Car Repair Advice by Professional Automotive Experts
Car Noises /
Clicking Noise
Why is My Car Make a Clicking Sound?
Introduction - READ COMPLETELY BEFORE BEGINNING
When a clicking noise is detected first locate the area of the car it is
being generated from. If the noise is being generated while you drive and you
are having a hard time detecting the location of the clicking, have a helper
ride along in the rear seat to give a new perspective on the origin of the
clicking noise. A clicking noise can be generated by many things, from low
engine oil level to loose lug nuts. Once a clicking sound has been detected
action must be prompt. Clicking in most cases is telling you something has
failed or is failing. There are some systems that make a clicking noise that is
natural and nothing to worry about, for example: fuel injectors, relays,
emergency flashers, turn signals and the air conditioner when you first turn it
on. These components make a natural click noise when operating. We have listed
the most common causes for a clicking noise below:
Clicking Noise
Car Clicking Repair Guide:
- Fan Blade Contacting the Shroud or the Fan Motor Has Failed:
To inspect an electric cooling fan start with ignition key
off, next spin the fan blade by hand, it should "freewheel" if the fan motor
does not spin freely it has failed and needs to be replaced. Next, check to
make sure the fan blade is not contacting the fan shroud, if so reposition
the fan motor to allow for more clearance and recheck operation. Use this
procedure to check a belt driven fan driven assembly as well.
Radiator Cooling Fan
- Loose Wheel Lug Nuts:
The lug nuts on your car are used to fasten the rim and tire to the axle. It is
recommended that the lug nuts are tightened to a specific manufacturer
torque specification. If these lug nuts
become or are left loose they can make a clicking noise while the car is in
motion. To check for this condition use a lug wrench equipped with the correct
size for your particular lug nut.
If the lug nuts are loose re-tighten as needed. (Note: if the lug nuts have been
loose for an extended amount of time it can damage the wheel
stud and/or rim. Check for damage and replace or repair as needed).
- Engine Making a Clicking Noise -
Check the engine oil level, your engine depends on clean engine oil to lubricate
the internal moving parts, if the engine oil level is low or the oil is dirty
it can cause internal engine parts to malfunction. For example: a valve lifter
is responsible for holding valve train clearance to a minimum, if the oil level
is low or dirty it can cause the lifter to malfunction which will allow excess
valve train clearance creating engine tapping or clicking noise. In extreme
cases or when your engine has run out or close to out it can cause one of the
many bearing surfaces to fail causing permanent engine damage and noise until
repairs have been made. If this condition is left unattended the engine will
suffer permanent damage and fail. If your engine is making a noise
change the engine oil and filter with the manufacturers recommended weight
(viscosity) oil first, if that does not make a difference engine repair work
is needed. Click for additional
engine noises.
Change Motor Oil and Oil Filter
- Loose Brake Caliper or Brake Pads: The
brake pads
and calipers are designed to slow the vehicle when applied. The brake caliper
holds these brake pads that are applied to the
brake rotor.
If the caliper is loose or if the brake pads are not fitted properly they will
make a clicking noise. To check for this condition inspect the brake caliper
mounting bolts and brake pad mounting. The brake pads should not move vertically.
If so the brake pad shims could have fallen out or the wrong brake pads are
installed.
How to Change Front Brake Pads and Rotors
- Checking Broken Accessory Brackets: The engine
accessories mounts are held in place on the engine using sheet metal mounts.
These mounts can crack causing a ticking noise. To check for this condition
remove the serpentine belt and start the engine if the noise is not present
inspect the accessory brackets. Look for any rust colored powder usually
located at the bolt holes or bends. This rust colored powder is indication of a
crack in the mount. The ticking noise is generated as the metal is stressed.
Repair or replace any broken mounts as needed.
- Checking Heater Vent Control Actuators: The heater and
air conditioning systems in your car use a electronic controller that moves
an air blend
door/mode door
inside the heater plenum. These doors are used to control the airflow to various
positions such as defrost, mi-level and floor positions. Blend doors also
control the air temperature as it changes from heater to air conditioner mode.
When blend door actuators fail they will make a clicking noise that is like a
small machine gun. Depending on the condition of the malfunction the actuator
can produce clicking noise for the duration that the ignition key is in the "on"
position, while other malfunctions will be produced for a short time, say 20
seconds. If this condition occurs the blend door actuator needs to be replaced.
-
Check for Compressor Clutch Engagement - Turn the air conditioner to
the "on" position and set controls to the coldest setting. Start the
engine and
allow to idle. Then open the hood and inspect the clutch at the front of the compressor,
is it turning? "Engaged" if so, the system has enough refrigerant to activate. If
the system is low on refrigerant it will not work properly. In this case an
air conditioner recharge
kit is needed to recharge the system. If the system is low on refrigerant it
could cycle on and off, making a ticking noise. If the compressor clutch is not turning
proceed to next step.
Air Conditioner Compressor
- Check Sway Bar Links/Connectors/Bushings. The sway bar on your
car is designed to stop the car from rolling (leaning) when
driven into a corner. This bar is attached to the frame on each side and
connected to each suspension control arm on both sides. To inspect sway bar
bushings for wear look for cracked bushings or missing link insulators. If
damage is observed replace the sway bar links with new and recheck system
replace as needed.
Sway Bar Link and Mount
-
Checking Front or Rear Strut Failure: Struts are created with hydraulic
dampening valves that can fail causing a clicking or popping noise. If strut
oil is leaking the shaft seal has failed and will cause a rattle or clicking
noise. To test for this condition disassemble strut assembly and check for excessive
strut movement, if strut is easily moved (low resistance) replacement is needed.
