Hi Guys

New here and to the S2000, I recently bought a 2000 model S2000 with 110,000km on the clock. While driving I noticed a hollow howl like sound, when I stop the car, take it out of gear, and rev the engine, the sound is still there, so this should rule out the gear box and diff? Its not a very loud sound, but it is annoying, and might be reason for concern.

Also, their is an oil based splatter residue around the tail pipes on the back bumper, is this normal with high reving, etc?

Thanks

 

no clue about the sound, a sound clip would help.

oil based splatter...does not sound normal at all.

 

I'll see if I can get it recorded, problem is its not the sort of sound you can hear in a clip easily, thinking of blowing into a normal table glass really hard... that sort of sound.

The oil might have just been something off the road, I'm going to clean it off and see if it reappears.

 

is it sort of a humming? might be the air pump. it usually comes on when you are at idle.

 

No... it won't be the airpump...It also happens when driving, you only really hear it in lowish rev's.... when flooring it down the highway you don't hear it, probably because the engine is to loud.

Anything thing, the volume/pace/effect of the noise doesn't seem to increase with the actual engine rpm.... just a hollow howling noise which eventually gets drowned out by the engine.

 

If you hear it with the car out of gear, that rules out the back half of the tranny, drive shaft components, and the diff. If you hear it with the clutch disengaged (i.e. pressed to the floor), that rules out the tranny completely, along with everything behind it.

 

I'll give it a good look over the weekend. If I' driving along on the highway... and the clutch is in (pressed to the floor), and don't rev the engine, the sound goes away....

The sound seems to be getting worse though.

Out of interested, if it was the diff, what would it sound like?

 

Just to clarify, what I said above is only true when the car is stationary. If you're moving with 0% throttle, the engine, tranny, and diff are still moving and none can be ruled out. If you're cruising with the clutch disengaged but the tranny in gear, the tranny and diff are still moving, and the engine is at idle, so again, nothing can really be ruled out. If you're moving with the clutch disengaged, and the tranny out of gear, you can rule out the front end of the tranny -- input shaft and various bearings.

 

Ok...Thanks for the help thus far.

So far, I've done the following, going about 50-60MPH.... no noise

1.) Take the car out of gear and let it free roll, not revin - no noise.
2.) Put the car in gear, without acceleration - no noise (that I can hear)


This causes the noise, when standing still or moving
1.) Rev the engine, or when accelaration in gear - noise.
2.) Rev the engine when out of gear - noise

Its difficult to describe the noise, I tried recording it, but you can't hear it...

 

Just a quick check. With your car at idle, pop the hood. Listen to the airbox. My S2000 has a constant "howling" coming from the air filter. (If you have an aftermarket intake, totally disregard what I just said.) Sounds thrice as loud with the airbox open.