I have a 97 Z24 manual trans. I parked the car a few moths ago due to an emmissions problem I didn't have the $$$ to fix at the time, and it ran fine. When I started it up last week to take it to the smog shop, it makes a god awful noise (it did NOT make this when I parked it). It is like a steady rattling noise, kind of like a baseball card in the spoke of a bike.
The noise appears to be coming from the transmission, and is ONLY EVIDENT IF I'M NOT ON THE GAS! If I'm accelerating, all is normal, but the second I let off, here comes the TAT-TAT-TAT again! It increases with speed (not RPM) and happens in all gears, with or without the clutch depressed. I had the axles replaced recently, so I doubt its a CV joint.
Has anyone ever heard of this before? I'm going nuts. I usually know how to fix cars, but this one has me and two of my (professional) mechanic buddies scratching our heads...
Any help would be appreciated.
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When American astronauts first went into space, they discovered their pens wouldn't write. So the government spent $30 million to develop a pen they could use in space........ The Russians used a pencil.
Have u checked your tires? said its been sitting for a couple months maybe you have some bad flat spots.
HUmm, if it's been sitting some "critter" may have made a nest somewhere around the drivetrain and dragged something in there. Look around the F & R axles & torque converter and see if there's something. When cars sit, things tend to settle at the bottom of the oil & tranny pan and mice & bugs tend to build nests. I parked a Caprice earlier in the year for 3-4 months, and a mouse built a nest by the torque converter. Made a nasty pop sound, but after crawling around under it found the nest and a stick that was snagging on the coverter bolts. Damn varmits.
Don
Both suggestions make sense. However, I know it isn't the tires. I have low profile tires, and I made sure to fill them before taking the car back out so i wouldn't damage my rims.
I have also crawled under the car to try and locate the noise, and the only critters I could find were Black Widows. I suppose there could be some kind of infestation inside the trans itself, since I am missing the fill hole plug (been that way since I got it). I haven't tried changing the transmisson oil yet. I doubt it could be anything nesting in the bell housing, since I have the pre 2000 Isuzu (pronounced: "Crappy") manual, which does not have any sort of venting or exposed flywheel gear like you can see from under the car on the later Getrag units.
Maybe its time to just bite the bullet and take it to Aamco... Or better yet, shell out the money to covert it to the much less breakable Getrag unit. I suppose I could also shell out the $7000 or so it would take to get the Cobalt SS drivetrain to drop in...
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When American astronauts first went into space, they discovered their pens wouldn't write. So the government spent $30 million to develop a pen they could use in space........ The Russians used a pencil.
