1997 Ford Fiesta Strange Ticking Noise

Question

The 1997 Ford Fiesta I sometimes drive has started to make a strange sound.

It has started to make a ticking sound after I was pushing the tiny little 1.25L engine very hard on the way up North with more weight than it was probably built to handle. There was not much else I could do to stop it from decelerating up the hills!

Anyway, here is what I would like to know:

• What is the part in the engine bay that is faulty (i.e. the source of the noticeable ticking sound)?
• Is it easy to replace said part?

Answer 1

tl dr: There is almost no way to tell from the video what is causing the noise.

From the video it sounds like an exhaust leak causing the tick ... but smartphone video is notorious for not giving an accurate sound representation, so this is what you need to do.

If you have a Harbor Freight somewhere close to you, go down and purchase an automotive stethoscope (aka: Mechanic's stethoscope). Here is a picture of one:

Use this to pinpoint where the noise is coming from. The way you use this is to put the ends in your ears, then use the pointy end to probe different areas until you figure out where the noise is coming from. This will allow you to pinpoint the exact location of the noise. Then you can ask a qualified question as to what might be at issue and how to get it fixed.