2013 Chevy Silverado tapping, clicking noise from under the vehicle

[GW2010]

I have a 2013 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 5.3 making a tapping and/or clicking noise from under the vehicle. On a cold start-up, it does not make the noise. Once the vehicle has idled down, it begins. Weirdly enough, it comes and goes but 90% of the time the noise is there.

 

The truck only has 74,000 miles and shifts, drives, and rides perfectly. Oil pressure at idle is 20ish and around 40 when driving in town or on the interstate. Again, you can't hear it from the top of the motor. I purchased the truck from an older gentleman who put 5,000 miles on it a year. Thinking it may have something to do with not being driven regularly. 

 

Because of this, I did flush the engine with BG (I purchased the truck with the noise FYI), and thought a good flush might get rid of the junk from being driven lightly. It did nothing but probably was needed anyway.

 

Trans fluids looks great. 

 

The noise happens in Drive, Reverse, and Park. In Drive, when stopped, it will sometimes stop. Sometimes in Park, it might stop but it ticks the majority of the time. regardless of the gear. When you rev the motor up, it climbs with the RPM's for maybe 150-300 then it's gone but when you let off the gas, it comes down, and can hear it at 1000 to 500-600 where it idles. Anything above 1000 it's gone.

 

Any ideas? Thinking bad trans solenoid, flywheel, or maybe torque converter? Does not sounds like a lifter.

 

Thanks for your help.

[GW2010]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FbxA4fiLxttm2HGcRmkEe6UDG4GfPIrL

 

Videos of the noise

[Jworks]

I asked my mechanic about this.  He said thats just the Chevrolet tick and a lot of them do that.  He said to forget about it and that his Chev does it too.  I've driven mine ever since, no issues.  Now others more knowledgeable may chime in here with a different take.  I hear mine mostly when idled next to a wall that can reflect the sound.  I never hear it any faster than idle.  But then my hearing is not the best, I'm 76.  Bottom line, he said its no big deal.  Wait and see what others say about it before relying on my word.

[newdude]

Sounds like one of two things.  Piston slap (which was very common on early LS) or you've got a cracked flywheel (also common on LS).  

[richard wysong]

exhaust leak from broken/missing manifold bolts?

[dna9656]

You have a leaking O ring where the oil pick-up tube joins the oil pump. I recommend the following: REPLACE" Oil pump with a Melling High Volume oil pump. Ir will come with a new O ring. REPLACE: the timing chain and sprockets, you're already in there so replace it, replace the water pump, It's already off so don't re-install a used one. Install a second clamp where the oil pick up tube connected to the oil pump. Do your shopping on Amazon, get your OEM part numbers on rockauto.com, that the OEM P/Ns and shop on the internet. Buy a Cloyes timing chain and gear. Send a msg to me if you need further info/guidance.

 

[GW2010]

Digging into this issue tomorrow night. I'm thinking it might be the starter rubbing against the flywheel. Listened to a video from someone else and sounds very similar.

 

Thoughts?

[lesson learned.]

GW,

 

I had a similar issue with ticking on my 01 Silverado and after talking to some old school Chevy mechanics and doing my own research I found an inexpensive solution to the problem. for my truck it was the lifters making all that ticking, clicking noise. (because they were dirty) All I did was change my oil but instead of using all 6.5 quarts of oil ( 8.1 motor ) i used only 5.5 of oil and 1 quart of transmission fluid. the additives in the Tranny fluid acts as a cleaner and cleaned the lifters and it worked! within 5 minutes the ticking was gone!!! i drove it like that until my next oil change and just refilled with oil that time. i haven't had any issues, but if the clicking comes back that's what i will be doing again. i have 188,000 miles on my motor. hope this helps !

[dkjbama]

Next oil change, switch to Shell Rotella T5 10W-30 diesel oil if you can find it. It's been scarce so I went with Rotella T6  5w-40 on the last change.  That's what I've used on Gen 4 LS AFM motors to silence the lifters in 4 trucks since 2008. These motors dilute the crap out of the oil with unburned fuel. The Rotella can handle it. No I'm not answering 100 questions from the peanut gallery or wasting my time debating it or justifying it with armchair keyboard mechanics. Just dropping this here, I know it works, take it or leave it.

Edited September 15, 2023 by dkjbama

[Grumpy Bear]

17 hours ago, dkjbama said:

Next oil change, switch to Shell Rotella T5 10W-30 diesel oil if you can find it. It's been scarce so I went with Rotella T6  5w-40 on the last change.  That's what I've used on Gen 4 LS AFM motors to silence the lifters in 4 trucks since 2008. These motors dilute the crap out of the oil with unburned fuel. The Rotella can handle it. No I'm not answering 100 questions from the peanut gallery or wasting my time debating it or justifying it with armchair keyboard mechanics. Just dropping this here, I know it works, take it or leave it.

 

I've been using Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in a pesky Ecotec 2.4 with 223,000 miles on it that's been a problem child since about 80K. 30K ago I started using T6 with a quart of HPL SAE40-EC (ester-based engine cleaning oil). Slowed oil consumption to almost new like but as leak down is high I have kept using it for the dispersant package and greater viscosity. Really quite now and yes, it does hold up well to fuels. All you hear is a faint tap of the HPFP and only if the hood is open.    I also like that as A 5W* I run in year around. 

 

Bet you did see that coming 

[13chevy.121212]

Hello my name is Dan I have a 2013 silverado 5.3 I have a ticking noise and ruff idle/misfire.  When give engine gas I have hesitation.   If I reset computer it goes away but returns after a short time later.  A couple times when speeding up the throttle stuck wide open until I tapped the peddle again.  Jot sure were the issue is here any one ever heard of this problem

[GMCustomerService]

On 6/21/2024 at 10:51 PM, 13chevy.121212 said:

Hello my name is Dan I have a 2013 silverado 5.3 I have a ticking noise and ruff idle/misfire.  When give engine gas I have hesitation.   If I reset computer it goes away but returns after a short time later.  A couple times when speeding up the throttle stuck wide open until I tapped the peddle again.  Jot sure were the issue is here any one ever heard of this problem

We regret to hear of this ticking noise concern that is coming from your 2013 Silverado and would like to investigate this further for you. Please send us an email to [email protected]. Be sure to include your Username and Forum name in the subject line with additional details. We look forward to hearing from you. 

[69RSer]

My son recently got a 2009 Silverado 1500 with a 5.3. It developed a tick which he first thought was lifter, or possibly rod. I finally got to his place and took a listen. It was more prominent on the driver side and from the wheel well area. I told him that it really didn't sound mechanical, more like exhaust, but not really. I was just standing there, leaning on the fender, staring at the motor and thought i saw the #7 plug wire twitching ever so slightly. I wasn't sure if I was actually seeing that (with my 65 year old welders eyes) so I told him to watch it. He agreed. Loose spark plug. The noise went away and never came back! Not saying that this is your issue. I'm just saying that was OUR cause of an issue that many of you have. Good Luck! Hoping your solution is as simple as ours was!             Note to 13chevy.121212...This also cleared up some performance/drivability issues, as it was probably drawing air and messing with the air/fuel ratio.

Edited 2 hours ago by 69RSer
add additional thought.