engine swishy metallic noise - help!

[junikat]

I have an '04 Redline that I bought at the beginning of March, brand new off the lot. I noticed the engine area making a sound that sounds like two metal disks spinning and barely touching each other. sort of a swish shhhhhhh shhhh noise. It happens more at higher RPM's (well, 2500-3000 range, not at idle), when the car is warmer it gets louder, and it's ONLY when the clutch pedal is out. The instant I push the clutch in, the sound stops. It's broken, not shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but shhhhhhhhh shhhh shhhhhhh. Very high-pitched metallic.

I hope that describes it well enough! So I took it to the dealer, and they said first that it sounded like the throwout bearing. Then they changed their minds, and said it was the supercharger and it's a "normal sound". They based that on driving two '05 redlines that were on the lot, they heard the same sound (although more quietly) on those.

Do any of you know what on earth is going on with my baby? Has this happened to anyone else? I am frustrated with the service guys and I'm ready to insert a brick in their skulls, I just want something to take back to them and say "hey, have you tried this this or this?" There's no way that noise is normal, especially since it's getting louder as the car gets more miles on it.

Please help!

Kate
Ion Redline '04
Vue '03
SL2 '98

[jpapa]

There was a thread on the supercharger noise before where it was compared to somewhat of a bike chain sound. I hear it in mine only when I'm applying gas. The more gas I give it, the more noticeable it is. It's not really loud. I only hear it when the radio is off and heat is off. You have to listen pretty carefully to it. It kind of sounds like a metallic scraping/grinding (like the bike chain) but you can also place it as air being forced or swooshed into the intake. I believe this is what the supercharger is supposed to sound like (without the whining in higher RPMS).
Are you describing this sound as a pretty loud one? I wouldn't really consider my sound loud or high pitched...If it is loud, it shouldn't be right off of the lot without modifying the air intake box. Go back to the dealer and have them drive you in another RL so you can compare the sounds. If they still think it's normal and you're still worried about it, take it to another dealer to get their opinion. If it's a pretty obvious sound even with the radio and heat on, it probably isn't normal. So get it checked out again

[Partsspec]

If it defintly goes away with the clutch in show them that, and tell them to show you make the other cars make the same noise. Ask them to explain why it goes away with the clutch, if its the supercharger... it'll get fixed, if that doesn't work call saturn customer assistance and it will get fixed!

[Hawflake]

Kate,
Not being able to hear your car ourselves, it's hard to diagnose, but I know jpapa has mentioned. i.e., the sound that's like air swishing in and out, that is normal with a supercharger, but it's indeed a metal grinding sound, you should insist the dealer to figure out what it is or call customer assistance like partspec says.

[redline14]

If it goes away when you put the clutch in, and it starts when you let off the gas starting at about 2000+ rpms, then it is most likely just the supercharger whining (very normal) mine does it and so does everyone elses.

[Partsspec]

why would the clutch being pushed in change the sound of the supercharger? are we talking about sitting idling, or coasting down to a stop?

[junikat]

Originally Posted by Partsspec

why would the clutch being pushed in change the sound of the supercharger? are we talking about sitting idling, or coasting down to a stop?

That's my question too. If I'm sitting idle at a stoplight, I don't hear it. If I'm going around 30 or above, whether or not I'm giving it power (I can be in gear or in neutral as long as the clutch is out) I hear the noise. Pushing in the clutch makes the noise cease like magic.

I've had more than one mechanic-type tell me that I need to get the clutch replaced. I have a feeling that the service guys don't really want to drop the whole transmission out of it for a warranty job so they're trying the whole supercharger explanation to see if I'll just accept it. I really miss the old service guy, he rocked my world (and listened to me).

[John]

it is probably the gear noise we al have loudest when sort of coasting or barely accelerating. there is no fix right now, was told its from the way the gears mesh

[Gary Perez]

That would probably be it, the gear noise that everyone has, most notable when coasting in gear, but not audible if there is any other noise like the radio on. The last time I was in the dealer to get the re-flash I mentioned it, but could not get them to hear it because it was raining that day and all the road noise from the wet roads masked the sound.

[Sp00ner]

Yea, every once in a while I think I'm crazy, or paranoid. I'll catch it through the cracked window while smoking. Then all of a sudden I'm turning off every object in the car trying to listen for it, and the only time I can really hear it then, is when I'm going through a parking lot. I'll catch it as I let off the gas, right before I shift to the next gear, or sometimes when I'm driving slowly next to a wall.