Hey guys i have some kind of wierd noise coming from my car but only when im on the gas and in drive or reverse.. At idle i cannot get it to make this noise.. Its Scratchy/Scrapy like as if somethings rubbing up against something..
Im thinking timing chain.. Because to me kind of thats what it sounds like: "a chain draging against a metel plate or something" and im thinking its hitting the timing cover. But at idle i can not get it to doit at all! Ive changed the water pump, harmonic balancer, Alt, belt tensioner pulley. So it cant be any of those.. Any one hav any ideas!?
ill stick my phone under the hood and shoot down the road if i have to.. But its really annoying if i dint hav any music playing.

How many miles on your 3.8 engine? A video of sound would be helpful.
If it is loud enough inside the cabin, I take it the sound is coming from well in front of you ?

If its only doing it while in drive or reverse, then that'* a good indication it has something to do with the transmission and not the engine. I think I might know the noise.


With the engine running and on a flat, level ground, check the transmission fluid level.

Art It has 176,392, and ok ill stick the phone under the hood & hope it catches it.
Mike, i thought the same thing but i had a low mileage tranny installed just about a week or so ago and sound is still there...
I had a friend say it could b an exhaust leak from the manifold. But from wat i looked up & heard.. Totally different sound from that

Could possibly be the tranny though, fluid looks good an is at good level.. this one rides way better than the old one.. All i can say is that when im driving i can hear it not so much on the drivers side. But when the wifes driving an im riding passenger i can stick my head out of the window & hear it clear and pretty loud! So i kno them when im driving or out period people can hear it!

OK, so you had a noise there previously......then you installed a new tranny, and the same noise is still there?

Is the noise there when the car is in D or R, with your foot on the brake and rpm'* raised?

If no, then it is obviously a rotational noise.....since the tranny was replaced and you have the same noise, the only other things rotational, are the axles, bearings, tires and brake rotors.......

Axles don't usually make that noise........I doubt something is rubbing against a tire, like a mud flap.....bearings tend to make a roaring sound and get louder with speed to about 40 mph....as for brakes, it could be the wear indicator on the pad or the dust shield could be bent and is rubbing on the inside of the rotor....

What about hub bearings?

I kno that its something rotational, i also have new CV Axles, nothings rubing against the tires..im gonna take the wheel off and check the brake dust shield right now.. i doubt its that. But "worth the look.." I just attempted to hold the brake and see if i could hear it but the exhaust over takes it DARN CRAPPY MUFFLERS! Ill go to the park when i scoop the wife from work and have her doit while i listen..
& nope not the wheel hub noise ive had those go bad on my old grand am.. That noise its the most anoying of all because it transfers into the car like crazy lol
Tried recording some but far as the power steering and engine running itself i couldnt catch the sound... Hmmm maybe it is sumthing with this right front wheel

Ok with the wheel off, theres nothing that looks as if its rubing on the rotor... Wat can this be... Im really thinking my timing tensioner is not strong anymore and the chain has developed a flop and is hitting the timing cover..

If it was your timing chain, it would be a constant noise, not intermittent. But because you say it only does it WHILE in drive or reverse, this draws me to it being transmission related.

I'd really like an audio/video recording of this noise.