Engine Noise / Ticking, Knocking, Tapping MERGED

[eric489]

All threads with vague titles regarding engine bay noises are now merged HERE.

If you honestly feel we can diagnose an internal engine problem from a poor description or low-quality video / audio sample, give it a shot.


I own a 1997 gst spyder and there is a ticking noise comming fron the engine. It comes and goes and it mostly sounds bad at idle. I have 97,000 miles on it and i change the oil regularly. I changed it about 2000 miles ago I need help to fix the problem.

 

[NExStreetRacer]

More opinons please still cant find sorce of problem ill get a video soon of that scraping grinding sound comeing from near the belts or pulleys. the sound is buging me.

Come on people I need to figure out more with your help!!

NON TURBO 1 G DSM



1. Hey I was just wondering if anyone could tell me this sound I will explain it and get a video of it eventually. When the car idles you cant here the sound but when you're driving and you press the gas it sounds like a scraping/grinding noise. But if you let off the gas the sound will disappear it doesn’t matter how fast or what gear I am in when I press the gas the sound is back. You can’t hear the sound when in neutral and giving gas (revving it). But I know something is not right with the engine including a low idol its 1990 laser non-turbo 5 speed with 80 K orginal miles.

My solution: about the sound I think it might be coming from the timing belt or pulley areas but I want to fix that problem and not fix something that doesn’t need fixing but my car just reached 80 k mile so I am thinking about replacing the timing belt and timing belt teensier with a non hydraulic one from extremepsi.com.

2. And when I go like 70 MPH the steering wheel vibrates really badly is that normal? Or is there some way to reduce that? It doesn’t seem like the car vibrates but the wheel goes crazy.

My solution: new ball joints & wheel studs, Rotors resurfaced with new brakes? and a Suspension alignment, wheel bearings and tie rod ends

3. AND a shifting problem it’s hard to put into 1st gear 2nd gear and will grind in mostly 1st sometimes reverse. Second grinds randomly it is not enjoyable to shift gears.

My solution: Could that be a slave or master cylinder problem or I could just change the tyranny fluid? Or try bleeding the salve?

So if anyone can give me thoughts on my solutions or add new solution or have any suggestions on doing some needed maintenance to the car let me know what I should be doing to this car to get it running and sounding and driving as perfect as it can get. It will be greatly appreciated thanks!

 

[GsXdSmKingGsX]

I don't see how shavings can get from in your motor to the gas tank. If you want to check for metal shavings, check the oil pan.

well they were bud. I know its weird. But i bought a new motor minus the head because it was still useable. Its running ok

 

[brownfinger]

I'm currently avoiding driving my car.
My reason: The metal scraping/grinding noise coming from the timing belt end of my engine. My water pump has less than 10K miles on it, yet it is trash already.
If you can't hear the noise at idle, only while driving, how can you be sure where the noise is coming from? I only really hear mine at idle, and the rest of the noises cover it up while I'm driving.
To pin-point the water pump, I used a length of plastic hose as a stethescope. There isn't a lot of clearance in there. I held one end to my ear, and moved the other end around to the various pulleys and accessories. As I got "warmer", searching around with the end of the hose, the sound would keep getting louder, untill the end of the hose would start jamming into my ear: There are four bolts that hold on the water-pump pulley, and as the pulley spins, its' bolts hit the semi-rigid tubing and kept slamming it into my ear.
I repeated this scientific test several times to be sure.
Then I removed the belts and spun it by hand to be extra sure. It was making the noise, and it had ass-loads of play in both axis.
I guess I get to pull my timing belt that only has 10,000mi on it!

 

[ShawnsGarage]

Does the noise go away when you push the clutch in? Whats your oil pressure look like? Whats the temp gauge read when the car warms up? Sounds like clutch release bearing.

Also is your car throwing a CEL? Does the exhaust smell rich?

 

[kahl23]

Sorry to bring back a somewhat old thread, but there is no way shavings went from your engine into your gas tank, it's just physically impossible. Gas goes from the tank, through the lines to the filter, then to rail, where some but not all of it goes through the injectors. The remaining fuel in the rail then goes through the FPR and back into the tank. Nowhere does anything go from the engine to the fuel system, it's always the other way around. Futhermore, there is a screen on your fuel pump to keep crap from getting into the fuel system, and even if shavings did get into the lines they would have to go through the filter and then the injectors. If they even made it that far the result would most likely be a clogged injector, not shavings in the engine. The shavings came from somewhere in the fuel tank or system, not from the engine, they might be left over from when the car was built. If the car still has good compression numbers and drives fine, chances are they never made their way into the motor, although it's possible that some did if the shavings are small enough to fit through both the screen on the pump, the fuel filter, and the injectors, but if you notice no loss in compression or anything else, I'd say you're fine.
About the noise, didn't you say that it was the harmonic dampener? How many miles since you last changed it? I would just go in there and change the dampener out and do a timing job while you're at it.

 

[NExStreetRacer]

Does the noise go away when you push the clutch in? Whats your oil pressure look like? Whats the temp gauge read when the car warms up? Sounds like clutch release bearing.

Also is your car throwing a CEL? Does the exhaust smell rich?

