[wmjosiah]

Hi all,
As the subject says, I'm suddenly getting a loud ticking - sounds like a plastic fan hitting its shroud, or maybe electrical arcing, or vaguely like lifter tap, but not really, off-throttle only, and only when hot - the car is silent when cold, runs and idles smooth and quiet. When the car has warmed up - usually around 15-20 minutes of driving, the problem starts, intermittently at first, and then reliably and repeatably after about half an hour. The minute you get back on throttle or above 2600rpm it stops. If I let off the throttle at say 3100rpm, the second it gets to 2600rpm the noise starts, and if I get back on throttle, it goes away again immediately. It's exactly in time with the RPMs - gets slower as revs drop etc.

This started after a hard rainstorm. I got a P1341. I took apart the bank 1 VarioCam connector and cleaned it. Cleared the code. Code did not come back. Ticking problem went away. Drove it for a few days, then took it through a carwash and the ticking problem reappeared immediately after getting out of the carwash, but no code. It's been about 1000 miles now and I have no new codes. We hooked up a Snap-On computer to it while driving it, and the timing claims to be in spec and I have no misfires on any cylinders. If this noise was not happening, I wouldn't know there was anything wrong. The car runs strong, idles smooth, runs up to redline eagerly like normal, is getting the same gas mileage as usual.

I checked my coils. #2 had a large crack in it and the others were all cracked at least somewhat. They look original. I replaced #2 with the Beru replacement that's recommended (and did all my plugs while I was at it), then discovered it was an updated part so I ordered the other five and will be installing them Monday, but I think this is irrelevant.

Any ideas? I searched the forums and couldn't find anything that sounded like this problem. Thanks in advance.