Just wondering if anyone might be familiar with this noise. It's definitely not the good old direct injection/diesel-like tick.. While lightly accelerating at low speeds, I hear this clicking/ticking noise coming from what sounds like underneath the front of the car. You can really hear it well while driving alongside a wall or barrier. Almost sounds like detonation/ping (car only gets shell 93), but louder and almost rhythmic, also sounds like hot exhaust pipes crackling, but in timed sequence - click click click - sort of like muted pop caps. Disappears as I gain speed, but always returns at low speeds, especially when going uphill into my parking garage. Will try to upload a video and am going in to have it looked at on Saturday, but was just hoping someone out there might have insight. I have a feeling the dealer will say it's normal, but it's definitely new to my ears on this car (just passed 50k miles). Was thinking exhaust/cat related, but maybe a water pump or engine issue? Many thanks in advance!

 

could be a wheel bearing starting to go, could also be the valves, although i dont htink a 13 had the valve issues

 

I get the clicks as well. sounds like the brake actuator click

 

Does it click at idle when standing still, like a diesel?

 

mine makes multiple clicks in rapid recession when accelerating hard from a dead stop.

 

Nice to know I'm not the only one clicking away over here..

Noise definitely is not the direct injection sound we often hear at idle in these cars. Did some further testing today and discovered that I primarily hear the clicking on an incline (under load) and it sounds like it might be coming more so from the rear. Took several videos and unfortunately all that can be heard is wind/ambient noise. My wife said it almost sounds like something is "catching." Could it be the driveshaft just barely brushing against the heat shield or some other component? I really don't know.. Just glad it isn't coming from the engine/exhaust manifold. Now I'm wondering if I should even bother taking it in since it's so tricky to duplicate..

 

Interesting.. Does yours come from the front or the rear? Ever have it looked at? Thanks for chiming in, btw..

 

Sounds like wheel bearings - had similar issues when turning wheels all the way left or right. Or when accelerating from dead stop. Good luck

 

Thanks! If it is wheel bearings, then the noise should worsen over time and be easier to diagnose..

 

My sound seems to come from the rear. I had my car at Musicbox a couple years ago. We had a few of us there and while we were standing near the garage the owner was moving my car into the garage and we could hear this clicking noise. I asked a few of the guys there and they all agreed it was "normal".... even the owner said the same thing. Hard to accept the conclusion. But I just keep driving...
Would love to hear any fixes or updates if any of us finds a solution. I guess we will chime in this thread once in awhile when a remedy is found.

Most of my front end suspension was replaced, all arms and both wheel bearings. I just need to replace the LBJ. I have some time off coming up and will be able to tackle this task soon.

 

After trying many times to record the sound, this very short clip is as close as I can get to capturing the clank. You can faintly hear it underneath the ambient noise as I accelerate. Almost sounds like rocks in a can..please listen closely.

 

That doesnt sound rotational so we can cross out the bearings with it doing it at idle and stopped. It sounds like metal pinging like an exhaust manifold expanding or contracting,

it sounded random and sporadic as well. that is an interesting sound.

You might have junk rattling around in your exhaust system

 

Exhaust was my first thought. Hard to gauge if it's a major concern or not..

 

Check out the inside of your catalyst to see if it's still intact.

 

FWIW, I had to replace my mufflers a couple of years ago. When I was trying to diagnose noise, I decided to look into the condition of the mufflers. While lowering them, I could hear sloshing noises and quickly realized they were full of water and saw several cracks in them. Long story short, 450 dollars later I had two new mufflers installed by a local shop and included labor. Noises gone. I'm not sayong this is your issue, but if you're going to check the cats, you may want to also check the mufflers. Another muffler shop said they were fine, and it wasn't until I was removing them that I could see what they didn't. They looked fine from the road side, but the tops that you couldn't see were rotten through and through. Here's a link to my thread with pics of the muffs: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-mufflers.html