i was out cruising and i heard what sounded like a busted speaker. so i turned the radio only to realize this sound was coming from under my hood! i pulled over and checked but i couldnt see anything going wrong. it was almost like a grinding noise, but it did sound a lot like a busted scratchy speaker. what is this noise coming from? any ideas?

edit-i forgot to mention i felt something pop underneath the gas pedal. also this noise seems to only happen in 3rd or 4th gear (its a 4speed). thanks again.

 

Is the noise there when the car is not in gear?

 

no. the noise comes in 3rd, sometimes in second, but gets the worst in 4th. almost like it gets worse with the higher the engine revs.

 

drain the fluid...see what it looks like

 

tranny fluid? because i just drained it and added new fluid in about a month ago.

 

drain it, look for metal shavings

 

Hmmm?? If I had to warrant a guess, I would have to say that you have something internally wrong with the trans, like maybe some broken or worn needle rollers on the counter gear shaft perhaps. I would definitely drain the fluid as mentioned and look to see if there are any metal shavings in it.

I can only tell you from my own experience, I use to have a 1966 Mustang 6cyl 3-speed manual, and in 1-st gear the car sounded like a tractor, and very crunchy, second was slightly better, and third was okay. When we split the casing open, the counder gear shaft was totally worn, and the needle bearings were non existent. Man I hated that car!!

 

but the sound seems to be coming under the hood. also as i mentioned i felt a pop underneath the gas pedal when i was driving. but would a messed up tranny cause noises under the hood?

 

Have you tried looking around under the hood while the engine is running,revving it up and such?

 

yes i did try that. update, i took her out a few days later and it appears the noise stopped. so go figure.

 

Could be any number of things...

try...

Jack the rear of the car up and put it on some good jack stands with the rear tires off the ground. With plenty of room in front of the car, start it up and run it through the gears and see if you can figure out where the sound is coming from.

With it up in the air and someone in the seat you can listen as you walk around it and under it.
Just be damm carful of the moving parts..

You can also take off all the belts on the front of the motor, start it up and run it up quickly through the gears and see if the noise goes away. Don't run it too long like this as you won't have water circulating. If the noise goes away, then it is probably an accessory drive problem.

Since it is more prominent in 3rd and fourth then this does make the tranny suspect, but it could also be a drive line or rear axle issue as well.

 

Check for a broken motor mount. The sound that you heard may have been the fan rubbing on the shroud. Did the sound begin after a hard acceleration?