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Sucked something into air intake

10K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  okindao 
#1 ·
Took my Spyder out for the final ride of the season, lots of leaves on the ground and Fall debris on the roads.
Just before getting back home I started to hear a ticking and after investigation found the noise coming from the air intake behind the passenger door.

I am hoping it's just a fragment of stick or stone hitting the intake fan. Can't see a thing though.

Has anyone had that happen and what's the best way to get the intake grill off?

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
The ticking sound is normal. Do a thread search if you have doubts. If something got into intake, there wouldn't be anything that would
induce ticking sound as it hits the filter. I have gotten tiny rocks that make a bad rattling sound that increases as you rev though. The normal ticking goes away after revving.
 
#3 · (Edited)
It's likely a leaf that's causing the ticking. I've had that happen on 3 occasions over the last 2 autumns. Twice I had to pull a leaf out of the intake, and once the leaf worked itself loose (and is probably sitting, shredded, in the air filter). The times when I removed the leaf, I could see the leaf but couldn't grab it with my hand. Each time, the leaf was being hit by a fan, hence the ticking. I bought a tool (a flexible steel hose with a little prehensile claw) to reach in and grab the leaf. Once I removed the leaf, the ticking went away immediately. Other people have also had this happen (search the forum).
 
#7 ·
My neighbors pile their leaves up in the street. I am always sucking leaves into the intake. :mad: If I hear the familiar sound of leaves I check for leaves with a flashlight. (Sometimes it sounds like a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle.) If I see one I get a shirt hanger, bend the tip, and fish out the leaf.
 
#8 ·
That's pretty strange that nothing is visible, yet you can still hear the noise. The noise should be coming from the fan and you should be able to see it. Here is a photo of a leaf that was stuck in mine. Make sure you look in far enough to see the fan. If you see nothing, then I'd go in from the air filter side to search for debris that may be on the backside of the fan.
 

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#9 ·
Same thing happened to me. I pulled over and saw the leaf. Tried to grab it but instead I nudged it loose and it got sucked in. I should have turned the engine off and then grabbed it. It's shredded in my air filter. Oh well.
 
#11 ·
+1, x10. There are two distinct intakes per side on a 981. The upper one goes to the air filter and does not have a fan in the path. If a leaf gets in here, it just gets caught on a grill, or the air filter and does no harm. (I replaced both air filters after 10,000 miles and was surprised how little dirt and debris was in the intake path, or the filter. Vacuumed out the pathway, and installed new filters anyway. Small price to pay ($80) for this.
The lower intake cools the engine bay, and has the fans. If a leaf gets caught it might make noise, but it does no harm and will eventually disintegrate and fall through the engine bay to the ground, (or if you're really lucky, on to one of the undertrays and stay there till you remove the tray and have it fall in your eye...)
 
#13 ·
I didn't look closely enough the first time I inspected. The leaf was lodged at about 1 o'clock and never saw it as I didn't get low enough.
Sucked it out with a tube I made up to clean my Cayman radiators years ago.

Thanks guys for the extra prodding—you saved me from pulling the engine cover.

Wire Pipe Hose Cable Plumbing

Auto part Alloy wheel Wheel Rim Automotive wheel system
 
#14 ·
This is one of the reasons I added Zunnsport grills in front and on the side
 
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