Help!! 98 A4 2.8 Weird TICKING noise from engine after 5 mins drive

[tonygump]

I am a newbie here~~~ My car is a 1998 (B5) Audi A4 Quattro 30V V6 2.8 MANUAL... The mileage is only 75k.

The problem is:
Everything is fine when I start the car. After driving for about 5 minutes, there is little ticking noise (like "Ke le Ke Le") coming from the front of the car.

An odd tick-tick sound can be heard above approximately 1000rpm. Please refer to the video below for detail.


I am sorry that the weird noise is hard to hear due to the load engine sound. Please pay attention to 20 secs when the rpm is decreasing..

Any one has some ideas?? Cam tensioner?? EVAP Purge Valve?? Herter Core?? Any comments will be appreciated!! Thank you!
BTW, I am gonna to change the timing belt since the car is around 75k. What do you think? May be I will change the tensioner to see if it is the problem.
I tried to make one from under the hood. However, the sound from engine is too noisy so that the weird ticking noise cannot be heard......

[Turbo Nerd]

Do you have any codes? Usually if the cam tensioner is bad/faulty then it will throw a code for cam position sensor (like I said usually may or may not). I'd say the sound is def something from your valve train (could be wrong but that's what it sounds like to me), it's just really hard being across the internet to pinpoint exactly whats wrong or where the noise is coming from.

[themadscientist]

Hmm, that's a new one for me. It almost sounded like it was inside the cabin. Will it reproduce this sound if you're not driving but reving when parked?

[Turbo Nerd]

Very tough to determine without physically being there.

[tonygump]

Yes. Actually, the video is taking when parked and I was just reving. Also, the sound exists when driving.
Someone said it might be the problem of EGR vacuum regulator soleniod valve. What do you think? Thank you in advance.

Hmm, that's a new one for me. It almost sounded like it was inside the cabin. Will it reproduce this sound if you're not driving but reving when parked?

[themadscientist]

Pop the hood and have a friend rev it so you can get a better idea of where the sound is coming from. Once you narrow it down, improvise a stethescope ( I use my 4 foot 3/8" ratchet extension a lot) to start listening to components.

[somebody5788]

Kinda pissed I'm not the mad scientist..............

It's really difficult to hear in the video.

I don't believe it's the purge valves as it typically clicks at idle and that's it's normal operation.

Check your oil if you haven't. But it's probably going to be a chain tensioner.

[themadscientist]

Kinda pissed I'm not the mad scientist..............

lol wut?

[somebody5788]

lol wut?

its a good username lol

[themadscientist]

I regretted it after someone pointed out it was a nick name for the skinny kid in F&F

[djgoldeneye]

i am having that same problem. when i drive beside another car (the car on being on the left) i hear a ticking sound and it gets louder if i accelerate. for me it doesnt make the sound when its idle and its being reved. also having a problem with the oil light coming on and beeping then it goes off and returns.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Turbo Nerd]

^ either low on oil or you have buildup on on your oil pick up screen.

[somebody5788]

I regretted it after someone pointed out it was a nick name for the skinny kid in F&F

I think it would be funny having that name because of that.

[tonygump]

Hey guys, I have the timing belt kit changed. The problem seems to be solved. However, new problem came out after mechanics finishing the job:

I start the car, and the yellow ABS light went on, it beeped and the red brake light started flashing. The mechanics tried to read the code and it shows that "cannot communicate with the module“. I was asked about 700 to fix the dead ABS control unit..
That's toooooo expensive. My questions is:

1. Is it caused by changing the timing belt or state inspection (they may inspect the brake...) that make some of the sensors loose??
2. If it is the problem of dead abs control module (I found that it is a common problem). Is there a way to do it by myself? Remove it, have it rebuilt, and install it again.

However, after driving several times. The light is currently off (both the ABS and the flashing brake)... Weird... Anyone could help?? Thank you!!

[RickyCastro]

Oh man.
I joined the club
http://youtu.be/9zpK_-eCxAs

[FNK]

I never got this problem that bad, but I had it.
There some sludge build up in the heads and oil doesn't flow as it should. The hydraulic lifters are starving.
I used a product called Rislone (AutoRx will also do the job) and it slowly remove the sludge.
After a fresh oil change, add the product and if the oil become dark quicker than usual, you have/had a sludge problem.

Now if your sound got away, maybe your timing belt skipped a notch!? So the valves where out of sync. Also a 30v will make more noise than the 24v

As for the ABS light... I suspect your mechanic might have f***ed up something or disconnected a connector.

[tonygump]

Very good suggestion. I will add Risolone next time...
I do think it is the mechanic that messed up something. I may talk with them later. Could you give me some suggestion what might be the problem? Because the light came off sometime. And then come back now! May be it will be off later... There might be some connector loose? If it is the dead module, it should keep the light on. Am I right?

Another question, I also asked the mechanics to fix the cruise control problem with they change the timing belt. They claimed that they changed a new cruise control switch and fixed it. However, I tested it today and it does not work. Is it disabled by the dead ABS control module? Thank you.

I never got this problem that bad, but I had it.
There some sludge build up in the heads and oil doesn't flow as it should. The hydraulic lifters are starving.
I used a product called Rislone (AutoRx will also do the job) and it slowly remove the sludge.
After a fresh oil change, add the product and if the oil become dark quicker than usual, you have/had a sludge problem.

Now if your sound got away, maybe your timing belt skipped a notch!? So the valves where out of sync. Also a 30v will make more noise than the 24v

As for the ABS light... I suspect your mechanic might have f***ed up something or disconnected a connector.

[FNK]

Well ask for more precision on what they changed. The ''module'' should appear on the paper. If it's not precise enaugh, call them and ask them, it's in their system.