I recently had some major repairs to my 98 Blazer. It began with no heat in the vehicle and the engine temp gauge staying low. I figured it was the thermostat. Turns out the intake manifold was leaking. During repairs, they found oil leaks and motor mounts bad. So, the run down was -> Intake manifold gasket, thermostat, complete flush and fill of coolant, replace oil cooler lines and adapter kit, motor mounts, oil pan gasket, and finally an oil change. Grand Total of $1,970 . Now the problem is that i am hearing a constant ticking noise when idling. The repair shop does not claim responsibilty. I'm told that it's either a "wrist" pin or bad lifter which would run me aprox another 800 smackers to fix.. Any comments please ? -- are there any safe additives which would quiet the tick, or make it worse ? Thanks.

 

I would start with a treatment of Auto Rx and go from there. It's a proven product.

 

Two things to check for: First, wait until it's dark and look under the hood with the motor running. Look for any arcing plug wires as these will make a ticking sound. If that's not it, it could also be an exhaust leak (maybe they had to pull the exhaust manifolds to work on the motor mounts). Exhaust leaks also make a ticking sound. Take a short piece (3'-4') of garden hose or heater hose and use it like a stethoscope to listen for the noise. Put one end of the hose to your ear and move the other end around the motor while listening. Pay close attention to the exhaust manifolds. Should help narrow down the source of the noise.