Is250 Engine Ticking

[bostonguylost]

I just recently bought an IS250 after doing much research on this vehicle and it's competition. Howvere a few days after i purchased it, i noticed that when idling in my garage with the windows down that my engine ticked pretty noticeably. I brought my car in to have my plates installed and asked about this ticking and was told "it's a characteristic of this model". Has anyone else heard this? Do your IS250's tick as well? I think it's VERY annoying and have already had to explain it to friends and it leaves them walking away shaking their heads. I may go to another dealership to see what they think but has anyone else had this?

[RFeldes]

"BS" to your Dealer or car lot. I'm assuming you purchased "used" If it's new, then no way would I accept that. If it's used.... Poor maintenance by previous owner, as far a oil change interval or a loose or bad plug wire. Which can be checked by looking under the hood in a pitch black garage at night for arcing. Of course with the garage door open. :whistles: If it's not a plug wire, run a high detergent oil for 1k miles then see what comes out in the next oil change. If it's black do it again for another 1k miles then change again to a 50/50 mix of oil/synthetic for another 3k miles then 100% Mobil 1 every 5K miles. Change the filter every time.

[Rx330driver]

eh rfeldes, this has been mentioned many times on the IS forum, and its actually just a simple problem. And the solution is that there is none. It is the direct injectors and every new IS250/350 has this. Check the IS forum and do a little search, many people have complained

[bartkat]

"BS" to your Dealer or car lot. I'm assuming you purchased "used" If it's new, then no way would I accept that. If it's used.... Poor maintenance by previous owner, as far a oil change interval or a loose or bad plug wire. Which can be checked by looking under the hood in a pitch black garage at night for arcing. Of course with the garage door open.:whistles: If it's not a plug wire, run a high detergent oil for 1k miles then see what comes out in the next oil change. If it's black do it again for another 1k miles then change again to a 50/50 mix of oil/synthetic for another 3k miles then 100% Mobil 1 every 5K miles. Change the filter every time.

New IS has only been out for 6 months. All the engines make the same sound as explained above by Rx330driver.

[RFeldes]

OOPS!!! Sorry wasn't aware the 250 was a time bomb. :chairshot: Thanks for the clarification. ;)

[DMR88]

Is this problem also in the 2008 models? I just bought mine not too long ago....

[CrunchySkippy]

Is this problem also in the 2008 models? I just bought mine not too long ago....

To my knowledge, there were no mechanical revisions to the 2008 engines. And technically, the ticking is not indicative of a "problem" but merely an audible result of the direct injection.

By the way, kudos for finding this older thread - presumably by using the "Search" function!

[Knightshade]

Is this problem also in the 2008 models? I just bought mine not too long ago....

To my knowledge, there were no mechanical revisions to the 2008 engines. And technically, the ticking is not indicative of a "problem" but merely an audible result of the direct injection.

By the way, kudos for finding this older thread - presumably by using the "Search" function!

yeah, as they say in software, it's not a problem, it's a feature :)

(and it's on every direct injection engine in the world, not just the 2IS)

[vgonzalez06]

yeah mine does that too. its barely noticeable. no reason to get panties bunched up. It actually sounds kinda cool

[smooth1]

The high pressure fuel pump mounted on the valve cover (cam lobe driven) makes a loud ticking. The high pressure injectors also make a more obvious click than standard injectors.

Gas engines work by pulling a mixture of fuel and air into a cylinder, compressing it with a piston, and igniting it with a spark that results in an explosion that drives the piston downwards, producing power. Traditional fuel injection systems pre-mix the gasoline and air in a chamber just outside the cylinder called the intake manifold. In a direct-injection system, the air and gasoline are not pre-mixed, air comes in via the intake manifold, while the gasoline is injected directly into the cylinder.

Advantages of direct fuel injection

Combined with ultra-precise computer management, direct injection allows more precise control over fuel metering (the amount of fuel injected) and injection timing (exactly when the fuel is introduced into the cylinder).

The location of the injector also allows for a more optimal spray pattern that breaks the gasoline up into smaller droplets. The result is more complete combustion -- in other words, more power from each drop of gasoline. Also in light load conditions it can help lean out the mixture better, and during heavy acceleration, it can spary the fuel in later during the compression stroke to better disperse the fuel and optimize power delivery.

Disadvantages of direct fuel injection

The primary disadvantages of direct injection engines are complexity and cost. Direct injection systems are more expensive to build because their components must be more rugged -- they handle fuel at significantly higher pressures than indirect injection systems and the injectors themselves must be able to withstand the heat and pressure of combustion inside the cylinder.

How much more powerful and efficient is direct injection?

Cadillac sells the CTS with both indirect and direct injection versions of its 3.6 liter V6 engine. The indirect engine produces 263 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque, while the direct version develops 304 hp and 274 lb-ft. Despite the additional power, EPA fuel economy estimates for the direct injection engine are 1 MPG higher in the city (18 MPG vs 17 MPG) and equal on the highway. All the major car mfgrs are now looking at direct injection, and should be coming on board over the next few years. Ford has already announced a direct fuel injection system for the F-150 and a turbo charged version with direct injection also.

Diesels and direct fuel injection

Virtually all diesel engines use direct fuel injection. However, because diesels use a different process to combust their fuel (gasoline engines compress a mixture of gasoline and air and ignite it with a spark; diesels compress air only, then spray in fuel which is ignited by the heat and pressure), their injection systems differ in design and operation from gasoline direct fuel injection systems.