I'm sure this is bad as bad but I just put my car up for sale and this is what I get for it.

My car is pinging/ticking horribly when i put straight on the engine (accelerate) or rev it up high.

How fatal is this? :'(

This recording is from just above the engine bay (view in quicktime)

http://mcgrathkerr.customer.netspace...ding%20(3).amr

anyone know what could be wrong with it? just as i want to turn the car into a plane ticket..

 

Sounds like valve train noise. Have you done a valve adjustment recently? I'd start with that. It doesn't sound horribly bad. The L28's are typically very noisy. Reference: http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/engine.htm

 

Pinging is usually a fuel problem.... as in running too lean.

I don't have a program that can play .amr files. You have a .wav or mp3?

 

If you have quicktime it will play the amr file.

 

hmn thanks for the answeres... do you think i would be doing much damage to the engine by driving it whilst it does this?

ive had the suggestions of broken head seal and stuff? ahh i dno.
im hopeless with this stuff

 

I wouldn't let it go on for too long.

 

Check the oil level before ripping anything apart.

 

oil? whas that?

 

well funny u said that... i checked the oil after driving it ( very brielfy!) and there was a bluish oily coloured liquid up to about 3 inches above where the max is on the dipstick. I then waited 5 mins and checked againa nd it was back to normal.

my mech says i have loose tapets and a blown gasket in my extractors "

 

Loose tappets would be the cause of noise as you described. Not sure what an extractor gasket is though Never heard that one.

 

i probably heard wrong and made a word up. he said there was a hole somewhere and if i dont fix it the heat from the exhaust could bore a hole into the head of my engine and really kill it

 

exhaust manifold gasket maybe? That would let some heat out. It's not going to bore a hole into your head though. He was exaggerating on that one

 

i wouldnt trust that guy, just do the valve adjustment thing, youll be fine. my brother had a rocker fall off its pearch and it still ran fine and didnt damage anything

 

Is the stud and nut on the rearmost part of the exhaust manifold still there?

 

I dont know. I got a mech to check my tapets but he said they were tighter than insert some rude sexist comment here.

when i trottle i hear a small click at the front end (near the air intake) of the engine. I have to look into that.. but i dont know if that can have some kind of connection to my engines ticking. Is it possible to have a broken seal or something? im hoping its not fatal... my car just keeps cutting my heart

 

check to make sure nothing is interfereing with the drive belts. That may be your clicking at the front of the engine.