So my truck recently started making an electric ticking noise tied to RPMs. Sounds like a loose plug wire - the arcing noise you'd get...but none of my plug wires is loose...I've checked.

Right before I noticed it, I had installed ground straps. I attached them to the firewall and to the top of the valve cover, using factory bolts.

Could this cause that noise? Is it bad?

What else could it be? I didn't do any other changes to the truck when I noticed this so I'm pretty confused....

 

my 86 4runner sometimes has that problem... Check the plugs to make sure that they haven't worked themselves loose at all.

 

Not to scare you, but I had a similar thing with mine years back. Sounded just like a spark plug wire snapping away. About a week later, my timing chain went. My guess is that it was a link tapping away against the cover.

When was your last change out? Might not be it, but at least worth investigating.

Good luck.

 

Thanks guys.

Did tuning chain less than 20k miles ago. Did plugs, wires, etc. a couple months ago....all new stuff.

Could it be the ground strap location?

Plugs are tight, as are wires.

Its electronic, not mechanical, this noise.

 

Mmmm. That's what I thought too. But seriously, at 20K, that is not likely the problem. Sorry I've got nothing else to offer.

 

Thanks for nothing mike

 

Where are you hearing the noise? You said electronic, are you hearing it thru the radio? And I'm assuming you ruled out an exhaust leak? That'll make a ticking tied to RPMs as well. If it's from the radio, you may need a noise choke installed/replaced on the power supply. I'm no expert but installing the ground straps may have affected the circuit to the radio in a gremlin-like fashion. That should have a whine along with the ticking. Do you have a distributor or electronic ignition? Might be arcing under distributor cap

 

It's definitely coming from the engine bay and not the stereo. Not an exhaust leak - it sounds just like arcing, but I don't see any arcing when idling with the hood open.

I'm on a trip away from the truck now but when I get home I think I will just disconnect the ground straps and see if that solves it. Is my choice of location for the straps correct?

I have a distributror on the 22RE motor.

 

pull the grounding strap and see if it goes away or not, that is one way to see if that caused it.

 

Before you disconnect the ground straps, check for continuity to ground. And make sure the resistance is on the low end. Even if you have continuity, a high resistance could cause an arc from strap to cover, bypassing the mounting bolt. On the other hand, the new straps may have increased conductivity, allowing an arc to form. Also check resistance on the plug wires and the coil wire. They could be broken internally with no damage to the outer jacket. Again, check under the distributor cap for carbon build up, just to rule it out. When you were looking for the arc, did you do it in complete darkness? It's probably not real strong or could be hidden behind something. I don't think the location matters that much, but moving the strap couldn't hurt.

 

sure it's not the injectors ? .. they do make noise


.

 

thanks az and slacker.

Didn't think of the injectors.

I didn't check at night either. Once I'm back I'll get the multimeter out and check further.

thanks!

 

Ahh hmmm iv had a noise simaler to what is discrided and i do have leaky exaust.... well now i have more inisiative to get it fixed.