kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

I have a 2k2 SE automatic and today while sitting at a red light I noticed a rhythmic thumping coming from under the hood on the passenger side. Car seems to run fine and I don't hear it in any other gear but drive. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks yall

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

Ummmm that's not good. Have it inspected now. Need a better description

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

What could it be? What's on your mind that makes it not good?

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Also, there is no place that can look at it tonight and I need it tomorrow morning. So I'm at a loss.

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

Thumping. Things that come to my mind:

Piston "knock" (catastrophic engine noise)

Broken or severly damaged transmission component, such as the torque converter

Nothing "thumps". That's something big. It's only doing it under load it seems. Park the car and take a video. make it long enough for us to hear the noise but short enough that you won't do much more damage to the car.

Then I can tell you with more certainty. For now, don't drive it or the car might become a write off to you.

I assume you've checked the silly things like Engine and transmission oil?

AznRyan

iTrader: (1)

Lifters tapping?

Not to insult your intelligence, but have you checked the oil level lately?

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Oil was changed last week. It only does it at idle, not under load and only in drive with the brake applied. Car runs, pulls, and accelerates normally. Best way to describe the sound would be a belt smacking into something as it rotates. It is very consistent with the timing and not too terribly loud, can't be heard with the radio on at a comfortable volume.

Chris Gregg

iTrader: (59)

That was actually going to be my assumption, belt smacking. Of course, again....your "thump" may be my "whap." You get the idea.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

I had a thumping like noise one time.it turned out to be the plastic hitting the crank pulley i forgot to put it back in correctly after a powersteering belt change.maby it got bent out of shape during your oil change.

AznRyan

iTrader: (1)

^--good point cj

Did the sound start after the oil change?

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Started about a week after a motor mount swap. Which I'm sure they were removed to do that. Ill have to look at that tomorrow when it's daylight. I really hope that's what it is. I cant afford another bill...

On a side note...do I have to have those splash guards on the bottom? All they do is dry rot and fall apart and hang down looking like crap. Could I cause an damage by not having them on there?

Chris Gregg

iTrader: (59)

Yes, keep those guards as they protect the underbody and engine components from moisure, saturation, dirt, and debri. There are already components that are prone to rust, such as the oil coolant pipe back to the radiator. You could short your alternator and shorten the life span of your belts....just for starters.

Those guards are plastic and are NOT prone to deterioration unless left improperly mounted. They tend to crack only when abused. You can re-attach them with some 10mm bolts or even plastic wire ties. KEEP THEM!! SECURE THEM PROPERLY!!

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Ok, I'll keep them installed, maybe even get some new ones. Either way, do you think that's what's causing my issue or is it something more serious?

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Thats exactly what I was thinking considering it happened to me today lol. Not a "thump" so much as a scraping which causes me to pull over and inspect and come to find out it had ripped off and literally melted part of it from the scraping. If you got an oil change last week....it could be the oil and that would be bad if you keep driving. check the oil in the morning and look around at the splash guards

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

If it was the oil wouldn't I hear abnormal sounds while under load?

Shift_Max

iTrader: (18)

Did you check your oil level?

teej220

okay, km habing the same exact problem as you however the problem is jnder my feet. I'll turn left right and its a loud clank, jot nice sounding and pretty dam loud. Sometimes when I hit a bjmp it won't make noise but ehen I'm crusing I'll feel the banging under my feet. I got new controll arms but that didn't do doodles. Still lound smack under my feet. Please help yooo

02whitemaximase

iTrader: (38)

Keep the shields on! Thanks to Chris I have the front ones back on. It is not good to have so much debris hitting your belts, compressor and alternator.

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

One thing needs to be checked, does it do this in Drive, 1, 2, 3, and Reverse? Or ONLY IN DRIVE????

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

I only hear it in drive. Oil level is fine. Acceleration is fine. No codes. Nothing abnormal except the belt smacking sound.

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

Ok so now it's a belt smacking not a Thump?

