Yoda,

Definitely. Go to a good service rep and try to get this addressed. These are definitely covered under warranty, but that doesn't mean that they will do an effective job of rooting it out.

Sounds really odd. I've never heard of this before, so I'd have it checked out as soon as possible.

 

I have the same ticking sound coming from under the front part of the car after I shut it off. I thought it's normal so I am not really worry but I'm now. Could you keep us update after check out?
Thanks!!

 

I too noticed this sound coming from the underside of the car from day 1. Usual theory, among the car enthusiast I know, is that this is not so normal, and that this is usually caused by some kind of liquid dripping somewhere on something hot (exhaust?). Now, having gone from german to the GS4....I noticed it, but wrote it off as a thing I would have to deal with ...i never expected the lexus to be like a benz, although most people would say they are more reliable than them. I also have experienced the creaks/rattles...I reported them, and they have not been fixed. now my warranty is up...i still am/ or was hearing them before my car got stolen. Now that the car is not declared as a total loss from the damaged incurred by the *******s who wanted to feel some power in a joy ride....who knows if i even care to find out and fix these 2 problems.

 

damnboy,

I'll definitely keep you posted as to what I find out. It didn't bother me at first either. Until one day my wife pulled into the garage at the same time I did. My GS just sat there ticking away as I could hear nary a sound from her Chrysler Cirrus. Then I was like, "I've gotta get that damn noise fixed!"

 

Damnboy and Yoda,

I will tell you right now, the ticking sound you hear coming from under the car is the metal cooling from exhaust piping. It is a normal sound you hear on any car. It is especially obvious if the weather is colder as the cooling down process begins. Don't worry about that sound it is perfectly normal...

Brent

 

Thanks BLiu and Yoda.

Another question is why all my other cars (accord, camry, neon, acura legend) do not have this problem.
I did notice when weather is warm the ticking sound is not that obvious. I'll double check on that.

 

I have had an Acura integra, a Ford Mustang GT, a BMW 528 and they have all made that sound. My parents had a Ford Explorer, a BMW 318, and BMW 525, and they all made that sound as well! Granted some were louder than others, they still all made that sound. My guess is that the larger the piping the louder the sound. But I know it's a very normal sound - ESPECIALLY with newer cars or cars that just had their exhaust piping replaced.

Brent

 

The sound you hear on all of those cars is the same sound I have heard on all the previous cars I have owned or been around. And I agree that it varies from car to car. The problem is that my GS300 is by far louder than any other car I have heard. Loud to the point that when I pull up to the mall entrance and wait for my wife to come out, the Salvation Army santa ringing the bell for money calls the bomb squad because he suspects I am an al Qaeda terrorist with a ticking bomb under my car........(ok maybe not). I'm just saying that it seams loud enough to me that there is a problem. I'm still going to have it looked at. If the service tech tells me that the emphatic ticking is normal, then I will ask to hear another GS300 that does the same thing at the same level as mine. If he produces a GS300 or any other Lexus that displays the same ticking characteristic that my car does, I will thank the man for his effort in helping me with my problem, tip him for his work, and go about my business.

I'll still keep you guys posted about whether my problem is normal or if I actually had a problem.

 

my GS just started rattling today...the moonroof. But it ended up being just the moonroof sliding inside cover, and I just tapped it a little where the handle to slide it is and it stopped...I think it was just too far back or something....other than that, nothing in my GS, thankfully & luckily!

 

I agree with the noise problems. Some parts of the car are built with impeccable quality, but others have cheesy plastic, like where all the gauges are. And like you guys, I also have a rattle in the sunroof, glove compartment, and where the gaugues are, all which have a TSB on it. I believe www.alldata.com has info on TSB's, and look at the TSB's on the 98 model which have solutions for all of these.

Unfotunately, I usually tell my Lexus dealership this, they nod in agreement, and then tell me later that it is "hard to fix noises". Sigh.

And don't automatically assume that other cars are built any better. My friend has a 2001 S-Class and that suffers from a cheap interior and many noises. The only car that I noticed that has a bank vault structure is the E-Class.

I'm also in agreement that the clicking noise is normal. It does seem like it is more pronounced than on other cars, but components under high compression are likely to do that.

 

Hey guys, the ticking comes from the catalytic converters. Mine does it since day 1 too, but it's more noticeable in winter. If your car passes emissions testing, don't worry about it.
If you notice, must of us complaining about rattles seem to have '98's (or early '99s) huh? My car was in the shop a zillion times the first year, and it still has a high speed vibration after balancing and aligning countless times, and fixing the horrible shimmy I had for over a year until a TSB came out (the problem was never fixed 100%). Plus: my A/C system had to be replaced, my Nak went out too, my car greeted me a few times with all windows and sunroof rolled down (and battery drained) because the door switches were bad, then the opposite (no courtesy lights, car locked up if not started right away),until recall came up and it was fixed.
Funny thing is, I'm happy with the stupid car, and nothing has given me trouble in the last 2 years, so I'm going to use it up for a while before trading for a convertible. The momo shifter is definitely the last mod it'll get.
Take care guys.

 

"My friend has a 2001 S-Class and that suffers from a cheap interior and many noises. The only car that I noticed that has a bank vault structure is the E-Class"

Apparently they have fixed those 2001 problems. My father has a 2002 S-Class and it is by far the quietest interior while driving that I have ever experienced....this comign from a family that lives and dies by mercedes. The E-class...the 96...is ok...overall its solid, however i think they couldve done a better job. The comparable GS, should also be at least at that level, which we have all seen, it is not.