:( sad face

[94Dailyz28]

My RPM is dancing between 500 and 800 at idle, and Just now i hear a ticking and open cut out sound coming from the passenger side? makes me scared to accelerate cause thats when the noise is louder.
Any idea what could be wrong? I'll try and get sound video on it tomorrow, this scares me :(

[bidicamaro]

Spark knock?

[edcmat-l1]

Sounds like the exhaust come loose under the car.

[chevy42083]

That's what I was thinking... but the dancing idle kinda threw me.
But yeah... incase you didn't know... exhaust leaks tick ;)

[Fastbird]

Sounds like the exhaust come loose under the car.


That's what I was thinking... but the dancing idle kinda threw me.
But yeah... incase you didn't know... exhaust leaks tick ;)

Sound to me like it. Exhaust comes loose, throws O2 way off, you start getting idling and other issues.

[Hot94Z28]

Do you have headers? If you have stock manifolds it seem they have a tendency to sheer the back bolt off and cause a exhaust leak. Mine did that then found that I was not the only one with that problem.

[MEAN LT1]

Sound to me like it. Exhaust comes loose, throws O2 way off, you start getting idling and other issues.

Agreed.

[bidicamaro]

Sound to me like it. Exhaust comes loose, throws O2 way off, you start getting idling and other issues.

Hey now, didn't even think of that... yer so smart... :hail:

[94Dailyz28]

No headers car is stock besides exhaust. So driving it wont hurt my car or will it?

[krayzie7th]

could be some lose rockers they tick too.

[boosted95z]

Or a burnt plug wire, but you would notice a dramatic loss in performance.

[94Dailyz28]

I notice a nice loss in power.. :(

Again is it safe to drive?

[94Dailyz28]

Anyone got a ball park figure of how much i might spend on getting the exhaust fixed/major tune up?

[Masoch]

If the car is dancing at idle first you need to determine if this happens when its hot or cold.

Then open your ears and really listen for that noise, there is a possibility that it is a rocker but that seems like a low possibility to me and fouled O2's/loose exhaust seems like your issue. I'd just get a ballpark idea of where its coming from on the engine.

If the car idles shittily/loses power when its hot but not when its cold, I would be tempted to say an O2 is to blame. If its an all the time thing AND you notice a loss in power, your problem may very well be elsewhere.

My first guess past the O2 for something like this would be spark related; check plugs/wires, maybe pull a plug and see if its got any crud/soot on it. If you see any obvious fraying on your wires that may very well be your issue as well. Another way to check for that is to run the car in the pitch darkness, you should be getting a little bit of a lightshow from the wires.

If none of the above yield any results, then your issue may be more serious and I would certainly get it to a shop.


Just my .02 hope it helps a bit.

[94Dailyz28]

If the car is dancing at idle first you need to determine if this happens when its hot or cold.

Then open your ears and really listen for that noise, there is a possibility that it is a rocker but that seems like a low possibility to me and fouled O2's/loose exhaust seems like your issue. I'd just get a ballpark idea of where its coming from on the engine.

If the car idles shittily/loses power when its hot but not when its cold, I would be tempted to say an O2 is to blame. If its an all the time thing AND you notice a loss in power, your problem may very well be elsewhere.

My first guess past the O2 for something like this would be spark related; check plugs/wires, maybe pull a plug and see if its got any crud/soot on it. If you see any obvious fraying on your wires that may very well be your issue as well. Another way to check for that is to run the car in the pitch darkness, you should be getting a little bit of a lightshow from the wires.

If none of the above yield any results, then your issue may be more serious and I would certainly get it to a shop.


Just my .02 hope it helps a bit.

I forsure know i need to get a tune up /exhaust done.
I wish i could do all this work myself would be fun :(.
Well it looses power period right now :( so i need to get to the bottom of this

[Masoch]

I forsure know i need to get a tune up /exhaust done.
I wish i could do all this work myself would be fun :(.
I'm going to aim for a video right now hopefully i can


Video is not a bad idea at all.

However, my understanding is a loss of power/unhappy idling should not occur on stock parts/tune unless there is an issue. I think you already stated the car only has a catback? You've certainly got a problem other than the tune if thats all your mods, stock PCM(usually) knows best when shit is stock anyways.

I would go through the shit I talked about in my first post, check wires/plugs and then also diagnose whether the problem is occuring the entire time or just when the car is warm/cold. Hell getting underneath the car and seeing if you can't hear a "..ssssss.." noise or feel exhaust blowing underneath it isn't a bad idea either.

As I said if the problem is occuring the whole time and the plugs are fine/wires are not burnt than your problem lies elsewhere and I'd get it to a shop to have it looked at, unless you can get any other ideas.

[AChotrod]

Does the sound come from the engine, Valve covers, or near the engine/ exhaust.

If its the engine, could be a dead plug or blown motor, bearings, piston or piston ring let go. If its the front of the engine your water pump might be shot.

If its coming from the valve cover could be broken spring ,loose rocker , bent pushrod.

Hope its coming from the outside of the engine wich would also lead me to beleive its an exhaust leak and the o2 are reading way off.

Take a pc of hose and use it like a stethascope(sp?) to try and pin point where the sound is coming from.

If it still has the stock manifolds I doubt its a bad/burnt plug wire maybe a bad plug.
Good luck!!!

[94Dailyz28]

Just turned it on and looked where the sound was. Saw a little dancing light show in one of the wires towards the bottom of passenger side. I think it's the heads?
It's loud right there like it's a whole nother exhaust by passenger side of the core, front of engine can hear it from underneath

[AChotrod]

Its Shot plug wire if you can see it arching.

[94Dailyz28]

Its Shot plug wire if you can see it arching.
How much would i be looking to pay for that? seems like every shop around me is trying to get more money for little jobs.
One shop tried to sell me pipes saying "yeah it was made for your z71" which immediately let me know he's no good.

[Masoch]

Just turned it on and looked where the sound was. Saw a little dancing light show in one of the wires towards the bottom of passenger side. I think it's the heads?
It's loud right there like it's a whole nother exhaust by passenger side of the core, front of engine can hear it from underneath


The light show indicates that one of your plug wires is bad, thats probably where your loss of power is coming from, so now you know what to do there.

However, that noise you're talking about perplexes me. Let me see if I grasp this, there is a loud noise coming from the passenger side head towards the exhaust manifold where the bad plug wire is connecting? Or inside the valve cover? That plug wire lighting up like that means its probably misfiring like a bitch anyways, perhaps thats it. I hope so!

Either way, if this thing is daily driven you need to keep your foot off the gas and drive it carefully.

Now that you have to replace your plug wires I recommend getting 'er done right and heading here:

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog/?action=vshop&vid=4&pcid=104

The very first one, "LT1 Spark Plug Wire Kit" - getting over the valve cover wires is going to make your life easier in the future, especially if another issue occurs or you get headers.

I won't lie to you getting those put on is going to cost you a pretty penny, but paying out now will seriously save you headache later. Not to mention give your engine bay that look I'm sure you want.

[94Dailyz28]

Yes the noise is coming from over by the left valve cover
It's like a glug glug glug, i wish i had a video recorder by me :\

[Masoch]

Unless you had a bitchin' camera I bet it'd just be a conglomerate of noise unless its extremely loud.

I say get that bitch to a shop, have that noise checked into. They'll of course try to change your plug wires, I stay by recommendation of going with over-the-valve-cover wires. See what they'll charge for actually doing that for you, rofl.