Exhaust ticks and pings and other noises
 

My first post so go easy.. I recently purchased a 2000 S w/ 30,000 miles and it runs, drives and thrills like no other...BUT when I turn the car off it pings and ticks and makes some very annoying and loud noises. I did some searching and there was an old post by kiwiinneworleans in July 04 so I know that the noises are from the exhaust system cooling (also confirmed by the local Porsche dealer). Is there anything you can do to stop/reduce it? It fricken sucks to park you car and have people wonder "what's wrong with your car dude?".

No one should be asking "what's wrong with your car" - dude or otherwise. All vehicles do this to some degree as the metal cools. A rear or mid-engined car is just going to be more noticeable since the exhaust exits much hotter than on a front engined vehicle (not as far to go). Plus, all of your exhaust equipment (header, cats, muffler, etc) are right near each other. A front engine car spaces that out.

If anyone asks - just tell them "Dude, that's what a REAL sports car sounds like!"

Easy fix... just take off your exhaust.

Easier fix - don't drive it....

thanks for the advice....I think I will stick to the "Dude, thats what a REAL sports car sounds like!"...

My car also makes the pinging/ticking cooling sounds after it is fully warmed up and idling. Should this be happening when the car is still on?

Metal expands when heated - contracts when cooling. So the short answer is yes.

The first thing to remember is that you're hearing/experiencing a lot of stuff with the top down that you'd never notice in a coupe or sedan. I used to freak out in my Jeep (top and doors off) because I all of a sudden smelled frying brakes or burning oil. It's never been me (although it's always good to make sure you didn't drive off with the parking brake engaged) - but with the top down you catch whiffs of that stuff.

I think you'll also notice that once the car has been run for awhile you won't hear as many ticks as it sits at a light.

Relax.