I have had a couple cars in my day and I understand when exhaust (or metal for that matter) gets hot, it will produce a ticking sound because the metal is expanding. Now my cobalt's exhaust ticks extremely loud while I am driving it and for about 20 minutes after I turn my car off. It is so loud that it is embarassing, people ask why is your car ticking.... Do any of you have a loud ticking exhaust? Also do you think this could be good reason to take it in to my dealer?

 

i've definitely got it...and quite a few people have commented on it.

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/show...highlight=tick

 

Mine does the same, but I only notice when I'm idling at a drive-through (direct wall echo) or after I turn the car off.

Hey if anyone says anything about it, just tell them that you have a hot exhaust for a hot car.

 

Possibly a loose heat shield? Mine ticks for a couple minutes after I shut it off when hot, nothing noticeable while driving.

 

mine does the same lol

 

Mine does it also. Its nothing to worry about.

 

My stock one did, but the magnaflow doesn't

 

mine always did it but louder after corsa went on

 

Mine does it...drives me nuts.

 

Mine does as well. Likely marginal steel thickness on GM exhaust system. Lots of expansion and contraction.

 

Mine does it too, I think it may be the downpipe from getting really hott.

 

Mine does too. I have a 2.4 SS and it drives me nuts. Warm up, idle at stop light, after shut down....doesn't matter, it always TICKS!

Funny thing is I have headers, Random Tech 3" downpipe/high-flow cat, and SLP 2 1/2" cat-back exhaust on my Prix and it NEVER, NEVER ticks.

Must be the thin wall tubing GM uses in the SS exhaust (since they use stainless on both versions of the SS exhaust-2.4L and SC have the same exhaust) They call it a performance exhaust. The only thing it performs is ticking......


:end rant!

 

Glad I found this thread just over 1000km on my 2.4SS and this noise is driving me crazy. I figured it was just some strange break in noise(never heard it on any other new cars and I've had 3 Z24's) I was thinking it was just a bad cat.

I guess it's the stainless pipes contracting after they get hot. I never hear it when I'm driving (stereo is too loud) but when I stop and get out..it's pretty loud.

thanks for the info..one less trip to the Dealer

 

Its normal for our cars.... no biggy to me.

 

Everytime I've ever driven any car really hard I can hear this when I get out. The SC doesn't help things as it tosses a lot of extra heat.

 

Yep....

Hard driving will make it worse for sure.

Also, and I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure that the whole exhuast including the muffler are made from dissimilar metals. Different metals heat and cool differently, SO.... when one starts cooling faster than the other ( Alum vs. steel.... SS vs Alum ), the welds and or joints are contracting and making the ticking sound.... That's compression and tension...

Also, liek others have said.. the heat shields are there, and they might be close to a pipe, and cuasing it as well.... so many parts getting hot under these cars it's enevitable that there are noises and bubbling and churning going on under there like Mr. Coffee or Mr. Radar...

 

TSB - resonator

 

I had my exhuast replaced months ago for a crack INSIDE the resonator..... I thought it was a heat shiled rattling, but they said it was that... so wahhhlahhhh


Wish they'd TSB the dam wheels.... arg!

 

I got the tick but not to worries new exhaust is on the way but my heat sheild rattles all the time.