself.

There’s a catalytic converter in the drivers and passenger footwelll.

on another note, I didn’t have any time to do any investigative work this weekend.

PackerChev · July 9, 2018

Is there a valve or solenoid used for the Active Fuel Management system? It seem that it is something with that since it is related to being in V4 and V8 mode. I've also noticed when the tick is loudest the truck bogs and surges. When the tick isn't present the truck runs smoother. It seems like it all has to do with the fuel delivery.

va_whitewater · July 9, 2018

The tick on my truck sounds like an exhaust leak when it's under load. One thing I've found, which I cannot explain, is that it goes away almost completely when I run higher octane fuel. Has anyone else tried running a full tank of premium?

ChristopherDB · July 9, 2018

19 minutes ago, va_whitewater said:

The tick on my truck sounds like an exhaust leak when it's under load. One thing I've found, which I cannot explain, is that it goes away almost completely when I run higher octane fuel. Has anyone else tried running a full tank of premium?

I've been using premium since day 1. 6000 miles on it with all premium fuel and I have the tick. My tick goes away when slamming on the brakes or turning the steering wheel.

AdamGMC2017 · July 9, 2018

15 minutes ago, ChristopherDB said:

I've been using premium since day 1. 6000 miles on it with all premium fuel and I have the tick. My tick goes away when slamming on the brakes or turning the steering wheel.

Tried premium, no difference. And I'm in the same boat, bumps or turns can make the sound stop. See my post Saturday about being able to stop the noise while in park by turned my wheels all the way to the left.

va_whitewater · July 9, 2018

10 minutes ago, AdamGMC2017 said:

Tried premium, no difference. And I'm in the same boat, bumps or turns can make the sound stop. See my post Saturday about being able to stop the noise while in park by turned my wheels all the way to the left.

I think I must have a different issue. My tick just sounds like an exhaust leak (sewing machine) when I use moderate throttle, such as trying to accelerate up a hill. Turning or braking doesn't affect the tick I'm experiencing.

AdamGMC2017 · July 9, 2018

2 minutes ago, va_whitewater said:

I think I must have a different issue. My tick just sounds like an exhaust leak (sewing machine) when I use moderate throttle, such as trying to accelerate up a hill. Turning or braking doesn't affect the tick I'm experiencing.

I have the same noise issue, the sewing machine/rattling can chug/tick, etc when I apply moderate throttle. Worse in V4 mode. Mine also has a buzzing that accompanies it, which I can hear in park if I rev the engine. They both come or go together.

ChristopherDB · July 9, 2018

20 minutes ago, AdamGMC2017 said:

Tried premium, no difference. And I'm in the same boat, bumps or turns can make the sound stop. See my post Saturday about being able to stop the noise while in park by turned my wheels all the way to the left.

I missed that post and noticed the same on mine. Forgot to reply back and update everyone. When I park if I turn my wheel 1/4 either way the ticking stops. Now I don't know if the ticking actually stops, or if it is something reflecting the sound so it cannot be heard from the inside anymore.

dalek77 · July 9, 2018

Is there a valve or solenoid used for the Active Fuel Management system? It seem that it is something with that since it is related to being in V4 and V8 mode. I've also noticed when the tick is loudest the truck bogs and surges. When the tick isn't present the truck runs smoother. It seems like it all has to do with the fuel delivery.

Yes! Sometimes pushing the throttle gets low response until overdrive kicks in. I ****ing hate it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

20165.3Eco · July 12, 2018

Guys, got a little insight. My factory flapper is still in use. This noise is so relational to bumps/fast stops and acceleration I felt it might be exhaust related.

Yesterday I pinned my flapper wide open. This morning the noise wasn't present until I hit a few pretty large bumps on a county road. While it was doing it it was much much less pronounced. It was also less frequent and didn't last as long when it started to do it. If I fix it I will let you know but it looks like I may be trading this weekend on a 18 Ram. Ride is so much better and the interior doesn't sound like it's falling apart on small bumps. (came from Ram looking for better reliability but I have had no such luck).

20165.3Eco · July 12, 2018

Same here, I was really looking for trouble free ownership. Doesn't seem we can get that with a "domestic" truck so I might as well drive the one I actually like the most.

PackerChev · July 12, 2018

Guys,

-UPDATE-

I dropped my truck off at the dealership because the noise was the worst it has ever been. Well as I'm on my way to the dealership of the course it goes away and they can't replicate it. I did take a video when it was doing it so I had that to show them. Well anyways they reported it to GM and asked what they should do and it turns out that GM has created a service bulletin 6 weeks ago looking into a fix. Their engineers are currently looking into all options. They claim it is related to the Active Fuel Management. Which in turn is affecting the transmission, drive quality, and everything else that is tied in with fuel delivery ect. So, fingers crossed it gets resolved soon. The dealer is going to contact me when they come up with a fix.

They told me the bulletin was for 2017 and 2018 models of Sierra/Silverados. It was for the V6 and both V8.

I was to the point where I was going to start test driving Fords. I guess I will wait a month or so.

Spastik Monkey · July 12, 2018

2 minutes ago, PackerChev said:

Guys,

-UPDATE-

I dropped my truck off at the dealership because the noise was the worst it has ever been. Well as I'm on my way to the dealership of the course it goes away and they can't replicate it. I did take a video when it was doing it so I had that to show them. Well anyways they reported it to GM and asked what they should do and it turns out that GM has created a service bulletin 6 weeks ago looking into a fix. Their engineers are currently looking into all options. They claim it is related to the Active Fuel Management. Which in turn is affecting the transmission, drive quality, and everything else that is tied in with fuel delivery ect. So, fingers crossed it gets resolved soon. The dealer is going to contact me when they come up with a fix.

They told me the bulletin was for 2017 and 2018 models of Sierra/Silverados. It was for the V6 and both V8.

I was to the point where I was going to start test driving Fords. I guess I will wait a month or so.

Did they give you a bulletin number?