Tick when idle could be almost anything from a bearing in an idler going bad to a sticking lifter or something else. Sounds are generally the worst things to diagnose unless you are right at the vehicle. Normally there are a couple ways to track it down using simple tools. One involves a length of stiff hose like garden hose or similar, don't use solid pipe though. For that one you hold one end tight to an ear and then move the other end around listening for the sound to get louder, then keep going to trace it as close as possible, then a visual inspection in that area. The other is to use a simple mechanics stethoscope and use that to probe around the engine and listen for the sound to get louder. This method lets you listen to things like bearings and rotating parts to see if the ticking is internal. With both of them you can usually narrow down the sound pretty quick. Then you can determine the next step based on where the sound is. However just to check, I would pull the dip stick and check the oil level first, just in case.
Image (Click to make bigger)
Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 AT 7:37 PM
