I was driving home from work today and I was doing about 75-80mph on the highway. I noticed some very faint sound. It was kind of like a humming. Not a whining like from bad t-cases supposedly. I just thought that since I'm next to the concrete barrier, sound is reflecting differently. Then my car stutters bad, like it fell out of gear or decided not to fire a couple times. I just put the car in neutral and get over and exit. While I'm decelerating, there is almost like a grinding sound. I push the clutch in while coasting and it goes away. I pull over and pop the hood and everything seems normal. No holes in my block or anything. Never threw a CEL either.

I took the side streets the rest of the way home and tried not to go over 40mph. Although once or twice, if I was in 3rd gear at around 3500 rpms, the car sounded like it was pulsating.

I don't drive my car hard at all. I haven't launched it and heard no whining so I doubt it's the t-case. I just got a new clutch put in on Thursday. Could it have been the throw-out bearing falling off or something weird like that? The car drives as normal as my paranoia will let it under 40-50mph (1-4th gears; I didn't get into 5th on the rest of the way.)

 

The throwout bearings are real loud on these cars and the tires are loud also especially at highway speeds, as far as the stutter problem goes , dont have much to go off to diag, but do a plug check and see how your plugs are looking after that happened, and see what kind of shape they are in, ie fouled or what not,
not sure what part of the country you are in, but i know there have been some fuel issues in the midwest and northeast lately with the winter blend gasoline and the extreme hot/cold temperature swings of late, the fuel is a different blend and specific gravity for the winter and since the switch the temperature has been anywhere from almost 70 to 20 on any given day.

 

Check to see if you popped any intercooler hoses or clamps off..

 

Man...with all the work you just had done it could be more than one problem.

The stumbling could be quick boost spiking...which may not show up on a gauge. Since it got cold lately I have had to turn my controller waaaaay down. It also may not throw a code depending what caused the cut.

The other issue sounds mechanical of course, guess we would have to suspect the clutch since it was a new install.

Try turning your Hallman all the way down and see if you still get the stumble. But if you have a mechanical issue of course you may not be able to test it. I would not mind looking at it but I'll be heading on Wednesday to Iowa for a few days. Might be best just to get it back to Alamo asap and make them fix it

 

Not an IC pipe. Good suggestion though.

I avoided the highway today coming to work. While driving, in 3rd and 4th, anytime the gas pedal was pressed any, there was a droning sound almost. It stopped as soon as I let off the gas. I also think I smelt exhaust gas inside my car too.

Could my downpipe have been messed up when the shop installed my clutch? Do they have to take that off to do the clutch?

 

Make sure your MAF connector is plugged in ALL THE WAY. F'ing thing came loose on me a while ago ... symptoms: car sputters sometimes in a very unpredictable fashion (basically ECU is cutting off fuel anytime the MAF connector is not making contact).

Might also want to check to make sure your exhaust isn't rubbing up against anything. A lot of down pipes get pretty close to the t-case.

l8r)

 

Yes, downpipe comes off during install...

 

not downpipe, not MAF.

Alamo checked it out today, topped me off with fluids and sent me on my way. Couldn't find anything wrong with it.

 

Figures...well I hope it clears up. I suspect it won't, so maybe take it easy and we can do some real troubleshooting after I get back in town on Monday. If it is Alamo's fault, I think we will have to repeat the issue and prove it to them in order to get action. Unfortunately, the more time that passes, the less they will be willing to admit any fault...

Good luck and I'll check in next week....Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Sounds good Ethan.

Happy Turkey Day to you too

 

I have the same damn problem!!!!!!!!!!!! its driving me insane....70-80 MPH highway there is a droning noise...thats when it started, and now it happens even at lower speeds once and a while. Ive tried everything, from new fluids and new tires. My car had a new clutch put in, less than 10,000 miles ago, im thinking clutch related if you are having the same problem. But everything you are describing is happening exactly. I have looked in many different sources for answers and haven't found anything, so im just waiting for something to break. Unless i can find some answers.

 

This type of sound definitely can be clutch related. The description of the noise sounds like classic gear noise from not dampening out the torsional vibrations of the engine. The dampening is normally done through the springs in the clutch disc. If you changed to a different brand of disc with less dampening, especially if solid centered, or even a lighter flywheel, the noise will increase. You may also start getting noise during idle in neutral, or accel or decel noises for the same reason.

 

i have had this same problem for a while. i don't think its anything serious. I have an ACT street disc with a light weight flywheel. I thought it might be the t-case but im not sure. it hasn't changed and the car still drives normal so im not worried. I was at first.