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.

 

[DJ23GSX]

the input shaft was stressed. basically the tranny didnt sit flush with the block and caused it to eventually stress crack along with a blown up clutch. I'd just take it out inspect everything, find out what exactly is leaking and fix it. then remember the dowels for the tranny and put it in perfectly straight.

Yeah I'll have a better idea of whats going on when I pull out the tranny hopefully next weekend. I'll def post here if I find anything wrong or if I find any useful info. I'm really hoping the noise is just from the tranny being low on fluid cause of he leak and that bolt inside the tranny being loose causing the shifter to move when in gear. The tranny guys going to have to open the case to fix the leak and he said he'll check everything out when he's inside there. He already knows about the shifter moving issue and said it should be an easy fix since he'll already be inside the tranny anyways. He did mention that it could be just a bad tranny mount as well.

 

[brandon1239]

yea just hope for the best is all you can really do haha. good luck man

 

[DJ23GSX]

yea just hope for the best is all you can really do haha. good luck man

Yeah but don't forget its a DSM so I'm sure there's not going to be an easy way out

 

[nate_boosted]

I am having a weird vibration noise coming from around the transmission area. It only happens when the rpm's are between 2000 and 2500. It happens in every gear and even in neutral. It started happening right after i replaced the front drivers side wheel hub and the front brakes but the sound is coming more from the passengers side. It runs fine and i dont notice any other problems. Any ideas?

 

[shinzon]

Does it happen when you rev the engine while pushing in the clutch? Does the sound change in pitch/frequency with engine rpm? Are you sure its only happening between that engine speed range? It might just be overrun by other noises such as exhaust, turbo, etc as engine speed increases. I'm thinking either clutch or flywheel related, though.

 

[Mph]

Try getting an exact area where the noise is coming from. These old cars get a lot of rattles..coming from the door panels.. sun roofs.. hatch. Everything! Haha. Get a friend or someoe to take a screw driver and poke around putting it up to there ear on anything metal to see if its vibrating around there. This technique is very useful.

 

[nate_boosted]

It still happened with the clutch in and it only happened at that rpm. My car makes lots of vibrations and stuff but its a different sound. Its more lower pitched and doesnt change higher or lower it just goes away when the rpms are above or below that range. I had the car up on a lift and was looking for anything that looked wrong and i noticed that there was a bolt snapped off on the little cover plate on the transmission by the flywheel and it was only being held on by two bolts. I just took the whole thing off to see if that was the problem and i havent heard it so far but yesterday the noise seemed to go away towards the end of the day for some reason but i heard it really bad right away when i first drove it this morning so im not completely sure if that was it yet.

Well i never heard it at all today so that must have been it. Glad it was nothing major.

 

[gabi]

I have the same problem with Saturn Astra. However I have hit it on the curb during showstorm this winter and now the passenger wheel keeps doing this grinding sound while accelerating. The shop repaired the wheel, and a bearing was doing some dull noise so they replaced it. However now when they replaced it it's doing this grinding sound only while acceleration. It is also making squeeaking noises when going over a pot hole or when I accerelate suddenly. I listened to your recorded videos and first one is very hard to hear and the second sounded a little louder, but it seems like your noise is much more pronaunced.
I will drive the car for about a week and try to bring it back to the shop, because the noise gotten worse so far but at the shop, they are saying they don't hear it. They also told me it might be rotors after the winter, but the car has 20 000 miles and rotors seem to be fine. Plus I don't understand how rotors could be the cause since I hear no noise when breaking, only when accelerating or when not pushing the gas, nor the break.
Gabi

 

[DJ23GSX]

So I got the tranny out today and everything looked good. The clutch looks like its brand new but I did notice that the throw out bearing had a little groove worn in it. The clutch fork and pivot ball also looked new no wear on either of them. When I turned the output shaft on the tranny by hand I could kinda hear a little noise kinda like the roaring I hear when I accelerate. I'll know more once the tranny guy opens up the case and takes a look.

