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Suzuki DF200 - 2020 - 100 Hour - Strange ticking/knocking noise

E

ercdmr

New member
Hi everyone,

My Suzuki DF200 started making this rhythmic ticking/knocking noise.

I have uploaded two separate videos to show how the sound behaves in different scenarios:

Video 1 - Engine at Idle:

Video 2 - Engine with Slight Throttle:

Does anyone have any ideas on what this sound could be and where it might be coming from? Could it be something internal in the power unit, or possibly an external part like the purge valve or drive shaft/lower unit?

Any advice or similar experience would be highly appreciated. Thanks!
 
I noticed a similar noise coming from my 2009 DF90A, very noticeable with the cowl off less noticeable with the cowl on. I had a mechanically inclined friend listen to my engine, his opinion was noisy injectors.

Take a long screwdriver and place the end on an injector and the handle to your ear(poor man’s stethoscope) and listen. Next, place the screwdriver on the valve cover and listen. My GUESS is the injectors will be noisier than the valve cover. If the valve cover is producing the noise in question then your tappets will need adjustment by adding or subtracting shims. On my engine Suzuki recommends checking valve clearance at the 200 hour mark and if memory serves every 1000 hours after that. Check your owner’s manual for valve clearance/adjustment timeframe.

If you have a good relationship with a Suzuki dealer/shop they might check it out for a small fee.

At one time Suzuki had a 6 year warranty, if you have the 6 year warranty they might check for free?
 
William01 said:
I noticed a similar noise coming from my 2009 DF90A, very noticeable with the cowl off less noticeable with the cowl on. I had a mechanically inclined friend listen to my engine, his opinion was noisy injectors.

Take a long screwdriver and place the end on an injector and the handle to your ear(poor man’s stethoscope) and listen. Next, place the screwdriver on the valve cover and listen. My GUESS is the injectors will be noisier than the valve cover. If the valve cover is producing the noise in question then your tappets will need adjustment by adding or subtracting shims. On my engine Suzuki recommends checking valve clearance at the 200 hour mark and if memory serves every 1000 hours after that. Check your owner’s manual for valve clearance/adjustment timeframe.

If you have a good relationship with a Suzuki dealer/shop they might check it out for a small fee.

At one time Suzuki had a 6 year warranty, if you have the 6 year warranty they might check for free?
Click to expand...
Hi there,

Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and reassuring analytical response! Hearing that you experienced a very similar noise on your DF90A gives me a huge sigh of relief, especially after a local tech tried to tell me that the whole engine block was ruined.

Your "poor man’s stethoscope" method with a long screwdriver is an excellent diagnostic step. I will definitely head down to the boat, take the cowl off, and do a side-by-side acoustic comparison between the fuel injectors, the valve cover, and the purge valve to pinpoint the exact origin of the ticking.

If it turns out to be noisy injectors, I will be more than happy to just live with the sound knowing it's harmless. If it's coming from the valve cover, I will look into getting the valve clearance/tappets checked and adjusted with proper shims, as you suggested.

Thanks again for sharing your experience and for the warranty/maintenance interval reminders. It helps immensely to have a rational roadmap instead of a worst-case scenario panic! I'll update the thread as soon as I perform the screwdriver test.

Best,
 
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