SO I hear the engine tick/slight knock a bit when it's cold and it starts.. I can deal with that, but has anyone noticed a constant ticking in the motor after it's warm?
I popped the hood with the engine running.. 3.3 v6, and sure there is belt noise, but I've never had a new vehicle giving me ticking sounds like this.. not sure what it is.

Never owning a Hyundai before.. thought I'd ask.

Ask your service adviser. The tappets are mechanical. Mine clacked a bit in the winter if it was cold enough out but clacked less with synthetic oil. They didn't clack at all using a block heater for a 2 to 3 hour preheat.

Mine does the same thing... a faint ticking sound even when the engine is warm. I have noticed similar noise coming from other Hyundais, and to a lesser extent from my Nissan 3.5. Probably harmless. You might have to adjust the tappets, as UniR suggests, but not likely until the engine has a lot of mileage on it.

Regarding the cold knock, if it's really loud I believe there is a technical bulletin for some early 2007s. http://www.hmaservice.com/ But again, some rough sounds are normal in cold weather. This winter I noticed that mine accelerates with a vaguely diesel-like knock in cold weather, if I turn off the fan and listen very carefully. My wife could not hear it, and suggested I turn the fan back on. She's onto something there :)

Fuel injectors tend to make a light, rythmic, sewing machine-like ticking noise. That's all I ever really hear from mine. If it seems like something more severe, take it in to your dealer for a look-see. I'm sure they wouldn't mind starting up some other Santa-Fe's and/or Sonata's on their lot so you can listen to them.

My 2005 Subaru Legacy GT turbo made the same type of noise as my Santa Fe only slightly louder. Subaru boxers are famous for their engine "ticking" noises.

Yeah.. I had a 2000 Forester that had piston slap.. traded that for a 2002 Outback.. when I left a job, they stopped paying for it, so it went back! LOL

I'll second SARAPHS post. The 3.3 motor seems to have a little bit louder than average injector noise. Ticking is a good description of the noise.

Thanks for the feedback folks... it goes to the dealer Monday to get the 3rd brake light lens replaced (moisture) so I'll ask about the ticking then.

I wouldn't let it go!!

I had a ticking sound but on deceleration ( when I let off the gas). It would get worse as the engine got hot. (1500KMS) about 2 month into my purchase
Took it to the dealer and they contacted Hyundai Canada service techs.

They were told to drop the pan and to look for shavings.....guess what they found?

They seem to think it was a bearing issue.

I told them they had 2 choices: A new car or a factory built engine. They put in the engine after about 1 week.

It's been running fine ever since.

Good luck

Burlives

I don't notice it on deceleration.. for a new engine, it just seems to be very very noisy. Haven't had a chance to get it to the dealer yet.. up to 2500kms now

I've noticed this on mine as well. It's very faint, only happens when the temperature is around freezing or colder, and goes away within the first 1/4 mile of driving. I have no idea what it is. It doesn't sound like a metallic/mechanical knock. Your description of a "diesel-like" noise is spot-on but it is extremely subtle.

Sounds to me that a valve is sticking. It creates a ticking sound common on colder starts goes away as the oil lubs them. If the sound gets faster in neutral as you rev it is probably noisy lifters. There are oil additives that get rid of that. Not really common in a bran new veh though.

Lucas makes a good oil stabilizer that helps with valve ticking. Doesn't void warranty etc. I had a 99 Hyundai accent that it almost totally got rid of the sound.

The constant ticking is likely normal fuel injector noise, as saraph says, and subtle cold-weather knocking noises are probably just subtle cold weather knocking noises. If you suspect something worse, have a mechanic listen to it. There is a certain danger in taking advice from well-meaning strangers over the internet who cannot hear your car running.

I would never dump additives into a newer engine just to make it run quieter, in fact even Hyundai advises against this. Anything that stifles normal engine noise is either very thick or is leaving a coating behind that can only clog things up in the long run.

'Don67',

Excellent advice. If Hyundai believed additives would help their engines, they would be installed at the factory.

An engine that is in good condition, should never have lifter noise that go away after a quarter of a mile or so. Also, temps at or around freezing should not affect an engine in any way. Now, if we are talking about sub zero temps, that is an entirely different matter. Then you will be lucky to get the darn thing started. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grin.gif)

I strongly urge anyone with a relatively new engine that is knocking or better said, "clattering", for any length of time, to take into the dealership and keep your warranty, and vehicle safe.


David <><