Patsum

My 91 has 164K on it and has run well since I bought her but last week the temps got cold and I left her outside in the rain for a whole week. When I started her up it sounded like normal except for a belt was maybe making noise. The noise does not change with acceleration or with the a/c compressor turned on or off. The sound is always there now but varies. I thought it was a belt but if I open the hood it sounds almost as of it is coming from the engine block but I think my ears are tricking me. No fault codes/ runs great. Just this noise...
All my fluids are good
car had been warm for 30 minutes before this and dry.

Here is a youtube clip for the audio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYaL7uEkEyk

RIGHT after I start her up you can really tell.

what does it sound like?
it is VERY easy to tell what I am talking about....when I open the hood it is hard to hear anything but my engine ticking...but before i open the hood and after I shut it..you can hear

I start the car with the hood closed..then move around and open it... then close it again...

Thanks

also..does my engine tick too loud?

-P

nemisonic

It's not ticking too loud. I have a 300k mile '94 SC400 (same 1uz-fe v8 engine). It does sound like you may need a new idler pulley. The key is to differentiate between the "injector click" and the "valve lifter click" (they are shims and buckets but it is still called "lifter click").

An easy thing to do is have the valve clearances checked. If you can find a reputable indie that will do a timing job on the 1uz-fe, then they will do the valve clearance check. Of course there is always the dealer. FYI new valve shims are $800-$1000 at Lexus, it is about 8 hours of labor and worthwhile to have a tech do it (avoid dropping valves in the cylinders or scoring the buckets). I have never had this done, but the car is on its second set of heads (changed out at 150k).

Also, I had the same "squeal" noise that is certainly louder than your ticking. By removing the serpentine and turning each accessory by hand, I discovered the alternator bearings are squealing.

good luck!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

kind of redundant now, care was totalled