Tick showed up- '08 with 6600 miles.

I came to a stop after exiting the highway yesterday and all the sudden there was a loud rhythmic ticking noise from the motor. I can hear it most at idle but also while moving slowly in year, and it has been there since.

All fluid levels are good, and oil level is fine. Oil is Mobil 1 5w-30, and has been in the truck for 3300 miles.

I hear that this is normal for tacomas? Still it rattled me a little when it showed up all the sudden in a practically new truck...


Not on topic, but another issue I have been dying to ask about is the clutch- is it normal for the 6 speeds to feel very rough when changing gears? No matter how slow I shift, I get a grating feedback when going from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3. It is not a gear grinding sound- more like the sync hubs are not meshing smoothly.

Thanks

 

Could the tick have anything to do with the ethanol put in gasoline? Don't know much about the engines on the newer tacos, someone else will likely chime in but just throwing it out there...