NO CEL I am pretty sure if I let of the gas or press the clutch in there is no sound but when I press the clutch the sound changes its constant sound I can definitely hear the sound well I am planning on when its not raining to have someone drive my car while I ride in the engine bay with the hood up to pin point the location of the sound but I have to wait for a non rainy day. oil pressure is good and the temp gauge is fine the car warms up to0o right in the middle and stays in the middle till i shut it off until it cools back down. Would a loose belt mabey cause this problem??? and I am thinking about changeing my transmission fluid cause my 1st 2nd and reverse gear grind but only when the car is cold like after i drive it for awhile and get it warm up it shifts almost perfect but then the next morning it will grind 1st then ill go for 2nd and it grinds once again only those gears give me problems until after i have driven it awhile anyone have any ideas HELP ME PLEASE!

 

[DIRQUIN]

Take your upper timming cover off. Rev up the engine and watch the belt between the cam gears. It shouldnt move much. If that is ok, take a long small diameter screw driver and place the tip on verious parts of the timming cover, on the idler hold down bolts, watch out for the belts, and put the handle end to your ear at every point. Have a friend, or if your like me use a screw driver to operate the throttle at the t/b. Raise the rpm's slowly up and down to around 5k or less. Check the different sounds that all the different points make. If you still cant tell. Take the drive belts off and drive it for a short bit. Start when its cold so it doesnt get hot quick. Watch your temp guage so you dont get it hot. If it still is making it, you may need to take the t-belt off and check the t-belt idler pulleys and balance shafts.

 

[eeeewidner]

Just for thought.....What condition is your harmonic balancer in.... Or if one of your timing belt pullys are bad or the bearings are dried up it would cause a very similar sound....

 

[boyd0069]

when did you change your tranny fluid last? I had a similiar sound and went to change my fluid and it looked like silver fingernail polish on my n/t tranny

 

[waterman412]

when im driving usually 2nd or 3rd gear it happens, i hear this loud squeal and my car almoststales. it lasts for less then a second and is so random.



it almost sounds that kid that starts his car when its already started, that kind of squeal. very loud.

 

[NExStreetRacer]

Just for thought.....What condition is your harmonic balancer in.... Or if one of your timing belt pullys are bad or the bearings are dried up it would cause a very similar sound....

The car had 82 K miles on it when I got it. Now it has 85 K miles now that I drive it. I am not sure how good or bad the condition of the timing belt or pulleys or the harmonic balancer. So I guess I will replace it all

when did you change your tranny fluid last? I had a similiar sound and went to change my fluid and it looked like silver fingernail polish on my n/t tranny

I was thinking maybe this sound is my wheel bearing??? I should replace those

Yea I plan to redo the transmission fluid engine oil + filter air filter fuel filter and replace the timing belt + the tensioner. I think the kid I bought it off said the belt was just replaced for the alternator though. by the way im not talking about the car in the picture !

 

[Defiant]

First suspect for DSM squealing is always the harmonic balancer. Is your AC running when this happens? That would account for it being random, and at higher speeds.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/pro...-just-time-pics-video.html?highlight=harmonic

 

[waterman412]

i have never even used the a/c in the car . its way too cold here for it usually when i drive.

 

[2FoX2]

Well it doesn't take using the AC for the compressor to be active. The compressor runs when you have the windshield defogger on as well (HVAC dial turned all the way to the right). The compressor runs to dry the air and that could be the source of your random squeal.

 

[Lofty]

I have a faint grinding noise in neutral.
with clutch OUT.

Is this a bad bearing in my trans?
I want some more info on how driveable this is.

 

[rts91tsi]

How long has it been since you changed the clutch?

 

[Lofty]

I've pulled the trans before, clutch looked fine.

Goes into gear fine.

 

[eeeewidner]

Does the sound go away with the clutch in.... If so maybe a throwout bearing...

 

[Lofty]

Does the sound go away with the clutch in.... If so maybe a throwout bearing...

Yeah it does. Isn't this the OPPOSITE of TOB symptoms.

 

[rts91tsi]

The damper springs on the clutch disc may be worn and rattling.

 

[Lofty]

Not sure it's that. There is absolutely no driveability problems on this, can I get a second opinion?

 

[eeeewidner]

I forgot which way it is, but anyways. When you had your trans out, how did the clutch fork look, no abnormal wear on the ends and how did the pressure plate look.

+1 clutch springs

 

[rts91tsi]

It seems correct to me because the TOB is a rest,waiting for you to engage it whe the clutch pedal is pressed down.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

Generally if it's the TOB if you put light pressure on the clutch pedal (not disengaging it all the way) the sound will change. Whether the sound gets louder or quieter all depends on what kind of damage is done to the TOB. Key here is light pressure, enough to set the TOB against the pressure plate.

If it's internal bearings inside the transmission the sound will go away when the clutch is fully depressed/disengaged. Since at that point you are separating the input shaft from the rotations of the engine.

If it were clutch springs I'd have to say that the engagement of the clutch would be different than it used to be and would create a drivability issue. Also if the springs popped out all the way and were just floating around in there I'd have to say that you would hear it all the time since they would be hitting either the flywheel or the pressure plate.

How many miles are on that transmission and what type of fluid is in there?

 

[Burnett03]

Mine does the same thing.. It's the TOB.