Today while driving home from work my 95 960 developed an intermediate clicking/rattle/ticking in what sounds like the torque convertor. I checked the fluid level and all is good. I can find anything on any forum that describes this. Is this serious; is it just something loose?

Thanks to any input anyone might have.

Dear TennGary,

Hope you're well. Does the rattle/ticking:
(a) remain constant, regardless of speed?;
(b) stop when the car is not moving or is in neutral/park?
(c) change in tone or tempo, during turns?
(d) increase in tone or tempo, during acceleration or braking?

Answers to these questions will help to narrow the range of possibilities. Please post your findings.

I'd guess the noise source is an exhaust system shield, that has come loose.

I do not recall any posts over the past several years, relating to torque converter problems with Aisin-Warner transmissions, which seem to be very sturdy units.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

The noise is only present when vehicle is in gear and moving. When in gear, park or neutral and sitting still (not moving) there is no noise.

I have not noticed any relation to the noise when turning - I'll check that next time I drive the car.

The speed of the noise seems to correlate to vehicle speed.

I really don't know how to describe the noise other than it sounds a bit like placing a piece of copper wire (No. 12 or 14) in the spoke of a bicycle wheel.

I have not noticed any change in performance of the engine or transmission but the noise is quite unnerving.

Thanks so much for dialoging with me on this.


Gary

Dear TennGary,

Hope you're well. If you have a floor jack and jack stands, You can lift the car. Do not go under a car supported by only a jack. Put jack stands under frame members before going under the car.

If you do not have a floor jack and jack stands - or do not have a place where you can safely lift the car - ask your mechanic to put the car on a lift. Inspect the exhaust system. The sound you report can be made by a loose heat shield's vibrations.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Interesting. I hope that's all it is. I have contemplated what I will do if there's something really wrong with the transmission. I will put the car up this weekend. Also, thanks for your concern/reminder about supporting the car on stands. I continually remind my boys of the same precaution.

Do you think the car engine needs to be running and/or in gear?

Thanks,
Gary

Dear TennGary,

Hope you're well. If the problem is a loose heat shield, explore with the car "cold". Inspect the drive train and the exhaust system. If an exhaust system heat shield is loose, you'll find it by gripping the heat shield(s) and seeing if it (they) move.

It is also possible that a piece of road debris (e.g., wire) has become entangled in a part of the under-body, or wrapped around the drive shaft. If so, you'll see that at once.

Generally, going under a car on jack stands, when the engine is running, is to be avoided, unless you have someone nearby, who can intervene quickly.

I'd lift the rear wheels only. If someone inadvertently moves the shift lever - while the engine is running - the rear wheels being off the ground will mean that the car won't be destabilized. I'd also put chocks on both sides of a front wheel.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,