I'm glad I stumbled upon this thread. I have a 2 week old GS350 and I first heard the ticking sound a couple of days ago. I'm usually not paranoid, but after spending 50k+ on a car, I started thinking that out of all the GS' sold out there, I probably got a defected one. LEMON!

So now here is this thread with some mixed experiences with the Direct Injection ticking sound. I immediately called my local Lexus dealer and spoke to a service technician. He told me, without hesitation that it was the injection mechanism that is born on all the GS' and IS'. I then asked if they're going to come up with something to subdue the sound. Nope. Looks like we're stuck with the ticking noise for now. On a good note, the sound is normal thing and not a defect.

 

Madainc,

No! You don't have a lemon. I just test drove a 2007 GS350 today and the ticking noise was there...loud! Kinda of annoying. That tells me that they didn't fix it yet. The 2006 GS300 also has it. I was testing the salesman...I asked him what's with the ticking noise....he replied "Oh, that's just how the car is when is running hot". Blah...
You can't fool me! Lexus needs to go back to the drawing board and get this fixed!! Overall, I like the car...lots of power.

 

I just noticed this, I dont always hear it. But when the car is idling and I have my window open.. It sounds like a tick.tick.tick.tick.tick.tick.tick.tick.tick every 1/2 second? Is that the sound for the fuel injection or whatever?

 

My wife absolutely hates that ticking noise. She rides with the windows down a lot because she gets cold easily and often drives without AC. Wifey thinks an almost 50K car should be wisper quiet. The 99 ES we traded in was a Camry and it was quiet (her words). It doesn't bother me much but I do agree the car cost too much to have any noise coming from the engine bay. Wifey hates when people ask about it. When she tells them Reggie says it's normal, they aleays reply...from a Lexus!
I tell my wife to ignore them, they're hating and trying to nitpick.

 

reggie, your wife sounds like a consumer with very high standards - good for her! The cause of the clicking of course has great benefits, but Lexus should have worked harder to hide the noise. I don't know if the new LS does it (I listened and couldn't hear it) and if not, the GS shouldn't either.

 

Odd, but that is the explanation given many ES350 owners who complain about noisey ticking/tapping/knocking like sound to engines after cold start through hot for several minutes/miles, but we don't even have the same injection system as GS and not likely even direct injection.

 

I wouldn't let it bother you...I have a GS300 without direct injection - apparently the whole asia pacific region except Japan get their 300's with regular multi-port fuel injection.

This engine doesn't tick - it is very quiet from the outside - but it only has 230 hp Vs the DI's 245, has less torque and inferior fuel consumption. And because they have some sort of aversion to DI in the asia pacific region we are not getting the 350 for '07

 

Hi, all. Great discussion. Good to know I'm not the only one ignorant and arrogant customer who is getting really annoyed by the tapping sound. I even went to Lexus corporate and further took it to the independent National dispute agency (or so they claim to be independent). All got me the same answer as I read here above: high fuel pump pressure and Direct injection. This is a really good way for a shark like Lexus to avoid lemon law: operates as designed. Please, anyone tell me that a 55K car sound like a tractor is normal at least until the oil expands and it get real high?! Even after, it still roars/taps, whatever you want to call it. The car eats gas pretty well i get about 16 MPG in the city if lucky. I put premium gas. Performance is ok, but not more than that. It is a AWD car and i get it. So here it is to the fuel economy and performance both. One thing I love about it - very comfortable: all gauges and buttons are well thought placed. Navi screen is awesome. But can I make the music louder and live with the tap? Not sure yet. I am thinking... But boy, I'd switch it again to my 2003 Nissan Altima SE FWD that flew, in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, they now have a CVT street car-like engines, which is why I left Nissan.

 

Those 3.5 SE really could move but the car itself was low quality compared to the Lexus and even to the current Altima.

You think the Lexus is loud you should hear my QX with DI...you would swear it had a cam or something in it....but you can't hear a thing inside. All these DI engines have this ticking noise. As long as I can't hear in inside im good with that...

 

Not sure about quality, had it for 8 years and put about 100K on it and still sold for like $5K when it had 130K miles. Generally speaking had no problems with it. So my issue is that I can hear the lexus noise inside the cabin. Many say, just put the music louder. So, the question is this: pay over 50K to realize one has to always put the music on and can't really enjoy city driving listening to the engine. Highway driving is a pleasure, however.

 

What a bunch of sissified flowers. You buy a car with DI and expect what? Please

 

My 3rd Gen GS460 is EFI.
I wouldn't know!

 

gs350 and es350 completely different engine , gs350 is same as toyota royal crwon athlete .... es350 is just a camry engine

 

Is the is350 engine similar to the GS 350 or does the GS 350 stand alone?

 

Is350 and GS350 engines are pretty much identical