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engine making a wierd noise

9

97vulcan

CEG'er
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
456
Location
Wisconsin
My SVT engine has been making a thud noise and I can't figure out whats making the noise. I can't tell if its the engine, or a leak somewhere. I really don't know. As you can hear, the thud is near the firewall side, by the coil packs. I have a K&N air filter. This noise wasn't there when I installed the filter the first time.

Please view the video on U-Tube and let me know what you think!

Thanks,
Adam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Punf9qquc
 
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I was kind of thinking an exhaust leak too, but I thought it would sound a bit different. Is it weird that I can't hear it that much with the hood closed? Should I go underneath the car to diagnose it better? and if I leave it unfixed until spring, will that cause any problems?

Where is the most common place it could be leaking from?

Thanks,
Adam
 
Anyone? Would I expect anything else if it was an exhaust leak?

Is there anywhere in particular where it might be leaking?

could this be an easy fix?

and does it really sound like an exhaust leak?

Thanks,
Adam
 
97vulcan said:
Anyone? Would I expect anything else if it was an exhaust leak?

Is there anywhere in particular where it might be leaking?

could this be an easy fix?

and does it really sound like an exhaust leak?

Thanks,
Adam
Click to expand...
Well, it sounded like an exhaust leak to me. I suppose the EGR could be making some noise. That's where it would be handy to have a listening device so you could home in on noises. If it's an exhaust leak it will eventually start burning anything in the vicinity as it gets worse. It could be caused by either a cracked exhaust manifold or a bad manifold gasket. There could be some other fittings or pipes which attach to the exhaust system which could have come adrift. As I've mentioned in other threads, diagnosing noises over the Internet is hard to do and may not be all that accurate.
Karl
 
You don't need a fancy stethoscope just a piece of vacuum hose. Put one end at your ear and listen with the other end. Possible sources other than the manifold or gasket are are DPFE hoses, O2 sensor, or EGR pipe.
 
Thanks guys for the help. I will try to diagnose the problem myself. Hopefully its nothing major. I'll keep you posted.

-Adam
 
This doesn't sound like a spun bearing or a rod noise does it?

Is there someone near the Milwaukee area that I could hook up with to get a 2nd opinion?

Thanks,
Adam
 
It sounds like it's making the noise at every revolution. Exhaust leaks woud make it for every two. I'm thinking that maybe it's something in the rotating assembly or maybe a plug is loose? Very difficult to tell without seeing the car.

If you are looking for an exhaust leak, lift the car and let it cool down, then strart it and look for it with your hands. You should be able to get at least a good 30sec before the manifolds are to hot too keep your hands close.
 
hmm... sounds similar to my cougar 2.5L when it spun a bearing, although it is hard to tell from the video...the cougar was much louder but the frequency was about the same...
 
Good News!

Good News!

Well I met up with Josh (Pole120) and Mike (Hetfield) today, and they looked at my car! Mike hooked up his computer and looked at my car for any trouble codes. The noise to my surprise wasn't a spun bearing or rod knock, but it was a loose spark plug on the firewall side. I don't remember which one it was, but I was relieved when Josh pulled out the plug and found no aluminum on the treads. He screwed it in, and checked the other ones too. The noise is gone! I can't thank them both enough for their time and effort. I plan on visiting Josh in the spring for a UIM LIM cleaning, and other work. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND "PRT" for any work on your Contour SVT.

Thanks again Josh and Mike! :cool:

-Adam
 
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