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Clicking noise when letting go of gas from slight acceleration. Is this normal?

geep81

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You are right most of the guys here saying it goes when engine warms up, but mine does not, stays that way even if I drive for long time.?
I would also say that mine never fully goes away, it's just quieter when warm. Maybe you have sensitive ears!

This car makes some weird sounds, like a more uncivilized machine. I say roll with it and learnt o appreciate the odd machinations of the Mustang. It is not like other cars that is for sure lol.
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ApplesAndOranges

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This is NOT the transmission or the cam phasers, though it may be influenced by the VCT system. It's a timing chain slap caused by a collapse of the tensioner. The reason why I know is because I installed MMR's custom chain tensioners for the purpose of possibly reducing engine noise in the gen 3. MMR's are a pure hydraulic design. Stock tensioners have a mechanical limiting design (though also hydraulic). What I discovered was MMR's tensioners considerably increase the lift off rattle noise while cold, but is 95% gone while warm at only low rpm. They also substantially reduced my 2k rattle, though that still exists. Anyones guess on what causes that.
 

Elp_jc

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There's like a zillion pages of this issue on the F-150 forum, for those interested. The deceleration rattle when cold is supposedly a cleaning cam phaser feature, according to Borg Warner (I never saw any official document to that regard). Here's a video of their cam phaser:
Our Coyotes have it on the intake side only; 3.5EBs have 4 of them (intake and exhaust), so the noise is louder. Ford issued a bulletin (don't remember if a TSB, SSM, etc) to program the phasers to not do the noise in N; only in gear. I NEVER heard it on my truck when driving normally. I initially thought my truck didn't have it, but I confirmed it did when I forced it to make it when cold (in manual mode, holding rpm until about 3K in 1st gear, then releasing the throttle suddenly). It was the first and only time I heard it. I haven't heard it on my Bullitt... but haven't tried to duplicate it on purpose either. If it's normal indeed, all engines should make it. Have any manual guys tried it yet? :D

Having said the above, there are other instances of the same or similar ratcheting that are not considered normal. The 10R80 transmissions also make a very similar ratcheting noise (the one I referenced before)... but happens when hot, and during acceleration (not deceleration). Another abnormal ratcheting noise is at start-up (for a fraction of a second. And it's loud). That's the beginning of cam phaser failure, so they need to be replaced at that point. I haven't read of a single Mustang having that symptom (cold start ratcheting). Any cam phaser ratcheting noise CLEARLY comes from the front of the engine, so very easy to tell, especially with an automotive stethoscope (or chassis ears). The transmission one comes from under the vehicle.

Finally, there's an official TSB about defective timing chain tensioners on cars built before April xx, 2019. So ApplesAndOranges could be correct about an issue with that, especially if the build date falls within that TSB, and it happens when hot. Again, the clue is WHERE the noise is coming from. If it's the front of the engine, then it'll be either cam phasers or chain tensioners, depending when it makes the noise:
COLD -START: Abnormal. Cam phasers going bad; replacement needed
COLD DECELERATION: Normal. Cam phaser cleaning cycle (reportedly).
HOT DECELERATION: Abnormal. Apparently an issue with chain tensioners (there's a TSB)
HOT ACCELERATION: Abnormal. A 10R80 transmission issue (not sure exactly what). Noise under vehicle.

I don't claim to be correct on everything, but after reading literally hundreds of posts about that, to decide if I traded my immaculate 2018 F-150 Platinum or not (I did), that's what I learned. Keep in mind all of that started happening with 2017 3.5EBs, and 2018 Coyotes. Hope this helps a little.
 

damships

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Guys, from my experience, replacing the cam phasers to new OEM ones wonā€™t work. I had a Ford Buy Back on my 2018 Ford Mustang earlier this year. I had some persistent clicking noise when accelerating at certain RPMs. I ALSO had this noise coming from letting off the accelerator. It happened on cold starts and cold days and would stop as the car warmed up. The car was in the shop for 45 days or so, they changed the timing belt, cam phasers, and some gaskets here and there. My Ford Buy Back was approved before I got my 2018 back, but the paperwork was still processing. Upon receiving my 2018 vehicle back from the shop, the persistent clicking issue stopped BUT this noise from the accelerator still kept occurring. They informed me they were not able to duplicate it. I stopped giving a crap due to the Buy Back being approved and me getting a 2020 in a few weeks. Iā€™ve had my 2020 since June now and...I started hearing this acceleration noise again recently. And itā€™s starting to happen, at least in my opinion, because the weather is starting to get cold again. This is definitely something thatā€™s common place with this generation. My experience hasnā€™t been as loud as some of the videos here, but itā€™s definitely there. Point being, cam phasers replaced, still the same thing happening. Now Iā€™m not saying cam phasers arenā€™t involved. Iā€™m saying if you think itā€™s due to faulty ones or something, that ainā€™t it.
 

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Looks like yet another 'normal' noise, huh? Ha ha. Does it happen only when releasing the gas pedal completely? And does it matter if you're barely accelerating, or a little bit more? At any rate, sounds to me like the throttle body clicking when closing; I've read about that before, but it was supposedly fixed.

As a side note, sometimes when recalling a seat memory, a freaking mirror goes bonkers (clicking loudly trying to adjust beyond its limits)... and that was supposedly fixed in 2016. Yeah, right! So this issue might be the same throttle body one as before. We'll find out soon enough, since cooler weather is setting in already.
 

