Ticking sound only when first starting to drive

2006 RAM 1500
85,000 MILES • 5.7L • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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BENLEE1199
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When first starting to drive, there is a light ticking sound from the engine, but it only lasts for about ten to fifteen seconds and then goes away completely and does not come back no matter the length of the trip. It does not do this 100% of the time, but at least 50%, and it is most likely to make this sound in the morning when the engine is cold, but it has also happened in the middle of the day when the engine may still be a little warm, but not as likely. It never make the sound at idle, even if the engine is revved up, whether in park or neutral. It only makes the sound when starting to actually drive, and the sound goes away completely after ten to fifteen seconds of driving.

To describe the sound itself a little further, it is a fairly light ticking sound, and it sounds like it may be coming from the right side of the engine (when sitting in the vehicle). I have not been able to hear this sound with the hood popped since it will only make the sound when driving.

The ticking sound seems similar to valve tap, but not sure if could be the valves since the ticking sound is not heard at idle, and the fact that the sound goes away completely after a few seconds of initial driving. One other thing is that it is a "new" sound in that it is not a sound that is heard lightly at idle and then becomes louder when driving, rather, it is a new sound that appears very briefly and then quickly goes away for the duration of the drive.

Thank you for any input that you can give!

Ben
Apr 4, 2018 at 6:32 AM
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STRAILER
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Hello,

The first thing that comes to mind is oil change have you done one recently and if so what kind of oil did you use?

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-change-engine-oil-and-filter

It would help if you could get a video of the noise and upload it here so I can hear what is going on.

Please let us know.

Cheers, Ken
Apr 5, 2018 at 12:16 PM
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BENLEE1199
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It has probably been four or five months since I have changed the oil. I do not put very many miles on it, so I change it five months or so, on average. I just put in the weight that is shown on the oil cap, which is 5w-20. It has about 85,000 miles on it. Should I consider a different weight, or synthetic oil?

I once put in 5w-30 by accident a year or so ago, and did not realize it until my next oil change, but it has the correct 5w-20 in it now. Could that have anything to do with it?

Thanks again for your input on this. I really appreciate it!
Ben
Apr 5, 2018 at 1:04 PM
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CARADIODOC
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Hi guys. You might consider opening the hood and standing by the right side, then have a helper start the engine when it is cold. Have him do a light "brake stand" to put a load on the engine. If you hear the noise, but it slowly goes away, it is possible there is a leak in the exhaust system. That can cause a ticking noise and you will only hear it under load. An exhaust manifold could be expanding as it heats up, and that can help it seal and stop the noise from occurring. Limit the accelerator to less than 1/4-throttle. That will be more than enough to hear an exhaust leak.

If the tapping is oil-related, you should hear it on both sides of the engine. If it appears to be exhaust-related, do the brake stand again after the engine cools down for an hour, but do it in "reverse". If the noise is the same in "drive" and "reverse", suspect a leak where the exhaust manifold bolts to the cylinder head. If the noise is much louder or much quieter in "reverse", a better suspect is where the exhaust pipe bolts to the outlet of the exhaust manifold. That connection will shift as the engine tries to lift on one side during the brake stand.
Apr 5, 2018 at 4:02 PM
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STRAILER
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Good addition Caradiodoc. The different oil lights should not matter i would try a heavier weight next time. Is there a chance you can shoot a video of the noise?

As you can tell it is a little tough to judge a noise. Please let us know. You can upload the video here in your response.
Apr 6, 2018 at 11:01 AM
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BENLEE1199
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I have been trying to get a video/sound clip of the engine noise, but each time I try there is too much wind or other noise to hear it on the video, even though when the engine does make the noise there is no problem hearing it in person. I will keep trying to get a video since I would really love to get your input on it!

As far as trying a heavier oil on my next oil change, which weight would you recommend?

Also, on a completely different note, since I first posted this question there is a different noise that I started hearing, which is a single loud knock that sounds like it is coming from the very bottom of the dash in front of your feet, and it only makes this loud bump when first turning on the A/C. It does not matter if the car is moving or in park, but it does it within fifteen to thirty seconds of turning on the A/C. I was able to capture this sound on video, so I attached a clip, and you will hear the knock at the end of the video. It will not knock again for the entire rest of the drive, just once shortly after you turn it on.

Any ideas on this one?
Thank you!
Video (Click to enlarge)
Attached Media
May 2, 2018 at 7:29 AM
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BENLEE1199
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I attached a video for the ticking sound discussed in this thread, and I think the sound has either changed in the past two weeks, or I am hearing it differently, but it is still a fast "ticking" sound, but now I am hearing a bit of a "chirp" along with the tick. The video clip is very short, and you can only hear the ticking/chirping for about one second right when I am passing by a car and the sound is reflecting off of it, but it is at four seconds in the video.
Video (Click to enlarge)
Attached Media
May 3, 2018 at 6:21 AM
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BENLEE1199
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Here is a longer video and it is hard to hear the ticking/chirping noise in this one as well, but you can hear it briefly at about twenty one seconds in the video.
Video (Click to enlarge)
Attached Media
May 3, 2018 at 6:28 AM
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STEVE W.
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To get a better recording pull up beside a building and use it to bounce the sound back or open the hood and record it right from the engine. If you open the hood you can also move the camera to each side slowly.
May 4, 2018 at 2:46 PM
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BENLEE1199
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Unfortunately, it will only make the noise when driving for the first thirty seconds or so, but it will not make the noise at idle, so I am not able to record the sound with the hood open. But I will try to record it while driving beside a long building. I think I have to be going at least twenty mph or so for it to make the sound.
May 4, 2018 at 2:52 PM
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STEVE W.
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Does it make the noise every time you start out or is it only on the first start of the day? Does anything seem to change it like turning on the heat or AC or if you steer the car back/forth?
May 6, 2018 at 2:09 PM
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BENLEE1199
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It is most likely to happen for the first drive of the day, but it will still sometimes make the noise even when the engine is not completely cold, in between drives. I have not been able to notice anything that will specifically make the noise appear. It will make the noise with the A/C and heater off, and it will make the noise without turning the wheel, but maybe I could try doing those things while it is making the noise to see if it changes at all.

