Weird sound. Transmission or muffler? Or something else?

S

sugjavier

Member
Guys, I need help on figuring out what's wrong with my car.
So here's how it is:
I have a whirring sound or something when I drive. Weirdest thing is that it doesn't happen all the time. Maybe every other day or every 2 days.
It happens when I'm driving around 2k-2.5k rpm. I just tested, while it was happening, if it would happen while in Reverse and it does. It does NOT happen in neutral though.

It really sounds to me that something is wrong with either the transmission or muffler. Maybe something loose. It's just a louder but different tone/pitch than the regular sound you hear when accelerating. No clunks. And I don't think it's hesitating on shifting gears.

So I took it to my mechanic and he test drove it for about 10 min and found nothing wrong. Like I told him, it doesn't happen every day and it feels random. Next week he's gonna take a closer look at it and check stuff.

I just posted it here just in case someone had the same issue so I can save time and tell him exactly where to look and what to test.
 
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If it won't do it in neutral, you've ruled out (for the most part) the exhaust. The muffler isn't under any more load in neutral or in drive, it's the same amount of gas passing through it.

Some other questions: Does this only happen when the engine is cold? After it rains? Any other environmental factor? Or just completely random?

Other ideas: most hissing/whistling noises are vacuum leaks. You only hear them at certain RPM's. It's like blowing over the top of a glass bottle. Too hard or too soft it makes no noise but when you get it just right it resonates. If it's more like a screeching/rubber noise check your drive belts for wear and cracks.
 
gamefreakgc said:
If it won't do it in neutral, you've ruled out (for the most part) the exhaust. The muffler isn't under any more load in neutral or in drive, it's the same amount of gas passing through it.

Some other questions: Does this only happen when the engine is cold? After it rains? Any other environmental factor? Or just completely random?

Other ideas: most hissing/whistling noises are vacuum leaks. You only hear them at certain RPM's. It's like blowing over the top of a glass bottle. Too hard or too soft it makes no noise but when you get it just right it resonates. If it's more like a screeching/rubber noise check your drive belts for wear and cracks.
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Now that you said it, I think it mostly happens either when I'm going to work or leaving work. You know, when the car sat outside after a while so I guess when it's cold. And also Sunday morning when I'm going up that small hill to go to church, it happened 3x in a row now. But sometimes it also happens in the middle of a decent drive, when the car is running warm already. Maybe when I take sharp turns it loosens up something? Idk

It's not really a whistling or hissing noise. It's really like the roar you get when accelerating + some extra sound that's in a different pitch/tone. Whirring/whining is probably the closest words I know that describes it.
 
sugjavier said:
Now that you said it, I think it mostly happens either when I'm going to work or leaving work. You know, when the car sat outside after a while so I guess when it's cold. And also Sunday morning when I'm going up that small hill to go to church, it happened 3x in a row now. But sometimes it also happens in the middle of a decent drive, when the car is running warm already. Maybe when I take sharp turns it loosens up something? Idk

It's not really a whistling or hissing noise. It's really like the roar you get when accelerating + some extra sound that's in a different pitch/tone. Whirring/whining is probably the closest words I know that describes it.
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Ok, that helps. I think you can rule out a drivetrain/transmission issue, since most will happen all the time (I've never heard a transmission ever make a noise before either).

I would start with the easy stuff like the belts. They will most definitely make noise when cold. They could also be wearing out and slipping under other conditions. These are regular maintenance items anyway, unless you know you've replaced them recently.

I just thought of something I had for a while and couldn't figure it out... have you checked your power steering fluid level? Is it full? It'll get real noisy when it's empty since it's sucking in air. I had that happen and always was loud at cold and at other times when I made hard turns. Your comment on the turning part made me think of it. Of course, if it's empty you've also got a leak somewhere. Mine was only losing half a quart over 4+ years so I didn't fix it.
 
gamefreakgc said:
Ok, that helps. I think you can rule out a drivetrain/transmission issue, since most will happen all the time (I've never heard a transmission ever make a noise before either).

I would start with the easy stuff like the belts. They will most definitely make noise when cold. They could also be wearing out and slipping under other conditions. These are regular maintenance items anyway, unless you know you've replaced them recently.

I just thought of something I had for a while and couldn't figure it out... have you checked your power steering fluid level? Is it full? It'll get real noisy when it's empty since it's sucking in air. I had that happen and always was loud at cold and at other times when I made hard turns. Your comment on the turning part made me think of it. Of course, if it's empty you've also got a leak somewhere. Mine was only losing half a quart over 4+ years so I didn't fix it.
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Well that certainly makes me feel better. I was afraid my tranny was gonna go out and its gonna cost me a lot.

When I get it checked next week, my mechanic is gonna replace the whole timing belt kit with the one I bought off ebay from aircabinman. So belts, tensioners, water pump, all that. I was gonna do it myself to save money but I don't really have time and I'm not even close to a mechanic at all. I'm a computer mechanic hehe.

I'll be sure to tell him to check the power steering fluid level. Isn't it bad to max out the steering when you're turning the wheel? I think I do that often. Also, if there was a noticeable leak, wouldn't you see it leaking from the bottom of the car when parked or something? or maybe see a trail?
 
sugjavier said:
Well that certainly makes me feel better. I was afraid my tranny was gonna go out and its gonna cost me a lot.

