Question1985 4dr fwd toyota corolla, 217,000 miles... Last week the engine started to tick or click at a certain rpm.... Since I dont have a tach. I can't give an accurate assumption.... Today, it started to tick at an idle, and when I accelerate it gets louder and faster... I haven't tried anything to fix it yet.
AnswerAny kind of engine noise like this can mean serious trouble, it could be a valve noise or a piston or bearing noise depending on the sound.
Lower frequency noises(lower in tone) are normally related to the crankshaft bearings, higher frequencies are related to piston problems and ticking is normally related to the valve train.
Try to determine where the noise is coming from, this can be done using a large, long screwdriver, place the screwdriver end on various places on the engine starting at the valve cover and work down, place your ear on the handle end and you should be able to pinpoint the noise, wherever it is the loudest that's where the problem is.
