My GT Turbo goes to the dealership tomorrow
and their "best staff" will try to determine the source of a "mysterious" engine noise that has been present
intermittently ever since I took delivery of the car on 2/21/03--some 6350 miles ago.
There continues to be a periodic ticking and/or rattle/clanging sound coming from under the front hood somewhere in the engine area. At first, I though something was loose or not adjusted properly but now, after six months of driving, I don't know what is going on. Think it is coming from the engine because if something was loose I suspect the noise would be constant--it is not. However, maybe it could be the fan--like one of the blades is slightly bent and hitting against something or the fan unit is out of balance. However, the noise does not appear to be coming from the fan area. The noise comes and goes--you cannot hear the sound all the time. You ONLY hear it when the engine is idling. It almost sounds like a "sticky lifter". If you start the engine several times during the day and let it idle anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes the sound can usually be heard. Generally, the sound is most likely to be heard after starting the engine cold or after it has been turned off for a couple hours. It may continue for only a minute or two or last for ten minutes or more--sometimes going away only to come back later. It is a mystery to me and others so far who have heard it. At both my 3000 and 6000 mile service this problem was on my list of things to find/fix but, of course, it could not be heard or duplicated by dealership staff--until, I was about to leave following my last visit--I started the engine and there it was for all to hear.
I'm hoping for the best but fearing the worst--that someone will "tear into the engine" to fix the problem and when I get it back things will be worse.
The car runs and performs flawlessly now except for the noise.
Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens this week.
[:0] [:I]