I notice that when I accelerate, I hear a slight knocking, ticking noise but then can barely hear it at high speeds and also when it is idling..I talked to my mechanic and he says it could either be the injectors or exhaust leak..also I notice some days it sounds like its "missing" and other days it doesnt..can anyone help?

 

Injector noise is not very loud. The ticking you hear could be due to an exhaust leak, too much valve clearance (bad lifter or bad adjustment), or a spark plug wire arching to ground.

 

so how do I know whats causing the exhaust leaks, how do I pinpoint them..ive had this ticking for about 3 or 4 months now and doesnt affect the car at all just the ticking noise thats all..also, how are the spark plug wires arched?? any info would be greatly appreciated plus I am somewhat mechanically inclined and would like to save money then bring it to a mechanic..

 

First off do you have a check engine light on? If so, get the codes from Autozone.

Second, the easiest way to pinpoint an exhaust leak is to spray some throttlebody cleaner in the throttlebody with the car off. Wait 10mins and start the car. Look for the white smoke.

Third, when's the last time you did a tune-up? Spark plug change, PCV valve, oil change, air filter? I'd take out one of the plugs and see if it's fouled up.

 

Arching is when the spark jumps from the wire to ground before getting to the plug. This causes misfire because the plug does not get any spark. Could be a wire shorted directly to ground or a wire with bad insulation. On a dark night. open the hood, run engine, and see if you see a light show around the spark plug wires.
Ticking exhaust leaks usually occur where the exhaust manifold is bolted to the heads. Look for loose nuts or a burned out exhaust gasket.

 

If you have a Service Engine Soon (SES) light find out what the codes are. I had my own code reader and found that the #3 and #6 coil pack was not working. I changed it out and that got ride of the misfire code, but the bottom end was another story. Had a bad intake gasket which resulted in anti-freeze and water getting into the oil which most (not everyone) knows does not mix.

 

Wow thanx guys ill let u know what i figure out