2015 Sierra 6.2 has a new loud tick when warm

kojimep · January 12, 2021

I've got a 2015 6.2 with ~82k miles on it. Recently, about 2 weeks ago, I noticed the engine was making a much louder ticking sound than it used it, but I only notice it once the engine is warmed up (haven't heard it on a cold start yet). The noise does vary with rpm, but there does not seem to be any loss of power or mileage. Any recommendations of easy things to check or should I just bring it in to the dealer? We really only drive it on weekends, and I've put maybe 500 miles on it since I first noticed the tick.

Thanks.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the noise is much more noticeable from the passenger side of the engine bay, and that I cannot hear it at all inside the cab when driving, but the ticking is definitely considerably louder than the engine used to be.

Edited January 12, 2021 by kojimep

JONBLARC7 · January 12, 2021

Go get a mechanical stethoscope from the auto parts store. They are like 10 bucks.

put it to the valve cover on the drivers side. If it’s lifter tick you’ll hear it really loud. If not there put it all over the engine bay.

a long screw drive works to if you put it on the valve cover then put your ear in the screw driver. But for 10 dollars I would just buy a stethoscope

JimCost2014 · January 13, 2021

10 hours ago, kojimep said:

I've got a 2015 6.2 with ~82k miles on it. Recently, about 2 weeks ago, I noticed the engine was making a much louder ticking sound than it used it, but I only notice it once the engine is warmed up (haven't heard it on a cold start yet). The noise does vary with rpm, but there does not seem to be any loss of power or mileage. Any recommendations of easy things to check or should I just bring it in to the dealer? We really only drive it on weekends, and I've put maybe 500 miles on it since I first noticed the tick.

Thanks.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the noise is much more noticeable from the passenger side of the engine bay, and that I cannot hear it at all inside the cab when driving, but the ticking is definitely considerably louder than the engine used to be.

Vacuum pump?

JONBLARC7 · January 13, 2021

Could be are you on the original?

kojimep · January 13, 2021

17 hours ago, JONBLARC7 said:

Go get a mechanical stethoscope from the auto parts store. They are like 10 bucks.

put it to the valve cover on the drivers side. If it’s lifter tick you’ll hear it really loud. If not there put it all over the engine bay.

a long screw drive works to if you put it on the valve cover then put your ear in the screw driver. But for 10 dollars I would just buy a stethoscope

Getting one today and I'll check it out tonight after work. Would you hear a lifter tick through the valve cover, or would it have to be on the head directly? Also on the short list is the vacuum pump like JimCost2014 recommended.

kojimep · January 13, 2021

44 minutes ago, JONBLARC7 said:

Could be are you on the original?

Original Vacuum pump? Yes it is.

JONBLARC7 · January 13, 2021

yes to all BUT the vacumm pump it on the lower driverside on the engine bay. My bad lifter ticked all the time and went up with RPM.

Edited January 13, 2021 by JONBLARC7

Poncho_ · July 28, 2022

Kojimep did you ever figure out what the issue was?? I am currently having the same issue. I have a 2017 Silverado 4x4 4.3. I took it to a dealer and they said it was normal. However, the ticking is only after warm up. I didnt realize that before taking it in. I have been in contact with Chevy Trucks via messenger and they actually helped me with some other issues that were corrected. I had read somewhere that it could be a purge valve but nothing definitive. Thanks in advance.

kojimep · July 29, 2022

22 hours ago, Poncho_ said:

Kojimep did you ever figure out what the issue was?? I am currently having the same issue. I have a 2017 Silverado 4x4 4.3. I took it to a dealer and they said it was normal. However, the ticking is only after warm up. I didnt realize that before taking it in. I have been in contact with Chevy Trucks via messenger and they actually helped me with some other issues that were corrected. I had read somewhere that it could be a purge valve but nothing definitive. Thanks in advance.

I was not able to ever pin point where it was coming from. Even with a mechanic stethoscope the trick always sounding the same everywhere around the engine. But the common ones I had checked for were:

*Any injectors louder than the others

*High pressure fuel pump area

*Approx location of each cylinder on the valve cover

*fuel feed hose that goes into the high pressure fuel pump (supposedly a check valve in there that can get noisy?)

*vaccum pump

*exhaust manifolds and pipe going to the back of the truck

I could hear the tick at every one of these locations, and none were ever any louder than another.

That said, a few weeks it started misfiring continuously on cylinder 4 @ 102k miles, found a bent push rod, collapsed and spun lifter, wiped cam, and damaged block. Had to replace the engine. I don't know that the two are related at all, but after the lifter had collapsed I didn't seem to hear to that tick anymore. Definitely hope you don't have my poor luck with this though.

Poncho_ · August 10, 2022

On 7/29/2022 at 2:23 PM, kojimep said:

I was not able to ever pin point where it was coming from. Even with a mechanic stethoscope the trick always sounding the same everywhere around the engine. But the common ones I had checked for were:

*Any injectors louder than the others

*High pressure fuel pump area

*Approx location of each cylinder on the valve cover

*fuel feed hose that goes into the high pressure fuel pump (supposedly a check valve in there that can get noisy?)

*vaccum pump

*exhaust manifolds and pipe going to the back of the truck

I could hear the tick at every one of these locations, and none were ever any louder than another.

That said, a few weeks it started misfiring continuously on cylinder 4 @ 102k miles, found a bent push rod, collapsed and spun lifter, wiped cam, and damaged block. Had to replace the engine. I don't know that the two are related at all, but after the lifter had collapsed I didn't seem to hear to that tick anymore. Definitely hope you don't have my poor luck with this though.

WOW, that really sucks. Sorry to hear that result. Thank you for the info. I will check into that list. I am planning on a visit to the dealer as soon as I get my wife's vehicle fixed. I will update after it gets looked at. Thanks again.

pokismoki · August 22, 2022

source of the problem is your running factory engine t-stat, and probably using 0w-20 oil, i doubt you change oil before 5000 miles. , who knows what engine loading your put the motor under while in such a vulnerbal state.

next time run race oil minimum 10-30wt, get a 170 t-stat, and add and engine oil cooler. this will support the weak components to live longer

Edited August 22, 2022 by pokismoki

pokismoki · August 23, 2022

just curious , did the ticking sounds begin after a recent oil change? only reason i ask is GM has two oil filters that will fit our trucks, one is low pressure bypass, and the other is much higher pressure. just curious if everyone knows this? and if your running the correct filter?

you have to have the correct bypass pressure to match up with the new variable oil pumps on these gen5's

running the wrong filter can increase wear on the valve train components

Edited August 23, 2022 by pokismoki