If my car is around 1.5k rpms or spinning down from about 3k you can hear a scratchy noise coming from - sounds like the front right. this has Just shown up in about the last 30 miles and i have about 2800 miles on my car right now('01 silver/black). It's a very odd sound and you can only hear it as the car is spinning down from 3k-1.5k rpms. This morning when i let my car warm up i could hear it VERY well as the car was still cold and was idling in the 1.5k area. The sound is kind of like a ball bearing scratching against something. It's a very scratchy sound, it doesnt sound like a squeek but very much like a skateboard but much more scratchy and small. Only modifications i have done is an HKS Exhaust and it didnt make this sound until about 500 miles after.

 

supernig - I have three very distinct sounds on decel. one is the buzz on decel that needs to be repaired by the TSB. the other two - I have no friggin clue. if the one that you are talking about is a metallic chinging that is at a shorter variance than the decel buzz but near the same point - please let me know what you find out about this. its quite annoying and worries the heck out of me, and I'm still afraid to take my car to a dealership!

 

yes the metallic chinging thats the sound. i'm doing my best to find out what it is, but i'm not exactly a professional. It's bugging the heck outta me. I suspect it to be a sparkplug thats loose because thats what it sounds like , but again i'm not a professional and i dont have a torque wrench. I'll pick one up and see what i can do.

 

Man you just sent chills up my spine!! Go check it out and let us know, if you can!

 

i've checked it some more and it seems to come from somewhere under the car in the header area. I haven't checked the sparkplugs but the reason i thought it might be one is because the sound comes from that vicinity. I've also noticed that it only happens after the car has warmed up a bit and after some normal driving when i come back and park i hear it just tattering away in idle. It sounds like its between the header and the front right wheel. if i had a torque wrench and if i could figure out where the fork to stick the jack i'd find this mof.

 

if you think it is a sparkplug, why not tighten it carefully with a standard ratchet.
As long as you dont way overtighten it you wont have a problem. Or, go to sears and buy a torque wrench for 50 bucks. Bottom line is you are going to KNOW if that is your prob when you get in there. Either its loose or its not loose. If its close to the right torque you should be fine IMO.

 

There is a bracket that attaches to the header and block that is right in that area...may want to check that. i am getting a vibration/noise from that area as well..but only around 8k

 

Started 500 miles after you put in the exhaust....hey theres a clue! Happens between 1.5 and 3 K....there's another clue...resonance frequency...somethings loose. It's pretty clear you have a bolt that loosened up after your install. Quite common. If you did not replace certain bolts and torqued them to the normal specification they may loosen up. Torque on a bolt is the degree of stretch the bolt threads see. Exhaust bolts tend to take a set do to their operational temperatures (i.e. they don't stretch any more so the torque value is reached without the bolt stretching). This is why lots and lots of install and repair directions suggest we replace the bolts....few of us do. Recheck the torque on all bolts disturbed during the install of the exhaust. If you did not do it...go to the installer. He can tell check what he disturbed much more quickly. Additionally did you replace gaskets as suggested in the manual or recylce the old ones....same rules apply....false torque readings.

Utah