Interesting sounds... Options

[JMoushon]

Here is one that is new to me, not on DSMs, but overall.

I start the car, and I think I hear lifter tick. Well, I do, just worse than usual and of a slightly different pitch.

To be honest, it sounds exactly like a bad plug wire, only there is no arcing on the wires and the plugs are fine. There seems to be a misfire accompanying the sound, which furthers my opinion that it is something in the ignition.

The arcing noise is coming from near the injectors, but they are not the culprit.

Ideas? So far I think it could be the coil pack shorting, but I can't trace it to one cylinder, the problem is intermittent. I have no light at the moment, so I can't check the plug wire connection at the coil.

It's rare for me not to have heard a particular noise, especially on a DSM, and I have heard this before, but not in this location. Head-scratcher for sure.