Saturn Repair: Saturn ticking noise, saturn l300, 2002 saturn l300

Question
We have a 2002 Saturn L300 with a 3L engine.  It has a very loud ticking noise.  Almost sounds like it is a diesel engine.  The oil is full, we are running Mobil 5W30 engine oil in it.

Any suggestions as to what could be the problem?

Answer
Becca,
 When does this noise occur?  Is it at start-up, or all the time?  Have you had any repair work done to it recently?  How many miles does the vehicle have?
 Being that the 3.0L is a horribly over-designed yet reliable engine, I don't remember ever hearing a noise like you describe.  The only thing that I can think of is the timing belt/water pump.  The w/p is run off of that timing belt, and sometimes the bearing inside the water pump goes out, causing the w/p pulley to shake and rattle violently inside the timing cover.  Is your vehicle leaking coolant?  If it is I would suggest having it towed to the nearest repair facility.  You  would not like to see what happens when a timing belt breaks, it's a bad thing.  Anyway, get back to me with those questions and I will help out as best I can.  Thanks for using this site.

Chris