So recently i been hearing a ticking noise coming from the top of the motor?! seem very werid. i thought it needed a valve adjustment but they told me that the is300 motor can not be adjusted. is this true!!?Anyways you can usually hear it when the car is idling or at a stop. is there anyone having the same problem?! i got a 2001 is300 with 108,XXX miles

 

When was your last oil change? Have you changed anything recently? with gas prices going up, have you been hitting up the 87?

Service history?

 

i just bought the car. so im not sure when the pervious owner did the last oil change but i have been pumping regular and not premium due to gas prices.

 

I suggest an oil change, better gas. Also, check on the timing belt service history. If its the original belt, its well overdue for replacement. "Noisey" valvetrain is not uncommon for higher mileage motors, depending on its service history. Its hard to diagnose a noise over the internet.

 

Change the oil, first and foremost...

And stop putting cheap gas in your car... the savings is not nearly as much as you think it is...

It equates to about $2.50 for a completely full tank of gas, maybe $3.00. Is your cars engine and performance worth it? Yes, the car performs better, and, in some circumstances will actually get better fuel mileage. It is designed for higher octanes, and although it will run "ok" on lower octanes, it is not in its prime.

 

may be heat expansion. is it the same sound as when you turn off the car after its hot?

 

wrong gasoline, needs valve adjustments, or piston rings getting loose and such.

 

I thought it was the fuel injectors? Thats what the dealership said when my car was ticking, but it was an es300, not an is300

 

do yourself a favor buy a vacuum guage and get a reading any where on the intake manifold(after the throttle butterfly) and report back the reading that you get and we can go from there.

 

You think pistons when you hear the word tick? loose pistons in an engine typically make a slapping noise... not sure what a vacuum gauge would tell us, and that seems a little far fetched, when the most likely cause is either that the car is in need of an oil change, or the fuel injectors are just a little noisy - neither one that critical...

 

jesus. let the man figure out how to change his oil before you're telling him to pull out vacuum gauges and piston ring kits. Toyota/Lex are known to get a noisey valvetrain with higher miles, if not properly maintained. They are also known to have noisey injectors. Ever heard an 05-11 Tacoma? *click click click click click*

He doesnt know this cars history...

Also, last question.... is this your first IS?

This are why forums are so frustrating at times, people just shotgunning and throwing diagnostic-dice.

 

You don't know what a vacuum gauge is useful for? It's a very useful tool for engine performance.

 

is300 so the 2jz.. which means your probably hearing the very common noise... called Injector tick.. its probably that you never took the time to hear the engine to such a degree that you noticed before.. but i dont know a single 1j or 2j that doenst have some injector ticking sound..

all depends on how bad the noise is... kinda hard to diagnose on a verbal/written assessment..

 

No, I know exactly what it is for... but this guy is asking basic questions about a ticking noise that probably has nothing to do with anything...

I've actually made it a point to install a vacuum gauge (and boost gauge where applicable) on every performance car I've built... there are only three things that it is good at diagnosing, a sticky throttle plate, valve timing, or lack of compression...

None of his symptoms fit that bill - valve lash adjustment is not the same as valve timing, and a lack of compression doesn't cause a tick either...

 

I'm backing Mitsu here on the subject, I think what we're trying to get across here is that the owner of a "new" car to start with the easy and the obvious, and go from there.

But until he gives us an update or shows any concern, I've washed my hands with this thread.