Ticking time bomb TICK TICK TICK: Spark plugs Alert Alert Alert! (3 Viewers)

[WMaher]

2002 LX 470 317k miles.

Looking for help identifying engine noise, I believe it might be loose spark plugs but I can't tell for sure and would like some input before proceeding. Recently purchased this, has a pretty solid maintenance record up until 250k miles or so. Engine ticks on cold start and when it's hot, ticking gets louder when engine is warmed up, and seems to tick faster with revs, however it seems like the ticking gets droned out by engine noise after 1500rpm or so. Ticking sounds like metal on metal, and I do not belive its from an exhaust manifold leak.

Carfax does not have any record of spark plugs being replaced. Today I checked 6/8 spark plugs (the 2 on the drivers side did not get checked), and all seemed tight, possibly too tight as I tried loosing and they didn't budge as easy as spark plugs have in the past for me (possibly seized?). I have a link below to 2 videos, videos were taken after driving the car on the highway for 3 1/2 hours. My next step was going to be removing spark plugs and inspecting threads but wanted to check here in case someone thinks I might have seized plugs and need to tread carefully. Any input/advice would be awesome.

 

[dace voit]

That ticking doesn't sound that bad to me but is definitely evident. I hear some kind of a knock too but may be from something in the rotating perpheral assembly like a pulley, etc. If you don't know the history of the plugs and question them, change them out regardless. If they appear seized, you can put some PB Blaster or the like in the wells and let them soak overnight to loosen the gunk in the threads. BE CAREFUL when removing them. You may have to walk them in a bit if they get stiff before trying to loosen again, back and forth to loosen them.

 

[Bisho]

Really hard to tell, but seems doubtful on loose plugs. Agree with the above advice.

It sounds more to me like the Midwest car rusty exhaust harmony.

 

[2001LC]

2002 LX 470 317k miles.

Looking for help identifying engine noise, I believe it might be loose spark plugs but I can't tell for sure and would like some input before proceeding. Recently purchased this, has a pretty solid maintenance record up until 250k miles or so. Engine ticks on cold start and when it's hot, ticking gets louder when engine is warmed up, and seems to tick faster with revs, however it seems like the ticking gets droned out by engine noise after 1500rpm or so. Ticking sounds like metal on metal, and I do not belive its from an exhaust manifold leak.

Carfax does not have any record of spark plugs being replaced. Today I checked 6/8 spark plugs (the 2 on the drivers side did not get checked), and all seemed tight, possibly too tight as I tried loosing and they didn't budge as easy as spark plugs have in the past for me (possibly seized?). I have a link below to 2 videos, videos were taken after driving the car on the highway for 3 1/2 hours. My next step was going to be removing spark plugs and inspecting threads but wanted to check here in case someone thinks I might have seized plugs and need to tread carefully. Any input/advice would be awesome.

Tick tick tick/ pop pop pop, is best heard from wheel well. I'm not hearing the spark plugs, tick tick tick/ pop pop pop! But just may be because, to many sound.

I'd bet you've more than one bad pulley bearing. Very likely a fan bracket failing. Many even need a fan clutch.

Fan bracket bearing has failed. Watch how the pulley back of fan, jumps.


Check your fan belt and its idler and tensioner pulleys also.

Tensioner & Idler pulleys going bad Toyota 07 100 series

Removing drive belt makes final inspection of pulley bearings easy. Just put a breaker bar with a 14mm socket on tensioner pulley nut, and turn counter clock...

www.youtube.com

 

[Bex]

Just purchased my 2007 LX and had the tick tick tick at idle. Got curious after reading FAQ and sure enough, 1 plug driver side was able to be removed by hand, 2 others were barely snug at all. Tick has stopped since then. Glad to had read that before something serious arose.

 

[Jack90210]

As a data point, I just replaced my spark plugs. The previous set had been installed by a Lexus dealer around 60K miles ago. They were all appropriately snug, and one coil had some darkening around the boot but it seems that this was from a prior loose plug. New plugs were torqued to 18 ft/lb as suggested with no problems. Afterwards there was no change in sound or operation, FWIW. I put a faint wipe of silicone grease on the outer plastic edge of the female coil connector to make it easier for the next person (me, hopefully) to remove the connectors.