I can hear it coming from around the front passenger side of the car. It is a sputtering sound that happens when I'm accelerating only. I don't really hear it unless I have the passenger window open and there is a wall or a car close enough to reflect the sound back at me. It seems to start around 2500 RPMs but starts to die off after holding the RPM's there steady.

I've checked my exhaust at idle and it doesn't seem to be leaking but I didn't try revving it because I didn't have anyone with me. I also checked my wheels and wheel bearings (just cuz I've been having bad luck with them lately) and those don't seem to be the problem.

Does anybody find this familiar or know what the problem is? This is really driving me crazy and I want to get this fixed. Thanks in advance.

 

any mods?
how many miles?
how long has it been happening?
can you be more descriptive about the noise?
auto or 6spd?

 

Ypipe all the way back is aftermarket. Riding on coilovers.
close to 60K miles.
I think it started happening when I went over a ginormous bump in road. It most more like a mini kicker ski jump in the middle of the city.
It kinda sounds like air sputtering out of a hole or something like a "put put put put"... thats the best I can describe it with words...
auto.

 

try brake torquing. put it in gear, hold the brake as best as you can, rev the engine you should be able to hear it if its an exhasut leak.


DONT do this for more than 5 seconds at a time. if heats up the tranny fluid. do it for 5 or so seconds, and then put it in neutral and rev to 2-3000 for about 10 seconds to bring the TFT back down.

have someone with you to listen... you should be able to either locate it, or it may be vehicle speed related rather than load related.


good luck

 

I have the SAME exact noise, from the way you describe it. I have no idea what it is, but I'll admit it is a bit perturbing. I don't have any performance mods, short of a drop-in KN&N filter, which clearly isn't causing this issue.

What scares me about it is that it sounds like something may be wrong with the engine. But by the same token, it's one of those really hard to diagnose things.

Good luck finding it! And please let us know if you do.

-Brian

 

I still think that its an exhaust leak. I'm going to test Bewst's suggestion sometime later this week. I'll probably try to torque down the nuts more in the meantime. I'll post back with my findings.

 

sup bob,

i had the same problem. It was an exhaust leak on my car. I replaced my stock y-pipe with a new one and it went away.

 

Could you hear the leak at idle? I couldn't on mine.... I guess its just a varying degree of "leakage".
Thanks for the suggestion, Brian.

 

Not sure which suggestion you're referring to, but you're welcome!

I forgot to mention two things:
1) My noise is only while accelerating, as soon as you hit the pedal after coasting, just like you said.
2) Don't know if it matters, but I have about 57,000 miles on the car.

 

Precat element on the front bank....might wanna look into that

 

same thing. i would like to know.. i think it is something with the heat shield cat but after my recent maf change, it went away? no way it could be related. i could have also hit a bump and knocked it into place, whatever it is.

it's like a throaty noise thing that is very distinct and not a leak for sure. back in my younger years i've had that happen to my other car too for a few months then after having to change the clutch it went away.



odd.

 

I listened a bit closer last night and seems like it is coming from more around where the Ypipe connects to the rear bank manifold. Haven't had a chance to get under the car though.
Next chance I get, I'll take a look at the pre-cat heat sheild also.

How hard is it to remove the pre-cat and gut it? Might be a good time to do this.