'loose change' = water pump? *NM*

Mike, if you are still on here, I could use some help..I seem to remember you having a article about a "loose change" sound comming from behind the seats..

I am suffering such symptoms on my '02 base.. It also seems to be worse in colder temps.

Does not matter if top is up or down either.

Any help would be much appreciated..

Greg

the concern is I believe first possible IMS bearing failure. Thus the less the engine is run the better off. The engine may be at this stage salvagable.

If the noise is coming from the front of the engine the IMS bearing becomes a less likely suspect.

One 'trick' to determine if the noise's source is inside or outside the engine is to remove the serpentine belt and start the engine and let it idle for a moment. This requires the noise be present at cold startup. Be sure you carefully note the direction the belt runs and its routing.

If the noise is not present with the belt removed the source of the noise is from an accessory drive or a belt idler roller bearing or a belt tensioner roller bearing.

If the belt has a sharp edge (the inside edge most likely but the outside edge should *not* be sharp either) an accessory drive shaft/bearing assembly has developed excessive play and the pulley is tilting slightly and the belt is mis-tracking and an edge is rubbing against the side of the drive's pulley.

You can give each accessory drive pulley and good wiggle test, checking for excessive end play, or radial play. If there is a bad one you might not recognize it at first cause the play can be a bit slight but one thing you can do is check all and develop a feel for what a tight accessory drive shaft and bearing feels like then you can better recognize the one with the play.

Without knowing the history of the car I can only make a WAG but it would be water pump. (My 02's water pump failed around the 170K mile mark.)

But check all accessory drives.

If the noise is still present then this suggests a chain tensioner or drive at the front of the engine. There is only one. The front of the IMS drives one of the head's exhaust cam which in turn drives the head's intake cam. (At the rear there is the crank to IMS chain drive with its guides/tensioners and the other IMS to head exhaust cam chain drive with its guides and tensioners.)

If the noise is present with the removed I'd urge you to shut off the engine, re-install the belt. Then button up the car and arrange to have it flat bedded -- with *no* engine running -- to a qualified shop and have the source of the noise diagnosed. You can tell the tech what you did. He'll likely start the engine and lift the car up in the air and underneath listen with a mechanic's stethescope and pinpoint the source of the noise.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

Thanks Marc, but the sound is from the cabin, inside the car..can't quite put my finger on it though.. I do appreciate the information you have provided, but don't think this is a motor related issue..

The sound seems to be on both sides (driver and passenger) from what I can only explain as "behind the headrests"..A rattleing of sorts. not real lound, but bothersome.

Thanks again
Greg

that fit in each hoop also secure?

Another source of noise from that area can be a loose or improperly installed engine access panel. This panel is located behind the seats and under the layer of carpet.

Or the noise can arise from a loose or improperly installed engine cover. There is of course the heavy foam backed carpeted cover but underneath that is the alumium sheet metal (with some more insulation for not only sound but heat) that uses some kind of quick engage/release fasteners to lock the cover down. It is easy for one (or more) of these to be overlooked when the cover is replaced after having it removed to access the engine.

Another possible source of the noise in that general area can be the hard plastic/foam that are the water catch basins and that direct water to the drains can be cracked or loose and making noise.

Oh, one more... my 02 came with some kind of storage box/bin that fits behind the rollbars on the carpeted shelf that exists under the rear of the car's top. This has been real quiet but if it got loose or someone put something loose in there...it could be noisy.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

...my car had a buzzy noise that was hard to track down and eventually found it to be one of the passenger seat's squab bolsters rubbing against the adjacent backrest bolster. The colder weather stiffens up the leather and plastic stuff making them less flexible.

the ashtray. I believe it also made the gear changing difficult.

I found the following at [www.986faq.com]

"Loose Change" Sound from Behind Driver
Diagnostic: There is a rattle sounding as if you have some loose coins rolling in the engine compartment.

Cause: The cable for the cabriolet top being out of adjustment.

Details: There is a ball joint where the cable for the cabriolet top connects. If the cable is loose, the joint connection makes a horrendous sound. The cable tension needs to be adjusted.

Time in Shop: 10 minutes.

Repair Instructions: Open the top to a half-way open position. Then find the ball joints where the cables snap in. There is a bolt on top of the ball joint that turns to tighten or loosen the tension on the cable. Turn this bolt to increase the tension. You might also want to put some grease or lubricant into the ball joint. The cables just pop off the ball joint with a little pressure.

Let us know if you check this out and it works...

Turning the adjustment bolt (red arrow), 14mm IIRC, in a clockwise direction will decrease the tension, and vice-versa.

When turning the adjustment bolt, you should see the metal ball cup (yellow arrow) rise or descend as the steel ball onto which it is pressed moves up or down according to the direction in which you turn the adjustment bolt.

Regards, Maurice.