My '97 SE started to develop this intermitted knock/noise that I hope someone here can help me diagnose.
I get this knock/noise coming from engine bay when accelerating. It usually happens after my tranny shifts into 2nd then disapears. So I'm thinking this may be tranny related. But it doesn't happend most of the time, just sometimes. On top of that I get this vibration from left front wheel. It happens after 60mph and I don't feel it on the steering wheel, I feel it with my left leg on the floor. The vibration is similar to what you feel when you go over some rough concrete road. I was reading haynes manual and vibration and noise may be CV joint.. I may be wrong. How does CV join failure sound? Or does it sound like tranny failure?

 

In my 98 driver's manual, it states that occaisional pinging/knocking is OK. Your manual probably says it, too. Just so long as the knock sensor kicks in and corrects it, usually within a half second or so. My car does it too, and it is barely noticeable. All I put is 92 and above octane in my car so I know its not the gas. I have to have the windows closed, the climate control completely off, and the radio off, of course. Then, when I listen carefully, under medium to hard acceleration, I hear pings and half a second later, they're gone. So I gather that my knock sensor is working correctly.
As for your cv joint problem, can't help you there.

DW

 

Take the car to an empty parking lot and slowly drive in circles. Do this to the left and also to the right. If you hear a "click,click,click" type noise, this is a cv joint going bad. Confirm, while you are at it, turn wheel all the way to left and look at cv boot and look for cracks/splattered grease. Do this also for the right side.

 

I'll try that and see what happens. If that test doesn't give me anything.. what else should I look into?

 

After careful examination I think I isolated the problem. It only happens when under medium/hard acceleration, right after it hits 2nd gear and it disapears after half a second.
So I guess it's within limits. I also had a little intermitted pinging/knocking at idel. I always use Exxon 93, but this time I decided to try Sunoco 93 and the idle ping is gone. I guess the VQ is very sensetive when it comes to gas.