Leaks and Clicks

[joe7987]

2003 Civic EX

I've got a leak and I'm not sure what it is. Any ideas? I couldn't see anything by looking in from the top. I haven't yet jacked the car up to take a closer look at the undercarriage, but from what I did see, it seems to just be leaking down several different parts (e.g. front bumper)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVJCH02LnRU

Here's a video. You can see a lot of leaking trailing off the plastic near the crushed yoohoo box. Any ideas?

Also, it's making a strange noise. Think of the clicking sound the wheel makes on wheel of fortune. Muffle that sound, add a faint whistling and you'll have a good idea of the sound I'm hearing. The clicking also quiets down a bit when the engine goes into idle. This could be a completely separate issue from the leak. Timing belt? It's due for a change. I might get it changed regardless.

Any ideas? Let me know if there are any other details I can find out to make this easier to diagnose.

 

[RonJ]

Joe, that's a really fine Hollywood production of a video.

What kind of car you got there?

Did the car just drive through a puddle of water?

Is this another spider web post?

 

[joe7987]

Goddamit, I'm a noob. Sorry, just got home from work when I made this post. Brain was (is) fried. 03 Civic EX. Also, there's a bit of a whistling sound with the clicking (all info added to original post)

The whistle is very faint. It COULD be from my intake and I may not have never listened closely enough to notice it.

...Yes, it has been wet lately. (insert wreckless hype's facepalm here). I was in such a rush to start diagnosing before letting the car cool down too much that I didn't even consider the fact that it could just be rainwater.

Anyway, the ticking still persists. I'll check to see if it's still dripping on a dry day (hah, FL summer. Dry. Yea right).

 

[RonJ]

If you open the hood, can the ticking be reproduced with an idling or revving engine? If so, post a real video.

The first thing that comes to mind when anybody mentions engine ticking is the valves. Last valve clearance adjustment?

 

[joe7987]

Ask and ye shall receive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMIsK3Wnb0A&list=UU85GXH06MnCKWLWtagaTzCg

Never had a valve clearance adjustment

 

[RonJ]

Joe, you're a very tricky dude (spider web man), so I'm going to proceed cautiously here.

First off, when you shot the video and listened to it, do you hear the ticking noise that concerns you? If so, where on the engine do you think the noise is coming from?

And by the way Joe, is this your second tech thread ever at CC?

 

[joe7987]

It's my second one in some years. Haven't had any car issues or money to mod the car. Thus, haven't had to ask any questions!

Yes, the ticking noise is heard. It sounds like it's at the front left of the engine bay (left as in, opposite the battery). It was pretty loud in that video, especially for a brief moment when I left off the gas (before it quieted again)

 

[RonJ]

You can buy an engine stethoscope for about $5 at Harbor Freight Tools. Pick one up and use it to determine whether the ticking is coming from under the valve cover or the timing belt cover or elsewhere. Post up your findings Joe!

 

[joe7987]

Just ordered it. I'll let you know what I find out. Thanks for the help!