2003 Auto Problem
 

Howdy All
OK, I'm having a strange noise coming from the left side front of the automatic transmission. It's a slight metallic clicking sound. In park and neutral, there is no noise. At idle in drive and reverse you get this metallic clicking noise. Nothing harsh, just a light metallic clicking. As you hold the brake and give it some juice in drive or reverse, the clicking goes away. Now when getting to cruising speeds on the highway and you let your foot off the gas, the clicking noise returns. On the gas, the clicking noise stops or under load. It seems somewhat RPM related, but again it is coming from the auto transmission.

Oh yea, 67,000 miles on the baby :)

This thread was close, but no cigar:
https://www.hyundaiforum.com/m_11630/tm.htm

Any ideas or experience in this metallic clicking sound is greatly appreciated! TIA, JP ;)

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

before you assume that's it the transmission you should check all suspension parts just to make sure(that's if you had not already check). if you did, then it sounds as if you have an internal problem with your tranny. if your car is stil under warranty i would recommend you taking it to the dealer.

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

What would cause the suspension to make a light metallic clicking sound when the vehicle isn't moving? Nothing. Can it be a motor mount that has gone bad causing some type of misalignment with the tranny and engine? Possible, not. It's definitely an internal problem, an internal problem with the transmission. I was thinking that this could not be some freak Elantra problem that has only happened to this one.

The better half just brought it in and they gave her a bunch of $hit. They told her the battery died and a good thing it died there. They told her the engine oil was black and needed to be changed and that her transmission fluid was as black as her oil. Now, this car has its oil changed every 3000-3500 miles without fail, filter included. It was just changed before Christmas. We had checked the transmission fluid the other day, not burnt. Then they went on to say it's in need of its 60,000 mile checkup and a new battery. They told her she could take a mechanic for a ride to see if he could hear the noise, they didn't hear it. Now, if you're standing outside or seated inside the car, once you start the car, the noise is there.

When they called back as she was heading to pick it up, she talked with a different person. No mention of the battery. He tells her that the Elantra makes that noise, it's normal. Just as with everything else they told her, BS! She was then on the phone with me and I told her to get everything in writing including the "normal" noise. She gets the diagnostic sheet, it will cost more money for them to diagnose the noise. $200 and have a nice day. Oh yea, like we knew the car started without a hitch, yea a battery.

So, now I'm even more convinced that there is a problem with the transmission and they do not want to do the warranty work. I knew this before, don't send a person with very little knowledge on hunting lions into a lion's den.

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

An old mechanic's trick (yes, taught to me by an old mechanic) is to take a 2-3 foot length of heater or garden hose, hold one end next to your ear and the other end near the spot where you think the sound is coming from (this also keeps your ear, hair and other important parts connected to your head out of the engine bay). You should be able to zero in on the exact spot where the sound is coming from. Once you've located the sound, grasp a the metal shank of a screw driver while holding the tip of the driver against the spot to see if any vibration (in time with the sound) can be felt. If it's coming out of the bell housing end close to the motor, it's likely the torque converter is developing problems, usually a failing seal (you likely won't detect any vibration) or sometimes the overdrive lock out mechanism may have problems (in which case you might feel some vibration). If on the other end of the tranny, it is likely the pump rotor, a pump vane or perhaps one of the clutches is contacting the case (in which case you will feel something). As the engine rev's up, the frequency of the sound rises where you can't notice it, and it's drowned out by the engine noise. If you still have warrenty, I'd take it to the dealer ASAP, otherwise get it to a tranny shop for further inspection and diagnosis.

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

sometimes when i try to help i don't expect anyone one this forum to be an idiot but they are only suggestions. WHAT COULD CAUSE A NOISE WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE OR DRIVE IF THE CAR IS NOT MOVING? BALL JOINT, LOOSE AXLE NUT yeah inmechanicland those are call suspension parts. sorry for trying to help.

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

I think I've seen the problem you're talking about before. If it's what I think it is, it's one of the main bearings in the engine. I think there is a simple way to inspect that though. If I can find more information I'll let you know.

Also, without hearing what you're hearing it's hard to know, but it's nothing like a loose exhaust shield rattle, is it?

Try looking at these links:

http://www.elantraxd.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8309

http://www.elantraxd.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23593

At that second link, go to Page 2 of the thread and scroll down to Post 22. I think that was the view with the crankshaft position sensor removed. If the gear that the sensor measures is offset like that, it's a bearing problem. Read the whole thread, though, and see if that sounds like your issue.

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

Doohickie is correct, lot's of things going wrong in the engine bay can cause a ticking sound, which is why I suggest 1JP follow the sound to it's source. Is the crank rotation sensor (as suggested by the links) on the Elantra on the back end of the block or up front next to the balencer?

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

Thanks for this helpful response. I'll check these links out shortly. No, the heat shield was one of the things that came to mind, it wasn't that. This is isolated to the left front. Again, thanks. I'll check back and see if you dug anything else up. OK, just looked into those threads, they make more noise when the pedal is applied, this goes away then and it doesn't make the clicking sound in park or neutral. Any more help will be greatly appreciated!

I'll try that as well, thanks. I don't have to worry about hair, I shave it clean

Idiot, nice. No need to YELL. I understand you were trying to help, but if you read it completely the noise is clicking, not a click. I'm fully aware when you first throw a vehicle in drive or reverse the torque may cause a bad ball joint to click. This is continuos. When a vehicle is not moving, the ball joint is stationary, axle nut is stationary and they will not continuously make a clicking sound when stationary. This is just a click, click, click, click...just as something in a circular motion that makes the click at even intervals.

Suspension parts, I know those all too well.

Attachment 2036

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

Obviously, anyone who builds and maintains his own rock crawler would know the difference between the transmission and the suspension parts (Moab region?, Cedar City?, City of Rocks in ID?). Lots of rotating items inside the tranny that could make this noise. The more I ponder this problem, the more I'm inclined to think a problem has developed with the solanoid or springs on the solanoid that lock the overdrive. It's not fully disengaging, producing the tick, tick, tick. That's my SWAG, I'd like to hear back what the problem actually is once it's diagnosed.

RE: 2003 Auto Problem
 

You might have missed what was modded out of a section of my thread when I first replied to MAD..., when he first responded, I didn't want to be taken as a Moron with my question, so I said so. I knew where the noise was kind of coming from, just never heard a tranny do this. Somehow I became an ungrateful idiot, but hey, everyone has bad days and things so easily can be taken out of context when typing away on a forums that are full of testosterone. I hold nothing against him.

That pic was taken last year when we were out at the (2007) EJS in Moab. We roll our rigs over on a consistent basis, drive them when we're on our sides and in doing so are going from 1st to reverse and back again trying to upright them. Occasionally we hit park:) We end up on the roofs as well. We slam these undercarriages on rocks, either coming down on them or jumping up onto them. I have never heard a noise like this coming from the tranny's. We've cracked the tailshaft sections of the housings, had the tranny and radiator vent tubes go to the same overflow canister (sucked up anti-freeze into the tranny after a roll :) ) and after a hard year or two the tranny's get a little lethargic and they need to be rebuilt, then they're ready again for the abuse.

I never heard this clicking sound before like this and again, was thinking that this could not be the first Elantra that has had this problem. With the mechanic first stated to her that it was a normal sound, that kind of sold me they damn right well knew what it was. I'm leaning towards what you have suggested, that makes sense. She's going to make another appointment soon with another Hyundai dealer, I'll let everyone know what it turns out to be. ;)