Question regarding strange rattling sound from transmission...

[FloridaInvestor]

HI Guys,

Long time lurker. I have a silver 2003 Srt-10. Yesterday I noticed a scraping sound when engaging the clutch and starting off in 1st. It almost sounds like shoveling snow (that sort of friction). It disappears after 1st gear. However once I hit about 65 MPH and am cruising, I begin to hear a loud rattling sound coming from underneath the center console. The clutch isn't slipping...so I'm clueless as to where the noise is coming from...any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm taking the car in tomorrow but wanted to give the mechanic some insight in case I can't replicate the sound. I have about 13K on the odometer.

Regards, Omar (Orlando, Fl)

 

[TAZMC2]

I sent you a p/m .give me a call I will help you out

 

[PaViper]

I sent you a p/m .give me a call I will help you out

Don't keep us in suspense, what is the solution to this sound...

 

[TAZMC2]

No problem,severe highly audible transmission noise is generally the first indicator of a lubricant problem or a bigining of a failure for the lack of the same.
so first thing he needs to do is check the transmission
fluid level and the aperance of it, smell and so on .if the
the problem is found, then trans has to be repaired.if oil level ok and all other oil qualities are ok to the eye ,
then get an oil sample 2.5 oz and send it to the lab to see what is failing(I do this daily as part of my job )the results of that analissis will take us to step two...
the problem could be anywhere in the drive train .noise propagates very clearly on metal components .
when we see the particle count and kind of metals found in his trans or diff we go from there.if he is near a caterpillar dealer i will be able to help even better .we got sophisticated oil analisssis labs
hope this help....

 

[YellowViperSRT10]

Oh no, I think I have this problem. Lately my car is making VERY loud transmission noises on the highway it is almost not even tolerable, sounds like so much rattling from the transmission that its going to fall apart. In 5th and 6th gear is is very LOUD. Also when I had my new suspension put in this week the guy who installed it said that there was so much grease all over my suspension parts that he never seen this before. Also, when i was washing my car, i smell like a very strong grease smell at the rear wheels and in the back of the car. I am guessing that I may have this problem. I hope i don't need to make another trip back to the dealer!

 

[TAZMC2]

Do you know how to check the transmission and differential oil levels on your car?
Have you changed those fluids following the maintenance guide lines?
Let me know how they look like and we go from there.
Grease is not what you are finding back there.is most likely to be transmission output shaft failure or the pinion seal in the rear end (oil will sling all over the back only when the car is moving so you wont see driping ) Lift the car on a hoist remove the bottom guards snap a pic of the grease or whatever you see and i will do the rest of the trouble shooting

 

[FloridaInvestor]

Thanks guys for the input...LOL...I don't know how to check for the transmission fluid only oil. I tried to find the dipstick for about 5 minutes with no luck...any help would be appreciated as I don't want to drive it until I confirm all the fluid levels are fine.

-Omar

 

[YellowViperSRT10]

Do you know how to check the transmission and differential oil levels on your car?
Have you changed those fluids following the maintenance guide lines?
Let me know how they look like and we go from there.
Grease is not what you are finding back there.is most likely to be transmission output shaft failure or the pinion seal in the rear end (oil will sling all over the back only when the car is moving so you wont see driping ) Lift the car on a hoist remove the bottom guards snap a pic of the grease or whatever you see and i will do the rest of the trouble shooting

I too dont know how to check any fluids. I never work on the car, always bring it to someone.

How often are you suppose to change the fluids? i have 5,200 miles on my car, only service the dealer ever did was oil changes.

Is it normal for you to hear loud noises from the transmission anytime you accelerate on the highway in 5th or 6th gear? that is when the sound is very noticable.

 

[TAZMC2]

bring it to me i am a retired automotive eng that enjoys fixing problems the harder they are the more joy I get out of it

 

[TAZMC2]

do not worry it is jus a car we will figure out your problem before it becomes $78 and hour and things don't always get fix properly

 

[Racer Robbie]

The first thing to do is to check the level of the oils and then drain the oil in the transmission and the rear axle into separate containers so you can see if there is any metal in the oil. Be sure to use a screen to catch any metal.If it is clean I would recommend filling them with Royal Purple Lubricants which will quite things down a lot. There is always some noise in the transmission at idle the engine is odd firing. These is a upgrade from the dealer for this. The rear axle will, make noise when you get on and off the gas lightly once it has gotten very hot and this is normal.
As for" Also when I had my new suspension put in this week the guy who installed it said that there was so much grease all over my suspension parts that he never seen this before." Some tech may have over greased your grease fittings on your suspension and it has leaked out and blown all over the place. A very common problem with grease monkeys with air operated grease guns. I have been running Royal Purple products for over 12,000 miles without a failure. You can see them at http://www.royalpurple.com/. I have these products available if you can not find them in your area. They will not void your warranty and are used by most major race teams across the country.

Please feel free to call or email me before going out and being ripped off from non viper certified dearlers and repair shops. I will walk you through the whole process.

Robbie

 

[YellowViperSRT10]

Thanks for some of the help everyone. Since I am not mechanically inclined to check all this my self, I will bring it to the dealer tomorrow. I may see if I can have the tech ride the car and have me sit in the passenger seat to see if he can tell.

While you guys are at it, since you seem very knowledgeable and like to help, (which I greatly appreciate). I don't know if this is related to the other problem, but lately when I and driving normal and shift to 2nd gear and put my foot on the clutch I hear a spinning sound, like something is still spinning when I depress the clutch and for that reason it has become very hard to shift to 2nd hear smoothly. Any ideas on that?

 

[Racer Robbie]

Yes, the throwout bearing that releases your clutch from your clutch disc and flywheel is spinning. If it is loud enough to be heard it is bad. Ask your dealer if he replaced it last time around, and if not, why not. Make sure he puts in a new throwout bearing and have him check the pilot bearing in the end of the crankshaft. This bearing revolves around the transmission input shaft and may also be bad. If he says you need a new clutch again I would look into a Centerforce clutch and disc and buy it. Have him do the labor under warranty. Centerforce units clamp down with more force as the engine revs up
Robbie

 

[FloridaInvestor]

Mystery solved...

The loud rattling sound at speed was a simple but elusive fix.

The 'mud' guards behind the front two wheels had come loose possibly from a speed bump. It knocked the bolts loose and forced the mud guards behind the front wheels a few inches into the engine bay...so the wind was causing it to flap and make a rattling sound.

Thanks again for all your input guys...but thankfully it ended up being an easy fix.

Regards, Omar

 

[YellowViperSRT10]

Yes, the throwout bearing that releases your clutch from your clutch disc and flywheel is spinning. If it is loud enough to be heard it is bad. Ask your dealer if he replaced it last time around, and if not, why not. Make sure he puts in a new throwout bearing and have him check the pilot bearing in the end of the crankshaft. This bearing revolves around the transmission input shaft and may also be bad. If he says you need a new clutch again I would look into a Centerforce clutch and disc and buy it. Have him do the labor under warranty. Centerforce units clamp down with more force as the engine revs up
Robbie

Thanks for the reply.

When would he have replaced my throwout baring? I have 5,200 miles on the car with the original clutch. I dont think anything was ever replaced. I really hope i dont need a new clutch already. How long does the original clutch usually last on these? i would have thought more then 5,200 miles.

 

[Racer Robbie]

The above applies if you can hear the throwout bearing spinning when you put your foot on the clutch, kind of a growling sound. Chatering sounds are normal in these transmissions on account of the odd firing engine. As I said before Royal Purple will eliminate most of the noise.
Robbie