I have recently started hearing a strange noise in my 1998 Forester that has me stumped. When the engine is under load at low speed, if I give it more gas, I hear a scraping noise that seems to come from underneath the center of the vehicle. The noise is not loud, as I can barely hear it with the windows closed, but can hear it plainly with them open. The noise is not rotational, or rpm related, but seems to be dependent on throttle position. The noise lasts anywhere from a fraction of a second, to a few seconds, and stops immediately if i get off the gas.
Additional car info: Auto trans and 190,000 miles, mostly highway mileage.
I have heard that cat converters can sometimes make strange noises if they are failing, and I wonder if this could be the cause. Of course the tranny and is also in that area, but I notice no slippage, and shifting seems normal. I just returned from a 700 mile trip, and gas mileage was 27/28 mpg.
Any ideas?
George Adams
"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of youth that doth not grow stale with age." ---- J.W Muller