To clarify, THUMP= noise with a lot of 'bass', deep, low, a sound you can almost 'feel'
Slap= abrumpt mid-range noise


i can't view your vids on this network so I'm kind of holding comments back for now until I can view them.

I can say though, if it's ONLY doing it in Drive, only at idle, and NOWHERE ELSE, then it's almost gotta be a transmission issue. If it did it in reverse, 1, 2, 3, etc, then one could say that it's potentially still an engine side of things issue because the RPM drops when you're in gear, and the load on the engine increses. But if you're correct that it doesn't make this noise anywhere else then I'm pointing to the tranny. I'll update when i can check the video

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

There is no video yet. A few posts ago CG had me describe it and I mentioned belt snacking. It's intermittent and earlier today I hear it in drive, neutral, reverse, and park. Haven't tested 1 2 3 yet. We've had A TON of rain lately, and that's when it started. Could that have anything to do with it?

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

Without a video this is very hard. Especially considering the description of the noise is changing, and subjective to interpretation. This could be many things. I'd be doing a very close inspeciton of the pulleys and belts first, along with checking the oil, etc (I DONT CARE IF IT WAS JUST CHANGED< CHECK IT ANYWAYS

Oil change guys are useless and many an engine has been swapped because of drainplugs left out, overfull of oil, underfilled, etc, etc.

Are you mechanically inclined to inspect these things? If not you should have someone who is look at it, it's that simple.

The fact that you haven't checked the oil yet is astonishing to me.

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Sorry. I checked the oil this morning after I got to class and it was perfectly fine. I tried recording the noise but im not able to capture it.

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Sorry I'm not making much sense. I've got a lot going on right now with school and now this. So please forgive me and my erratic posting, just a little stress. I truly do appreciate all of the help.

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

It's all good man we've all been there. I just know that you don't need the stress of serious damage because you didn't take the time NOW to fix it before it becomes a BIG problem (if that's the case).

Taking the time now to find out what's going on, or shelling out the money to PAY someone to do it for you if you don't have the time, will SAVE you a lot of time, headache, AND money at the end of this.

^Trust me on this one, been there. Done that. Got the T-Shirt

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

Yea. I tested all the gears a few minutes ago and I can hear it in every single gear.

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

If you have a decent ear or a stethoscope/screwdriver:

While the car is making the noise (enlist a buddy if necessary):


put the screwdriver pointed end on the top of the engine (where the writing is(valve cover), on the far side by the battery), and put your ear directly on the end of the handle part of the screwdriver. Is the noise louder, note the noise's volume, and most importantly, the RATE of the noise (if it's rotational, how often per engine revolution it makes the noise, you don't have to know exactly just keep track of the frequency of the noise).

Now lower your listening device down towards the transmission, before the bell housing (tapered steel part will start going toward the battery). Where this starts to taper, listen, again, does it get louder? How frequent?

The top end (valve cover) of the engine turns slower rotationally compared to the bottom of the engine (bell housing/crankshaft area). The Lower end of the engine turns exactly TWICE as fast as the top

Now that you know what the top end sounds like and how the bottom end is a faster noise, can you tell which part it is? The top or the bottom?
And also, were you able to pinpoint the area the noise is coming from better? did it get louder or quieter depending on where you were listening?

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

I'll do this tomorrow and see what I can come up with. I had the hood opened earlier today just peeping around after I check the oil (car was running at this point) and I could not hear the noise while standing / leaning over engine, however, I can hear it perfectly in the cabin, not sure if this has anything to do with it or not, just something I noticed this afternoon.

Chris Gregg

iTrader: (59)

Do you have a FSTB? Somehow now I can't help but wonder if this is not a blown mount.
As stated before, we are trying to diagnose objectively with highly subjective information.

kbcnd

iTrader: (2)

No FSTB and the two torque mounts are only a week old, replaced with ES bushings. Could it be the passenger side fender well mount? She's at the mechanic now.