Help! Ticking Noise

[kkmchan]

You guys been helpful in the past when my 2000 Boxster developed problems. Hope some of you can point me in the right direction.

For the last few months there is this noise seems to come from passenger side of the engine, it's intermittent, doesn't come on idle and only on driving, and not all the time. So I had a hard time capturing in on video.

Here's a 1 min clip on Youtube:

It's this background - "Tick,Tick,Tick,Tick" sound.

-The clicking frequency seems to change according to engine speed, so when shifting from 3rd geer to 2nd to slow down the car, it clicks faster.

-Noise only happens when car is in gear, accelerating or decelerating within gear. When clutch pedal is pressed or in neutral, noise stops.

-Noise does not happen if car is at a stoplight, stopped, or crusing in neutral. It also doesn't seem noticable at freeway speed, but I suspect it's because the frequency of these clicks increase to the point it's a continous sound so I don't notice it.

-Noise happens regardless of surface or if driving straight/turning."

This is a 4th hand manual Boxster (not S) I owned for over a year. Almost 100k on it now but running smooth otherwise. No warning light. Look above and below, can't find any loose cable or anything. Hope if you guys have a diagnosis I can DYI fix it, if not will bring it to the shop but my wife sure won't be too happy to see the bill...

--Ken

Edited April 16, 2010 by Loren
made video viewable here

[morink]

Interesting, I seem to have the same problem on my 99 Boxster 2.5 liters,5 spd manual, 93K miles....The best way to hear it is when passing between a series of parked cars or on access ramps when surrounded by cement walls, and of course top down... did you find out whhat it was since then? I'm getting the car to my mechanics next monday, he tried the car today and seems to be scratching his head with this problem...

Anyway, let me know !

Kevin

[morink]

OK, so the mechanic did not scratch his head for very long over this....the results ? I need a new transmission, **** it...

Or I rebuild this one. ..

I'll tell more once the repair is done.

between 2500$ and 3500 $ with labor..

OUCH...

[kkmchan]

OK, so the mechanic did not scratch his head for very long over this....the results ? I need a new transmission, **** it...

Or I rebuild this one. ..

I'll tell more once the repair is done.

between 2500$ and 3500 $ with labor..

OUCH...

Before you spent all that money, you may want to do what I did.

I took out my right rear wheel and saw a cable kind of coursing through along with a rear suspension component- I'm not sure if it's the control arm or trailing arm, or what you might call it.

At any rate, the cable (I believe is the parking brake cable) has some give to it. And when I do flop it around it does seem to make contact with the metal arm and make noise. I remember reading some treads about the cable might cause noise problem, so I put a plastic cable tie and tied it to the metal arm next to it.

I didn't really have high hope but voila, since I did that there was no noise!

--Ken

[Topless]

OK, so the mechanic did not scratch his head for very long over this....the results ? I need a new transmission, **** it...

Or I rebuild this one. ..

I'll tell more once the repair is done.

between 2500$ and 3500 $ with labor..

OUCH...

Before you spent all that money, you may want to do what I did.

I took out my right rear wheel and saw a cable kind of coursing through along with a rear suspension component- I'm not sure if it's the control arm or trailing arm, or what you might call it.

At any rate, the cable (I believe is the parking brake cable) has some give to it. And when I do flop it around it does seem to make contact with the metal arm and make noise. I remember reading some treads about the cable might cause noise problem, so I put a plastic cable tie and tied it to the metal arm next to it.

I didn't really have high hope but voila, since I did that there was no noise!

--Ken

I agree it sounds like extraneous noise and not a failed tranny. If the car still shifts ok with no synchro issues look elsewhere. You can drain the trans fluid through a screen to check for shiny bits. A bunch of broken gear teeth would make a lot more racket.

[martialmedia]

I agree with the others. Doesn't sound transmission related to me. Sounds external.