Flapping sound when over 5K RPMs
 

My car just started to make what sounds like a flapping sound whenever im running over 5K RPMs. It sees to be coming from the drivers side. I cant tell if its coming from inside near the steering/column area, or outsides in the engine bay behind the steering area.

What could it be?

Also, I just had my engine oil, transmission oil, gear oil, clutch fluid, and an alignment done, if that matters...

could be the under tray that was left loose

I dont know cause it sounds like its coming from the upper area, like under the steering wheel near column.
I guess ima have to take it back so they can check if the did leave something loose.
Its like a loud flapping/clicking sound.
Ill try to record it tomorrow and upload it here.
I wont be able to take my car back until Monday because of work.

Get under the car and look for loose stuff, most likely its the undertray, techs usually put it o. Like 3 screws out of 15, cuz they r lazy. So u underpayed a guy(am guessing), this is the result.

I had it done at the dealership actually. I dont trust other small shops, bad experience.

anyone else had a similar issue? maybe it is something mechanical?

Is it actually rpm related, or speed related? Try getting it to flap, then up-shift but stay at the same speed. I'm guessing it's speed related, and you've got a loose plastic undertray (like stated above). Mechanical noises are usually whines, grinds, knocks, squeals, etc... not flaps.

It is definitely RPM related. Ive tried checking in gears 1, 2, and 3 and then up shifting, etc.. and it always happens when over 5K RPM. I could be going 80mph in 6th gear and no noise.
I guess It could be described as a knock?
Like I said earlier, I feel its coming from the steering column area, or just right behind the actual steering wheel or gauges. Hard to tell where noises in cabin come from sometimes.

Even if its not speed related, maybe there is something loose and it doesnt occur until higher engine vibrations at higher RPMs... but I guess I wont know till I bring the car back in.

That's a little more worrying then. Are you noticing any other vibrations besides the knocking/flapping noise? It's gotta be something loose that a specific harmonic at 5k is setting in motion.

Was the intake manifold cover (plastic thing on top of the engine) removed and put back recently? That would do it, if it was loose... And it's probably insulated enough from wind that speed wouldn't matter, but rpm definitely would because it's bolted directly to the engine.

I tried checking the engine bay for anything loose or left in there, but couldnt find anything. Ill try checking again.
I really hope its nothing serious! :(

I'm an idiot for not thinking of this sooner... If it happens while not moving, get someone to rev your car to 5k while you stand to the SIDE (safety first) of the open engine bay and see if you can find what's wrong. Sometimes it's hard to isolate an engine bay noise from the wrong side of the firewall.

Ill try this, but im pretty sure the rev limiter stops at 5K when in neutral.

I had the same issue. 09 model also. Almost like a metal flapping noise coming from behind the steering column. Weird thing was that it went away on its own after a few months. I think after I did a basic oil change.

after 5k RPM there's typically a fapping sound in my 09 Z too.......

I'm going to have to agree here :yum:

No liquids in the car!

Sad thing is you aren't lying...:wtf2:

It's an auto. That free hand has to go somewhere

;)

:yum:

I knew there was gonna be a joke about this when I wrote the title lol.

Anyways I decided to just take it back this morning and get a rental. Auto's feel so weird to drive after a while.
They were trying to charge me a diagnostics fee, but I kept insisting that the sound appeared only after they serviced my car.
The Master Tech that worked on my car insisted he didnt really touch anything to cause anything of that nature after we went for a ride.
But their looking at it now and waiting for them to see what they say.

Good luck man hope its something simple.

Keep us posted, I'm curious to know wtf it is.

So after I got out of work I had a voicemail saying that my car is ready.
They said two different guys test drove it and heard the sound.
Then they said they stripped the door to adjust screws, etc... problem fixed? I dont know.

Im pretty sure the sound wasnt coming from the doors. Either they couldnt figure it out or they didnt try hard enough to find the actual source.