 

[pwnzer]

it started off much worse. then as my engine warmed up it got quieter.
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[liquidz28]

can you make a slightly longer vid with it cold please? it sounds like a lifter but really cant tell...need longer and colder for better definition.

 

[Codester]

Yea they sound like lifters. Had a similar sound when I had a 420a.

 

[pwnzer]

heres a second video
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNhvKJxcnhw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNhvKJxcnhw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
If it is the lifters should I be worried? How do I fix it?

 

[dsm'r sk1mp]

check your timing marks im not kidding if its sounding like a subby then you most likely have a miss. do a compression test and like a said and do a f'n blt. how you can check your timing marks is taking a half inch wratchet and turning the crank right untill the marks ar really close then look at the harmonic balancer and there is a mark cut into it and if that mark is not pointing to the arrow point on the block then ou skipped time.

 

[liquidz28]

heres a second video
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNhvKJxcnhw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNhvKJxcnhw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
If it is the lifters should I be worried? How do I fix it?

sounds like lifters to me..
my 2g-gsx has made that noise from day 1, i wouldnt be too worried about it.
one thing you DO want to check is...with the car off check all your pullies for solidity, make sure they dont wiggle or shake when you put your hand on em, ### thats also what this sounds like, loose pully wich is a really bad thing...

 

[pwnzer]

alright will do thank you! by the way that is one damn sexy car you have there.

 

[liquidz28]

alright will do thank you! by the way that is one damn sexy car you have there.

hey thanks alot took alot of elbow grease and patience to get it to this point, just to have the cats use it as a floor mat

 

[pwnzer]

that blows dude! i just wish i could scrounge up some money for a paint job those arent stock headlights are they?

 

[liquidz28]

that blows dude! i just wish i could scrounge up some money for a paint job those arent stock headlights are they?

no, not stock, they are projectors from Anzousa, one of my vendors...i only like them for the perfect hid cutoff

 

[DJ23GSX]

Got a call from the tranny guy today and its not pretty. Apparently a couple bearings went bad inside the tranny causing all the gears to move around and eventually crack the case internally. There was also quite a few chips in a lot of the gears most likely cause by all the slop on the shaft. He also said that he was almost certain this is the root of my roaring noise under acceleration due to the gears uneven wear, slop and numerous chips.

 

[whyadsm]

Hi, Im new to dsm. A few weeks ago I did a compression test. After we put back everything and turn on the engine, there is a weird noise. I think its coming from the turbo area. Does anybody know what it is or have had this problem. I hope this video can help.
99 eclipse gsx bone stock. thanks!!
YouTube - wierd niose

 

[JBDdsmer610]

Ok so i was on the highway today was doing like 50mph and dropped it to 4th and got on it for about 6 seconds and i just felt something go wrong with the car. My a/f were about 11.2 rich at 14psi. the car is pretty much bone stock.

Ok well let me get to it i get off the highway and i start hearing this knocking noise i drove it home checked the oil was clean and no sparkles of metal. i started playing around and it only makes the noise from 2000 rpm's to about 3100 rpm's then it goes away. I have been having problems with my starter latley too it sounds like the zipper at the carnival right when i turn the key. I am just wondering if this knocking noise could have something to do with the starter.

I also did the pulling of the wires with the car running and nothing happened but it dosent knock at idle.

Help me out here guys.......Ill post a Vid up As Soon As Possible.

 

[1995gsx20g]

at 50mph in 4th gear that's a little low on the rpm range so maby its bogging?
maby you meant 3rd?

can you isolate the general area of the noise?
does it do this when free revving the motor?

 

[JBDdsmer610]

If you mean parked reving it up.....yes it still makes the noise, and in the same RPM range as i mentioned up top. i can hold the throtle at 4000 rpms and 4500 rpms and the noise is gone.

Me and my dad checked it out and we both think the noise is coming from up top of the engine.

 

[flying_eagle]

i would check your flywheel both talons I have had the bolts backed out and knocked. Pull the dust cover and try to move it back and forth if it moves the its you flywheel