Q: My 2004 toyota solara has a ticking or clicking sound I can hear from both inside and outside the car

asked by on June 02, 2017

My 2004 toyota solara v4 sle has a ticking or clicking sound I have been hearing for the past month. I have found it annoying and have pinpointed where it's near I'm just not too sure if it's on the inside of the car, or on the outside behind the engine near the pcv valve. From the inside of the car it's coming from behind and kind of underneath the passenger glove compartment. But when i open the hood i hear it coming somewhere near the back of the engine close to the pcv valve.

My car has 123771 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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What you are describing sounds like the noise associated with lack of lubrication in the valve train. In the mornings or when the engine is cold, the oil has had the chance, due to gravity to drain back down into the oil pan. When you start the engine when it is cold, this can produce a ticking sound as you describe. This happens as the various valve train components are moving without oil initially. As the engine warms up and oil circulates back up to the top of the motor where the valve train components are and they begin to be come better lubricated oil, the ticking sound should become lighter and eventually go away. I would recommend getting a fresh oil change which should help clear this up. Fresh oil will help remove any sludge that may also contribute to any potential lack of oil circulation. Use the sound as a guide for future oil changes and if this does not clear up or gets any worse, this could be something to be concerned about and should be looked at by a mechanic.

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