My girlfriend has an '04 Civic (automatic) with this tapping and slight squeak that almost sounds like a tapping injector. The noise is coming from the top, back side of the engine (near the throttle lever).

Obviously the car is going in for warranty reasons. However, I'm curious as to what the hell this noise is. This noise happens when the car is cold, and stops after the car has been warmed up for 15 to 20 minutes.

What do you think this might be? Thanks.

 

Since it's brand spankin' new, just get it to the dealer ASAP because an internal engine squeal doesn't sound very good... squeals are usually caused by oil starvation. My distributor squealed when it bit the dust and seized up...

...but the tapping part is normal for cars with solid lifters. Metal expands with heat, so your valves are actually shorter when they're cold. It's only a few thousandths of an inch, but that's all it takes to make one tick. You might need a valve adjustment. Check your maintenance schedule in the glove box for how often it should be done.

 

[irrelevant]my roomie's saab ticks when its cold, and when it hasn't been driven for a while because its waiting to get sufficient oil pumping through its hydraulic valvetrain[/irrelevant]