A spring compressor is required for disassembly.
Front Strut Leakage
-
Checking Front or Rear Shock Failure: Shocks are created with hydraulic
dampening valves much like struts and can fail causing a clicking or popping
noise. If shock oil is leaking the shaft seal has failed and will cause a rattle
or clicking noise. To test for this condition inspect shock assembly and check
for leakage, if shock is easily moved (low resistance) replacement is needed.
Rear Shock Leaking
- Testing Check Front Drive Axle CV Joints: When CV joints start to
wear they will bind up on acceleration and in
tight turns. This causes a vibration in the
front suspension that transfers to the vehicle. Remove drive axles and inspect
flexibility of each CV joint. If a bind or hard spot is observed the CV
Joint/Axle needs to be replaced.
Front Wheel Drive Axle
-
Drive Shaft U Joints: A driveshaft U joint is designed to act as a
rotating junction that can be flexible while still transferring energy from
the engine to the
rear differential.
A universal joint or U joint is constructed of 4 bearing caps that house
multiple needle bearings. The universal joint is lubricated by adding grease
through a zirk fitting on the joint. Some u joints are manufactured with a
proper amount of grease and do not need service and therefore do not have a
service fitting. If a universal joint fails it can make a clicking noise that
contours the motion
of
the car. This condition is most noticeable at very slow speeds, and fades at
higher speeds. To check for this condition inspect the U joint and look for a
light rust powder around the bearing cups. This rust colored powder is caused by
metal disintegrating and is a sign of universal joint failure. When a universal
joint has failed it must be replaced and cannot be repaired.
Universal or "U" Joint
-
Checking the Serpentine Belt Tensioner: If the belt is loose
it can cause the belt to produce a clicking noise due to the lack of pressure
needed for the belt to operate properly. The belt tensioner is responsible for
hold pressure on the belt using an idler pulley with a coil spring. Replacing
your car's multi rib belt or belt tensioner is relatively simple repair that
can be done in a few minutes with minor tools in most cases. Always wear protective
gloves and eyewear before you begin. To replace the belt or the belt tensioner
reference the "how to replace a drive belt" video below:
Drive Belt Tensioner (appearance will vary)
Change Multi Rib Belt Video
- Checking Axle Bearing Failure: An axle bearing is designed to support
the weight of the vehicle by allowing the wheels to rotate. These bearings are
manufactured with high grade steel that resists wear under extreme conditions.
When an axle bearing fails it allows metal to contact metal under pressure with
a linear motion creating a clicking noise. Remove axle bearing and replace with
new and recheck. Some vehicles are equipped with a bearing hub assembly. This
style of bearing is replaced by un-bolting the bearing hub assembly and replacing
it with new.
Axle Bearing Hub
-
Checking Clutch Noise: When your car is stopped or coming
to a stop the engine needs to be disconnected from the transmission or the engine
will stall. With
automatic transmission vehicles a
torque converter is used to separate the two units, but with
manual transmission vehicles a clutch assembly is used to do the job. This
clutch kit or unit is composed of a clutch disc, pressure plate, throw out and
pilot bearings. (Some front wheel drive vehicles do not use a pilot bearing).
Both types of vehicles use a flywheel but are designed a little differently.
An automatic transmission has a lighter weight unit that the torque converter
bolts directly to and is sometimes referred to as a flex plate. A manual transmission
flywheel assembly is made heavier to help engine inertia and to make shifting
smoother. The clutch pressure place bolts to the flywheel trapping the clutch
disc in-between. The throw out bearing presses against the pressure plate to
engage and release the disc. The pilot bearing is mounted in the flywheel and
holds the input shaft for the transmission steady. When a throw out, pilot,
or input shaft bearing starts to fail it can make a clicking noise that is audible
when the clutch pedal is pressed or released. If the clicking noise stops or
starts suspect these bearings.
Clutch and Flywheel Assembly (Cut Away)
- Check Exhaust System for Leaks: The exhaust system in
your car is designed to move exhaust gases the engine creates to the rear of
the car. If this system has small leaks it can cause to clicking noise,
especially if the leaks are near the front of the engine at the exhaust
manifold. Inspect the exhaust system for leak be looking for any flat black
soot, this is a sign the system is leaking. Repair as needed to recheck
system.
Exhaust Manifold
- Rapid Ticking Noise When Engine is Cranked Over: A
common problem with a car battery is low voltage. As a battery ages it loses
the ability to store electricity resulting in an insufficient flow of
electrical energy to the starter. The starter is designed to operate on a
high amperage 12 volt system. When a starter is subjected to low voltage or
amperage (flow) it will cause the starter to engage and disengage rapidly
producing the machine gun like sound. To fix this problem a battery
inspection or replacement is needed. There are two reasons that a battery
will not perform as it should, either the alternator has failed allowing the
battery's state of charge to become weak or the battery has failed and
replacement is required. More:
Rapid ticking noise when engine is cranked over
- Checking Ignition System: The ignition system in your car ignites the fuel inside the
engine's combustion chamber at the optimal time in the
piston stroke to produce the most power while emitting the least amount of
emissions as possible. There are many configurations of ignition systems but
all operate on the same principle, create a low energy field and collapse it
onto a high energy coil and that transfers the electrical energy into the
secondary ignition system, i.e. coil wire, distributor cap and rotor (if
equipped) plug wires and finally the spark plug. If the ignition system is
failing it can cause an electrical charge to jump from the system to ground
producing a clicking noise. Inspect system and repair as needed. Also a
loose spark plug can cause a click noise while the engine is running. Locate
the spark plug in question and tighten as needed.
For manufacturer specific procedures for any of the steps above please visit
our car repair
manual page.
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