Thanks
May 7, 2018 at 6:29 AM
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STEVE W.
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Does it make any difference if the truck has been idling to warm up or do you start it and start driving? It is possible it is oil related, what oil/filter is in/on it at the moment. When was the last oil change?
May 8, 2018 at 10:39 AM
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BENLEE1199
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I do not usually let it warm up, but even if it gets a few minutes of warm up it will still make the sound once you start driving, but only for the first few seconds. I am pretty sure I have a Mopar filter in there right now and Mobil 1 - 5w 20, and it has probably been four to five thousand miles since I changed it last. I have checked the oil a few times since the last change to make sure I am not low or black, but it is probably time for me to change it.

By the way, I tried to get another video/sound clip again yesterday and drove alongside a long building hoping that the sound would bounce off of it, and it was making the ticking sound at the time, but the video would not pick it up for some reason, so I guess the best representation I can get of the sound is in the previous two videos that I posted above. Even though the ticking/chirping sound is very brief in the video, just imagine that sound is not cutting in and out, but continuous for the first thirty seconds or so of driving.

Thanks for your input.
May 9, 2018 at 6:59 AM
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BENLEE1199
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Just came across this video on YouTube of someone recording the ticking sound of their Dodge Ram with a Hemi and this is almost exactly what mine sounds like. But in my case it does not make this sound at idle, only when just beginning to drive for a few seconds before it goes away. I noticed in the YouTube comments some suggested that it may be the check valve of the oil filter, and several suggested the exhaust manifold bolts, which would be along the lines of what CARADIODOC suggested above about it possibly being an exhaust leak of some kind.

Again, just to be clear, this video is not of my truck, and my truck does not make the sound at idle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBmdbf7cD78&t=0s&index=151&list=WL

Thanks!
May 9, 2018 at 8:46 AM
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STRAILER
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This sounds like a loose spark plug or an exhaust leak the key will be to use a one inch diameter hose about three feet long and while the engine is making the noise put one end of the hose to your ear and the other use to located the noise you should be able to pin point the source of the noise to confirm the issue.
May 9, 2018 at 1:39 PM
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BENLEE1199
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Ken, just to clarify, are you saying the YouTube video sounds like the issues you mentioned, or the sound in my two video clips that I attached or both? Thanks!
May 9, 2018 at 2:38 PM
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STEVE W.
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The problem of an exhaust leak is that it would make the noise as soon as you started it up and you would hear it at idle.
Try this. Open the hood. Start the engine, step hard on the brake and shift into gear. Hold the brake and step down a bit on the gas. Can you hear the noise? Try reverse as well, anything either way? Have someone watch the engine as well. Does it move a lot?
May 9, 2018 at 6:13 PM
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BENLEE1199
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Steve, I checked the truck the way you described. Cold engine, started it up, foot on brake, put it in drive and pressed the gas and did get the ticking sound somewhat light. Then put it in reverse and pressed the gas again and the ticking sound was a little louder. Put it back in drive again and pressed the gas one more time, but the ticking sound was gone by then. I also watched the engine as the gas was pressed, but it did not seem to move much and seemed normal to me.
May 22, 2018 at 7:24 AM
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If the spark plugs are tight I am thinking cracked flex plate can cause the noise. You can get the noise to change by putting the car in gear which says flex plate.
May 22, 2018 at 10:49 AM
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BENLEE1199
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Thanks Ken. I started to check the spark plugs last night, but it got too late and I had to quit for the night.

As far as the flex plate possibility, that would make sense because of the fact that the ticking does not occur in park or neutral, but would it be normal for the ticking sound to go away after less than a minute of driving if the issue was the flex plate?
May 22, 2018 at 1:04 PM
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STRAILER
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It can yes. I would put the car up on a rack and listen to the noise from under the car to confirm. Can you take another video as well?
May 23, 2018 at 10:29 AM
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BENLEE1199
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Okay, now that I have another specific area to check, I will listen at the transmission and take another video as well.

As far as the exhaust leak possibility, I saw a couple YouTube videos about hooking up the end of a shop vacuum to the tail pipe with duct tape, putting the shop vacuum hose on the "blow" side, and then listening and feeling for air coming out of any exhaust connections. Is this an okay way to check for exhaust leaks?
May 23, 2018 at 10:35 AM
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STRAILER
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Yes, it is called a smoke test which injects smoke into the system and watch for leaks. If you can get some pictures or a video and upload here.
May 23, 2018 at 10:56 AM
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STEVE W.
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When you use the shop vacuum that way a quick way to look for leaks is to spray the area with a soap and water solution. Then watch for bubbles. Just be sure to do this on a cold engine. If you try it on one that is even a bit warm you could miss the leak if it goes away with a temperature increase.
May 23, 2018 at 12:54 PM