does it matter what gear you are in at all?

Nope, and it doesn't get any louder the higher the RPM's go. Its very consistent.

Is it just @ 2500rpm, or also in order rpms? does it also occurse in neutral when standing still? I hope it'snt rod knock!

Its been doing this for a while so if it is something with the engine itself, nothing catastrophic has happened yet. Its just annoying. And it starts at 2500 almost every time. Never tried it in neutral, but im assuming it would since it does it in gears 1-5.

Edit: no, definitely not rod knock. This sound is a lot faster and a little higher pitched, like a screw is loose or something.

hmm ok. your transmission is ok ? did you compare the sound to rod knock on youtube or something else?I've just had rod knock, and it was just @ 2krpm and disappeard when in lower or higher rpms. This sound was also very loud. compare it to someone beating with a hammer in side your engine.

Indeed, i looked it up on youtube, and so far havent found anything that matches the sound quite right. Transmission is... there, but its getting old. 4th gear grinds occassionally, and 3rd is a little rough usually, but thats about it (i replaced the master and slave cylinders recently thinking it might make things a little better, it didnt.)

ok its only good it doenst sound like rod knocking.Maybe you could post some video here to listen?I beth someone will recognize it

i have that same exact problem. its coming from the timing belt side of the motor. Let me know if u find the problem.

I know EXACTLY what this is. I had this issue so many damned times.

Check your ignition timing. Every time I had this issue, I'd check my timing, it'd be off... so I'd grab the light and go to work.

Viola! Gone.

It's something on the T-Belt side... That's all I know. It's loud and Fing annoying.

It doesn't (apparently) cause any mechanical or performance problems.. it's just worrisome.

I just tried to take a video, and of course it isnt doing it (probably because i just got back from work about an hour ago). Ill post a vid as soon as i can actually get it to rattle. How do you adjust ignition timing? Ive never done that before

Does it sound like its coming from there crank pully side where all your belts and pullies are??
Check to see if all you belts are tight!
Check to see if you alternator, powersteering pump, A/C unit, and a/c belt tensioner are all bolted down tight!!
(my car did this at around 2500-2800 rpms and it happen to be my a/c tensioner)

After you check all that look at your water pump, and timing belt tensioner bearing!

Hope its one of those easy ones.
and i hope this helps!

Thanks,
Good Luck


EDIT:
1)To adj. you timing, you will need a timing light.
2)Mark the timing mark on you crank pully with something light colored.
3)Hook the timing light to the battery correctly, then put the other cable over the #1 cylinder.
4)Loosen your CAS.
5)Have your car on.
6)Aim the light at the Crank pully and pull trigher.
7)Adj the CAS by turning it to make the light fire at the mark till you see the mark as close to the "T" on your timing belt cover! (for base stock timing)
8)Tighten CAS as you get your timing where you need it!
9) And You should be Finished!!

Although i don't think that as to do anything with the noise, thats how you do your timing!
Good Luck again!

There were a few loose screws on the alternator (i never worried about it because they look like a bi*** to get to and ive never had a problem thusfar), but you mentioned the alternator, so that might be it, ill try to tighten up the bolts later today. Why would the alternator make an RPM specific rattle though? Vibrations from the engine?

Yes.. i would say so.. not complete sure why!
Its a bit worse when you have the balance shaft elimnated!
And even more sure when you have solid motor mounts!

Check it out, and let us know if thats it!
If not, youll have to look deeper!

Yeah. Check all of those, cause I'd honestly like to know the exact cause.

When I had the issue, I checked belts, mounts, pulleys... everything was good. I checked my timing and it was about 3* off. So I re-timed it and it went away....

It came back about a month later, timing was off a bit... did it again.. replaced the Auto-Tensioner.. and no problems since.

Maybe it's related to the tension of the timing belt?

XiKeiyaZI said:

Maybe it's related to the tension of the timing belt?

Click to expand...

very true...
If the tensioner is bad it the timing belt will loose tension and that would cause the timing to go out.. when there is light tension on the timing belt the t belt bearing may wobble and possibly make a rattling noise!!
:/

Im trying to remove or tighten the loose screws in the alternator (the two closest to the front of the car, that is) and im having some trouble. The main loose one that im thinking is causing the rattling will NOT screw back in no matter how much elbow grease or screwing in i try (and i am screwing the right way, of course). Secondly, i cant pull the screw out of the alternator because there simply isnt enough room between the alternator and the frame of the car itself! So, my question is this, 1. Do i need that screw in the alternator (the really long one on the top, facing horizontally to the right, there are three of these but only that one is loose) or can i remove it? Secondly, how would i go about removing it short of sawing the damn screw in half? I have no idea how the guy screwed it in in the first place unless he is a magician.

o__O I've never had that issues.


But I think we debunked the problem. A wobbly T-Belt bearing is exactly what that vibration sounds like, now that I think about it.

Rattling at 2200-2500 RPM - Bad Auto Tensioner/Bad Timing Belt/Out of time.

Infact, I have a spare one sitting around. I'll mess with it when I get home and see if I can recreate that noise in regards to various tensions on it.

Exhaust leak.

sharkbait689 said:

(i replaced the master and slave cylinders recently thinking it might make things a little better, it didnt.)

Click to expand...

It didnt make things better, but it did keep things from getting worse. You were killing your syncros with those bad cylinders.

do you have your A/C compressor still mounted, do you have a belt on it? I know before I took mine out it was the pully on it rattling due to vibrations. I ended up temporarly filling it in with body filler temporarly untill I pulled it. check all of your pullies and make sure they're tightened and have no endplay. hope this helps

I have the exact same issue. A buzzing/rattle from about 1500-2500 rpm. then goes away. Hot or cold, neutral or all gears, clutch in or out... its still there. All belts are tight, pulleys are in good shape. Im getting ready to pull the timing belt, balance belt and replace all of the pulleys and the tensioners.

I had this problem as well, it was the timing belt tensioner, it was leaking, changed it out, no problem since. Good luck.