Good morning! As I was driving into work this morning I noticed a sound that seemed to come from the middle of the car. I have the back seats out so there isn't too much sound dampening back there, and I have been listening for any odd noises over the past few weeks. Now, this noise. I noticed it intermittently some time ago (say, 2 weeks?)--it sounds like a tapping that increases as the engine RPMs increase. Again, it sounds almost like it is coming from the middle or rear end of the car. I was baffled until I remember seeing a thread a month ago or so of a flex plate that was near destroyed. It involved removing the tranny, torque converter and flywheel not a job I want to do in my garage. I have an injector nailing so I know what that sounds like, that was NOT what this was, though the actual noise was a similar clack-clack-clack. It produced the noise in park, drive, and reverse.

Does this sound like a flex plate problem? I would have gotten on the ground and checked in the lot but that wouldn't have faired well for my work attire. How common is flex plate failure? Difficulty rating 1-10? Anything other possible sources for this sound? I'll be checking everything out down there once we get a day without rain, but right now paranoia has the best of me. Thank you for any possible info!! --TC

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth