Clunk/ Clank on Engagement with 2nd and 3rd
 

Good morning guys,

I'm sure at this point everyone is tired of hearing about this. However, I am still learning about car diagnosis. I own a MT 2016 BRZ (approx. 5k miles on the odometer) and have been noticing that at the engagement point of 2nd and 3rd gear I get a clunk or clank once gas has been applied. From the research I have done, I've found that this is a normal characteristic of the car, but I wanted to get more opinions on the matter. As there is no mechanical issue with my BRZ, the clanking has made me more paranoid than I'd like to be. I have found myself holding my foot on the clutch a little longer than needed with 2nd and 3rd to avoid hearing the clanking noise (which we all know is no bueno). I am quicker with my shifts from 4-6. Some days are better than others, though. I think most of us can agree this car goes through it's 'moods.' Or, maybe, it's just me... Could anyone provide me with some peace of mind? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

In addition, I've asked the dealership about replacing the trans fluid to something better (Motul Gear300, Redline, etc.) and they advise against it. No idea why, but I do plan to flush out the old stuff with something better in the near future.

Thanks guys! :thumbsup:

Is this your first RWD car? I've had a few and have experienced the "clunking" from the rear differential when shifting, normal.

This is my first RWD car, yes. I haven't been able to pin point where the sound is coming from, though.

Oh, DaBoBo21 ...... relax ....... ;)

The sounds you hear are more than likely just parts of the drivetrain taking up slack.

Perfectly normal for a RWD car with a MT.

Feel better now ...... ??

:)


humfrz

Haha. Roger that. This is why I come to you guys. :thumbsup:

Ironically the longer you hold in the clutch between shifts the more pronounced the clunk will be since it gives time for the forces on the drivetrain to unload a bit. The faster and smoother the shift the less clunk you will get since the pressure stays loaded.

It's probably normal. Some transmissions are louder than others.

I don't know about it being a RWD-specific/rear diff thing though. I've had a lot of RWD manuals and have never experienced a clunking rear diff. I'd think that was an issue.

YOUR sound is just slack in the trans.

All cars do it. It is much easier to notice in a RWD though since there are more places for slack to appear. Doesn't help that we have so little soundproofing that sounds that go unnoticed in most cars reverberate through the cabin in ours.

That all makes sense, guys. I'm pretty sure I'm making it out to be something that it isn't. I'll take 1-2 and 2-3 more like 4-6 and see if I notice a difference. Start embracing the mechanical sounds of the car.

Lash in the drivetrain is normal, but if you're hearing a definite clunk coming from your rear diff, you might oughta get that checked out.

The transmission/clutch, though, is always gonna make sounds.

Rear diff clunk is normal for RWD when shifting into 1st from a stop, have heard it in all of mine, even when brand new.

For guys that are not used to it that little bit of lash sounds like their car is coming apart.

^^^^^ lol

Which is why I said it was normal in my first post.

Sitting still and putting it into first causes a clunk in the diff?

Never even heard of that happening before.

More of a cumulative effect involving the u joints and the diff but yes it can. Was so normal in the older cars (I mean up to about 1970) that when it didn't clunk you worried if soothing was wrong.

Especially when warm, push in the clutch and immediately go for first. If you don't hear/feel the clunk the engine is not running.

There's a tiny bit of lash in the diff but 90% is in the trans.

This ^
I was so focused on the rear end I was neglecting to mention the tranny (not to be confused with focusing on a tranny's rear end)

Hey; whatever cooks your cabbage, brother.

Once AGAIN, the u-joints, transmission and driveshaft are NOT the rear diff, which is what got called into question.

A clunk when going into gear is normal. NOT when it's 100% coming from the diff.

Now I'm confused, you mean we WEREN'T talking about the ass of a man who had surgery to become woman??

At what point did anybody say 100% diff? The diff contributes to the overall effect.

Right here.

How can you tell the difference? If a diff is that far out, it's going to growl like a junkyard dog.

He was wrong.

That's because 80% of the sound I hear comes from the back of the car.

Thank you.

Haha... oops. I get it now.

Just to clarify. The clunking when initially putting the car into gear wasn't what I was trying to convey. I don't want to cause any confusion. We're all here to help one another...

The clunk/ clank I am hearing is from 1-2 and 2-3 once gas is applied. What I've gathered from this thread is that there is slack between components and the clunking/ clanking together of those components is to be expected with a MT RWD FRS/BRZ.

Might be the LSD/SC? Are you turning when it does it?

Lay off the throttle, hot rod!

That ain't right. Get it checked.

Haha. It's random at times. On the straights, or a turn. It's not a very loud sound. I hear it mostly when the windows are up, and both A/C and radio are off. At that point you can hear pretty much everything going on with the car. When it happens, it's under a light load. I don't drive my BRZ very aggressively, especially on my daily commute.

Been doing it since I drove it off the lot, sir. I think we were on the same page earlier in the thread.

This^ It is just the LSD doing it's limited slip job. Again nothing to worry about.

Haha... ok. Going back and rereading your OP I didn't want to be the guy that dismisses an odd sound.

Oh no, I appreciate the feedback! It's hard to be clear over a thread lol. I value what everyone suggests. Feeling a bit better about it after the responses. :thumbsup:

The driveline slack on my last car scared the crap out of me at first, but it was my first manual RWD. I still think it was more than normal, but never had any issues because of it. The brz is nothing in comparison. You get used to it and will probably start driving better to minimize it. :-) The clunk from neutral to first and first to second still happens no matter how hard I try.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

Metal On Metal While In Gear
 

Hey guys.. Me being in the military, no question is a stupid question. Over the last 3K miles or so, I've noticed that when I'm next to a large surface (like a wall or median), I can hear what sounds like metal on metal rotating against each other. It does not happen all the time, but recently it has become more noticeable. I hear it a lower speeds (15-30 MPH), and it's pretty loud. It's made me a bit worried that it could be my flywheel/ pressure plate or something inside the clutch assembly. Like I have said before, I do not drive this car hard, and I've only put 5400 miles on her over the past sevenish months. :sigh:

Could this be something with the clutch/flywheel/pressure plate? Maybe something unevenly worn? Or not adjusted correctly?

Where are you Humfrz? lol

Just to add, the car is driving great. Shifts are good, engagments are smooth, so no issues there. Just want to pin point what this noise is.

I know the TOB is an issue with these things, so maybe that could be a possibility?

If all works then don't worry about it. If it was the TOB you would hear it all the time not just under the very specific circumstances you described.
Should you start to have more symptoms of an issue than just a noise then start to look for issues but every single noise does not mean their is a problem. These are one of the noisiest cars I have ever driven but it is just weird sounds not signs of impending doom.