Hello, all. My first post.

EDIT> That's supposed to say "Odd vibration" in the subheading.

I’ve got a 2001 Sonata 2.4L with 155K miles. A couple of weeks ago, the car started doing something new. At all speeds there was a slight growling sound, and at high rpms, just before the AT shifts, I can feel the vibration in the steering wheel *and* the gas pedal. Then the rpms kick down and the vibration diminishes.

I took it in to a mechanic, found out that fully ¼ of the teeth on my timing belt were gone! Ach! Dear God! I should’ve pushed it to his shop!

Luckily no more that six in a row, and it hadn’t broken, so that disaster was narrowly avoided. The belt, by the way, had 48K miles on it and the problem seems to be that the plastic cover had warped inward and was rubbing the edge of the belt. Stacked washers up now hold the cover out.

I got the car back, and while the noise from the timing belt has diminished, that vibration is still there at the shifts. While driving it seems to come from right in front of me.

When I stand outside the idling car, looking under the hood, I can hear the sound but can’t seems to figure out where it’s coming from. Revving the engine in park doesn’t cause it, which sorta makes me think it might be transmission related. It is *not* the power steering pump.


Anybody have any similar experience? The timing belt experience has me a bit skittish about letting my wife drive it while it’s making this noise, but we don’t have much of a choice.

Odd thing I noticed last night that is probably unrelated: The catalytic converter was ticking when I shut the car off, like it was really hot. I've not noticed this before.


Thanks in advance.

Moore. Matt Moore.

This post has been edited by Moore. Matt Moore.: Jun 16 2008, 02:59 PM