I also have a 96 ES300. It has been very hard to find anything about it. Always 97 and up, occasionally a 92 or something. It has a ticking noise as well that also picks up with the RPMs. I ran a scan on her with a personal scanner, got back 2 to 3, maybe 4 codes, stating issues with the EGR and exhaust recirculation systems. Could this have anything to do with or contribute to the tapping and/or vice versa? I'm no mechanic but I can keep a car going, don't need a college degree to reverse engineer. Its basic bolts, nuts, screws, hoses, etc.. Not familiar with foreign, my first foreign model. Really different!! But she also has 287k miles. She's in good mechanical shape for that age and has a lot of sentimental value! So much so i will not sell it for less than 2x the Blue Book, also I absolutely fell in love with this car! Any advice or knowledge it greatly appreciated!