When I get it checked next week, my mechanic is gonna replace the whole timing belt kit with the one I bought off ebay from aircabinman. So belts, tensioners, water pump, all that. I was gonna do it myself to save money but I don't really have time and I'm not even close to a mechanic at all. I'm a computer mechanic hehe.

I'll be sure to tell him to check the power steering fluid level. Isn't it bad to max out the steering when you're turning the wheel? I think I do that often. Also, if there was a noticeable leak, wouldn't you see it leaking from the bottom of the car when parked or something? or maybe see a trail?
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Naw, maxing out the steering is normal. These trucks don't have the best turning radius!

Fixing cars ain't much different that fixing computers, I've done both. One is just bigger than the other! It's easier to mess up a laptop than a car, in my opinion. But a timing belt job IS a lot of work. I bet your whirring noise will be gone when it's back.

On the tranny note, I guess I'm one of the few that has actually owned a car with a failing tranny. The symptoms are gear slipping (will randomly shift gears) and "coasting" in between shifts, will take a second or two to shift between gears. Eventually it won't shift at all.
 
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Well, after my mechanic replaced the whole timing belt kit (aircabinman from ebay) and did a power steering flush using ATF, I still get this whirring noise when I drove to church first thing this morning. I also noticed, when in reverse, I turn my wheel and there's like a grinding noise near the front left wheel.

What else can I tell my mechanic to look at? Cuz everytime he tries to diagnose/test drive, it doesn't get the sound. And he can't really keep my car for a few days since I work full time and go to school.
 
This issue is still happening to me :(

I swear everytime I get my mechanic to go on a drive with me, it doesn't want to produce the same annoying sound that's been bothering me.

Things I've done so far:
Transmission fluid change
Whole timing belt kit + water pump changed
Power steering flush

Maybe its somewhere in the exhaust underneath?

I also get this other issue when even slightly turning, I put my foot on the pedal and almost get no power. Sometimes I'm barely moving even though I'm flooring it. Any ideas what in the world is going on?
 
This is a shot in the dark, but I had a cat on a Mazda tribute get clogged up inside with whatever is in there. Anyways, made similar noises and had no power even if applying liberal throttle.
 
I will get the cats checked and also u joints, I've read other similar threads and they said lubricating ujoints solved the issue for them.

I do have a question about the cats, if it is the problem and must be changed, can I just get an aftermarket $200-300 one instead of OEM which is super expensive? Is there a downside to this? Will I lose out on performance or mpg?
 
sugjavier said:
This issue is still happening to me :(

I swear everytime I get my mechanic to go on a drive with me, it doesn't want to produce the same annoying sound that's been bothering me.

Things I've done so far:
Transmission fluid change
Whole timing belt kit + water pump changed
Power steering flush

Maybe its somewhere in the exhaust underneath?

I also get this other issue when even slightly turning, I put my foot on the pedal and almost get no power. Sometimes I'm barely moving even though I'm flooring it. Any ideas what in the world is going on?
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I had the same issue with barely any power on turns this summer. It was my TC lockup solenoid. Was intermittent at first, few weeks later it was underpowered at all times. It's a simple and inexpensive fix if you are willing to do it yourself. I'd scan to see if you have any fault codes. I had no check engine light at first either but eventually threw the code P0770 (Shift solenoid 'E' malfunction).
 
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Same kind of weird noise......

I have a 99 limited with about 200k miles. I have posted a link below to a YouTube to see if you can tell me what this could be....I have replaced the clutch on the compressor, replaced timing belt assembly, and all pulley's. Also-only does it when motor is under load...compressor kicks in, put into drive, etc.....In the second video you can see the compressor kick in and hear the noise better....


https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=QEFPlntG3Io

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=FHGLYF3OyP4
 
Nekod said:
I have a 99 limited with about 200k miles. I have posted a link below to a YouTube to see if you can tell me what this could be....I have replaced the clutch on the compressor, replaced timing belt assembly, and all pulley's. Also-only does it when motor is under load...compressor kicks in, put into drive, etc.....In the second video you can see the compressor kick in and hear the noise better....


https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=QEFPlntG3Io

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=FHGLYF3OyP4
Click to expand...

To me it sounds like your fan is barely grazing the plastic shroud. The bottom of the fan shroud has a separate plastic piece, maybe that's loose and and gets slightly sucked up towards the fan?
 
Thanks for the help. I will take a look at the shroud and make sure, but it almost sounds like a metal on metal....I hope that it is not. I thought that it was the compressor clutch, so I replaced it, but it is still there.......
 
gamefreakgc said:
I'm guessing your checked your drive belts?

I think we need a sound clip or video to help any further :(
Click to expand...

Noise
I think I might've recorded it in my phone now, it's that whirring noise around 3-4 sec. It's actually way more noticeable in real life. It's also like a slightly higher pitch than what you actually hear. I tried to hold it around 2k rpms to capture the sound. I'll see if I can record it better at some point but hopefully this will help.
 
I think it's something like wheel bearings drive shift or something along those lines making the whirring noise unless u can pin the sound to the motor.
 
sugjavier said:
Noise
I think I might've recorded it in my phone now, it's that whirring noise around 3-4 sec. It's actually way more noticeable in real life. It's also like a slightly higher pitch than what you actually hear. I tried to hold it around 2k rpms to capture the sound. I'll see if I can record it better at some point but hopefully this will help.
Click to expand...

Here's a couple of other clips that should help. I will make a list of all those things you guys suggest to check and on my day off, I will let my mechanic check it for me. Appreciate it!

1
2
 
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