As soon as the engine turns over a pretty loud, medium-pitch "clicking" noise is heard in the engine compartment. It repeats rapidly, and the rapidity increases as the gas pedal is depressed. It sounds in any gear, including park and neutral.

The noise is only evidence of a problem. The car still drives well, the engine is smooth, etc.

I'm taking her in to the dealer tomorrow am, but before I go... anyone have ideas or experience with this sound?

 

Could be a loud fuel injector or lifter tick.

 

When I started mine from sitting all winter last week I had the same noise. When I went out the next day and started it, and it was gone. Let me know what they find wrong. Was the car in storage?

 

It took the dealer 4 days to diagnose, but it's lifters. Mega-kudos to Ryan C., who nailed it from just my description of the problem.

After 24,000 miles???

I won't see my baby for another week. Thank heavens for the warranty.

CrossfireFrank, you might want to have a dealer check that out pronto.

 

Let us know the outcome, I've been hearing a chatter that sounds like lifter problems.

 

My noise has not returned. I'll keep an eye on it, I still have a lot of time left on my warranty. I also notice when I first start my car it sounds loud for 15 seconds than quits down. Is this normal? My car sits for weeks at a time so I figured it was the oil being pumped back into the system. Any comments would be welcome. Car has 900 miles on it.

 

The Crossfire has a pretty characteristically loud valve train. I have found that cold its louder due to the oil not circulating yet. Mine stops after its warmed up, but even still you can faintly hear the lifters.

 

Here's the outcome: "replaced engine lifters at both banks, performed oil and filter change."

Again, thank heavens for the warranty. I wonder what this would have cost out-of-pocket.

I'm happy with the dealership's service shop -- the repairs are (so far) flawless, and if anything the engine now has little more "go." Still, interesting to note that it took 10 business days to fix, most of that waiting for parts.

Any ideas what would make the value lifters problematic after ~ 25K miles?

 

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Wingman, would you please share the name of this dealership in case other members in the Bay Area needs some warranty work?