# weird car noise

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 11, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451 "2002-06-11T14:33:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ottoerotic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ottoerotic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottoerotic)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451/1 "2002-06-11T14:33:13Z")

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After i turn off my car it makes a ticking noise for minutes afterwards. When i was younger i remember my parents mini-van doing this also. My question is what causes it, and does it indicate a problem. Thanks…

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451/2 "2002-06-11T14:45:17Z")

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Many cars will have such a noise caused by hot exhaust parts settling in to the change of condition from engine running to engine not running. It is not a problem.

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451/3 "2002-06-11T15:30:23Z")

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The noise is from the heat shields cooling down.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451/4 "2002-06-11T16:18:26Z")

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Yep. Cooling metal.

Also, some A/C condensation will drip onto metal parts and could contribute to these kind of sounds.

FWIW: My Dodge Dakota truck does this, but my wifes VW Jetta does not.

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**Author:** ![Ottoerotic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ottoerotic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ottoerotic)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-car-noise/113451/5 "2002-06-12T06:31:27Z")

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Thanks for all the help guys.