When I pick it up tomorrow I hope to God that the sound is gone. I know the sound wasnt there before, and it didnt sound right at all.

What if the sound does persist afterwards? I dont want to keep leaving my car at the dealership and having to rely on friends or rentals to get around...

So got the car back, and sure enough, the sound is definitely still there. Will probably take back on Monday.
In the video sound starts at about 0:16.
Im mostly in 1st and 2nd riding over 5K to show sound.
what could it be?
(Phone was placed right under pedals to film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQZLkXS1Q-I

Have you gotten under the car to take a look around? It almost sounds like a heat shield rattling on something, although why it only shows up at higher rpm is odd.

Typical dealership...adjusted screws your car is ready? Really? More like get ready to be screwed. That ticking would drive me crazy, keep on them to fix it for sure. Good luck

Its not like im always flooring it past 5K, but when I do... yeah its annoying me.
I hate how I cant really tell if its coming from the inside, or under the car, or in the engine compartment right behind steering wheel.

All I know is that that noise wasnt there before I took it in for service.

Just going through the options logically, if it wasn't there before the service it's going to be in an area around the serviced items. Roll up under there and start looking around. If something is loose enough to vibrate against something at higher rpm, it should be easy enough to tell. Start tapping on underbody panels, heat shields, etc. My off-the-cuff guess is a slightly bent heat shield that, when the car is at high rpm, vibrates against something.

Trusting the dealer to fix it is asinine. They did it in the first place. Fixing it would be them admitting to a mistake. Get your hands dirty and figure it out. Honestly, do you want to give the dealer your car with instructions to test drive it hanging out in the top of the tach? "Here, go beat the piss out of my car and see if there's something wrong."

That would implicate the undertray since you have to remove and replace it to do an oil change. I'd think a loose undertray would react more to speed rather than rpm though.:confused:

Can you look at the video and see if this is still similar to your previous issue?

This is exactly why I've done 100% of my own maintenance from the day I got the car with 39k on the odometer; I don't trust dealerships to treat my car like I'd treat my car. So far I've done oil/filter changes, a new set of spark plugs, cabin filter ('09 didn't come with one), new battery, transmission fluid, differential fluid, and mounted/balanced a new set of 285/35/19 Potenza Pole Positions for the rear (a buddy has the equipment). I'll replace brake pads and fluid once I decide what I want... I've got about 58k on it now, 2 years this January.

The only thing I didn't do myself was the alignment (rears were at -2.2 camber for some reason:icon14:).

Exactly. When you ask a dealer to do fluid changes, brakes, etc, you're going to have their most inexperienced tech do those jobs. You keep your good techs for the more complicated stuff. The oil change monkey is the lowest rung on the ladder. DIY or GOOD local independent shop. Unless it's under warranty, F the dealer.

Buying tools is cheaper than paying labor.

Correct. But the undertray was tight beforehand. The sound was coming above the undertray.

Same exact sound. It's definitely in relation with RPM and not speed. It hasn't hurt my car at all that I've seen. So don't worry to much about it. It is an annoying sound though. If mine comes back when I pull mine out of storage in the spring, i'll start tearing stuff apart.

Yeah I just checked the undertray and it seems nice and tight. Nothing looks loose. And when I rev up to the limit, 5K, no noise.
Since you said it went away on its own, ima stop stressing out with the dealer and just let it be for now.
I guess the only sure way to know what it is, is for something to actually/fully break.

Yea. Don't worry to much about it. About 3-4 months after I drove the car is when it went away. I did a few hard launches and shift changes during those times.

Actually, you should take the undertray off and have a look before you assume everything is ok. Just because it doesn't happen when the vehicle is stationary and revving doesn't mean there isn't something contacting when the car is moving and at high rpm.

Yeah this would sketch me out hard. ^ deff make sure nothing is making contacts or loose, jack it up if you can and check everything.

Mech could have left something in the engine bay???