Q: Ticking sound

asked by on April 10, 2017

whenever I start my subaru i hear a slight ticking noise coming from the engine, the noise gets faster as i accelerate but seems to go away once the engine is up to temperature, the noise is especially loud when its cold out

My car has 264578 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi There, This kind of ticking sound is usually related to valve train noise that is caused by the lack of oil circulation or out of adjustment valve train components. This is somewhat common to a certain extent when the vehicle is cold as the oil settles to the bottom of the engine. When the engine is first started, it takes the oil pump a few minutes to get the oil properly circulated to the top of the motor. During this time, you may hear this ticking sound you describe as the parts create metal to metal contact. This is more prominent when the weather is cold as the oil takes more time to circulate in colder temperatures. If the engine is low on oil, this may also cause this type of ticking sound due to the lack of sufficient lubrication. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle as it may be due for an oil change.

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