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ApplesAndOranges

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The lift off rattle is caused by the timing chain tensioner collapsing, causing the timing chain to slap the guide rail. These are hydraulic units which rely on oil pressure, and are affected by oil viscosity. I personally replaced mine with MMR's units. MMR's tensioners are more of a fully hydraulic design, while the stock units rely on a mechanic limiter as well. My lift off rattle became much more accentuated with MMR's tensioners. Oil is forced through the back of the tensioner from a passage in the engine block, and then out through a small hole at the tip of the tensioner piston, lubricating the guide rail.

The VCT actuators in the gen 2/3 coyotes are also not perfectly round. When you rotate the crankshaft by hand, you can observe the point of rotation on the VCT where there is increased force on the guide rail by the timing chain, and thus increased force by the guide rail onto the tensioner piston. It also makes a clicking noise at this moment. Combine that with an engine rotating at 1500rpms, a cold engine with viscous oil, and a sudden drop in engine speed... the tensioner collapses, forcing the timing chain to take up slack against the guide rail.
 

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The lift off rattle is caused by the timing chain tensioner collapsing, causing the timing chain to slap the guide rail. These are hydraulic units which rely on oil pressure, and are affected by oil viscosity. I personally replaced mine with MMR's units. MMR's tensioners are more of a fully hydraulic design, while the stock units rely on a mechanic limiter as well. My lift off rattle became much more accentuated with MMR's tensioners. Oil is forced through the back of the tensioner from a passage in the engine block, and then out through a small hole at the tip of the tensioner piston, lubricating the guide rail.

The VCT actuators in the gen 2/3 coyotes are also not perfectly round. When you rotate the crankshaft by hand, you can observe the point of rotation on the VCT where there is increased force on the guide rail by the timing chain, and thus increased force by the guide rail onto the tensioner piston. It also makes a clicking noise at this moment. Combine that with an engine rotating at 1500rpms, a cold engine with viscous oil, and a sudden drop in engine speed... the tensioner collapses, forcing the timing chain to take up slack against the guide rail.
Why does this happen thousands of miles later though? On both my 2018 and 2020, the noise didnā€™t occur until about 4000-5000 miles into driving in the vehicle.
 

geep81

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Why does this happen thousands of miles later though? On both my 2018 and 2020, the noise didnā€™t occur until about 4000-5000 miles into driving in the vehicle.
On my 2019 and 2020 they both did/do it since brand new and never stopped.
 

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This is only on A10 cars, correct? So a tranny issue, which is well known on the F-150 forum too. Phasers can so a very similar noise, but should only happen when engine is cold. The tranny does it all the time. Mine didn't, so not completely 'normal', which was the weird thing. But same thing can be said of the tick, which a lot of engines develop it, but not all. The 2K rattle is pretty much universal, however.
 

geep81

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This is only on A10 cars, correct? So a tranny issue, which is well known on the F-150 forum too. Phasers can so a very similar noise, but should only happen when engine is cold. The tranny does it all the time. Mine didn't, so not completely 'normal', which was the weird thing. But same thing can be said of the tick, which a lot of engines develop it, but not all. The 2K rattle is pretty much universal, however.
I should have specified mine were both manuals.
 

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Elp_jc

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I should have specified mine were both manuals.
So it's the phasers, without a doubt. If only done when cold, it's normal. But if when hot too, then it's not, so they'd have to get replaced eventually. But really surprised this is happening on a 2020; it shouldn't. Keep us posted what dealer says. Good luck.
 

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So it's the phasers, without a doubt. If only done when cold, it's normal. But if when hot too, then it's not, so they'd have to get replaced eventually. But really surprised this is happening on a 2020; it shouldn't. Keep us posted what dealer says. Good luck.
The lift off rattle can only be said to be coming from the timing components with 100% certainty. In my direct experience, the phasers are not responsible. The issue is also not correlated with transmission or vehicle type.
 

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On my 2019 and 2020 they both did/do it since brand new and never stopped.
People have been reporting the noise independent of mileage. Mine is as well. When I personally changed my timing chain tensioners to a different brand/hydraulic design, a few things changed. The warm idle "chirping" noise was corrected as outlined in a TSB, (which was caused by the oil pressure relief design of the factory tensioner), my 2k rattle became quieter, and my lift off rattle became drastically louder during cold engine operation. The tensioners i installed do not have the same mechanical limiting ability of the factory tensioners, and instead rely on oil pressure to maintain chain tension. This makes their ability to exert force on the timing guides very sensitive to oil quality, temperature, pressure, and viscosity.
 

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My 2019 Mustang GT has the same symptoms. After a cold start, slowly drive away, and as soon as I release the petal it makes a rather loud clicking sounds that goes away once the engine has heated up. Hard to tell if it is damaging anything ā˜¹
Exactly what happens to mine, even while in park and mines is auto too so its not only related to manuals
 

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When my car starts up and I go into drive, whenever I slightly accelerate and let go of the gas, a clicking noise occurs from the engine bay area. Is this normal? It does not matter what gear I am in, if I accelerate and let go of the gas I hear the noise.

Only mods are x-pipe and exhaust.

Check out this video i made of my noise


Is this the same or similar noise your getting?
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