adreano17

i can hear it in the back seat and outside by the gas door. it literally sounds like a watch. i dont know if its possibly a security mechanism that protects the gas door from being opened from the outside. any ideas? it stops when the trunk is open

Slooooooow

iTrader: (1)

Kneel down and see if it sounds like it's coming from underneath the car. It's likely the catalytic converter cooling down.

How catalytic converters work

tomstep2

I agree with Slooooow, the exhaust runs down the passenger side of the car toward the rear. After medium to long rides, on cooler days, the catlytic converter is cooling. The ticking is the sound of metal expanding and contracting.

adreano17

well i know how converters contract, but i know for a fact it isn't that. i was just wondering if it was some mechinism, because when i open the trunk it goes away. also my car can be off for hours, and i still hear it. its almost like an open trunk stops the circuit or somethin....idk

Lexucan

I would have guessed the catalytic converter too but since, as you said, the ticking goes on for hours, it can only be one thing -
A Time Bomb!!

So, who have you pissed off lately? (j/k)