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YOUR RESEARCHDiagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Leading reported evidence
Install 2 years ago
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Anyway, I had an LN IMS bearing installed 2 years ago.
Diagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
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Leading evidence: 'Install 2 years ago' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'throwout bearing' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check from the back' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Changed the mount, sound persist, but dang the handling is better.
Diagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
throwout bearing
Suggestion or failed attempt
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Identified cause
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Suspected cause
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Discussions that suspect a cause
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Suspected cause
If that's the case, I'd also suspect the throwout bearing.
Diagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Check from the back
Suggestion or failed attempt
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Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
If so then you need to get out and check from the back.
Diagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Check heat shields
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Suggestion
Check the heat shields on the cats.They can rattle at certain RPM.Been there.
Diagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Use like a stethoscope while engine
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
if still trying to find the sound, try to remove the engine cover access behind the seats and then find a plastic tube to use like a stethoscope while engine running.
Diagnosing weird sound from engine bay - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
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Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
20 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
986Forum: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T005001Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
The sound is a low level clatter. Audible when at idle and low rpm in first gear. I think it only becomes inaudible because it is drowned out by normal engine sounds. It occurs to me now that it could be a failing water pump bearing. Does this seem likely if there are no coolant leaks? My first theory was a chain tensioner..... do they make a noise if failing?
Heat shield?
Manual or Tip? If it's manual, when you're in 1st, obviously your clutch would be depressed. If that's the case, I'd also suspect the throwout bearing. Try pressing and releasing the clutch and see if the noise changes.
Possible I guess, but the sound doesn’t change with rpm as I think it would if it were a vibration. It sounds more like marbles in a coffee can, but not very loud or tinny sounding. I’d love to hear if these water pumps fail like this. Or chain tensioners. I think I had an old Alfa with a bad water pump that may have sounded vaguely like this. But it leaked coolant. Thank you for the suggestion.
It is a manual. The clutch has no bearing so to speak, on the sound. Sounds exactly the same whether in gear, clutch in or out, or neutral. Thank you for the thought tho. I appreciate it. Cheers.
Has this happened to you? It would be awesome if the IMS gave warning signs like that. All I've heard that it goes with no warning.
What I've read is that maybe it makes a strange sound for a sec or two then kaboom!
Are you diagnosing this noise from the driver's seat? If so then you need to get out and check from the back. My first guess would be something with the exhaust. Heat shields are notorious for coming loose.
I also have this problem. The sound goes away at 1100 rpm. I thought it was because of the bad motor mount. Changed the mount, sound persist, but dang the handling is better. While changing the motor mount I am sure i found the real cause. The power steering. The slash tray was soaked wil ps fluid. The top of the motor is wet with ps fluid. I did not have the time to pull out the pump because it requires moving the ac compressor, not a big deal but I'm not up to it right now, maybe later this week. Car is a 2001 tiptronic with a swapped 3.2.
any update of your issue?
if still trying to find the sound, try to remove the engine cover access behind the seats and then find a plastic tube to use like a stethoscope while engine running. Try to listen to your water pump, various pulleys, AC compressor and alternator.
I eliminated several sounds from water pump, 2 pulleys and engine mount and now last one need to fix is my compressor but no time yet to do it. Currently I have around 107k on ODO.
You got it. Water pump. And thank you for the excellent pics. I decided I didn’t want to mess with bleeding the coolant system tho. My first estimate was $1000 to replace the pump. A bit shocking.
When I replaced my WP I raised the rear of the car as high as my stands would allow... opened the bleeder valve... added coolant... revved... added more coolant... revved... repeat until the coolant level is to specs.
I then left the valve open for a few more days, drove around, and keeping an eye on the coolant level. Closed the valve and all has been good since.
You getting ready to replace your WP?
Not planning on it anytime soon, but you never know. I was curious what's involved in it for when I have to. I want get as much info on these cars as I can.
Just my 2 cents worth. If you get your hands on a Uview Airlift or equivalent, the vacuum of the coolant linesand refill of coolant is a piece of cake. I got mine from Princess Auto here in Canada for about $40.00. Makes the whole process very easy. You do need access to a compressor to run the device so maybe not for everyone.
If you’re local I can do it for $250 on labor. hehehe
sfkjeld and piper6909, not really hard to replace it and just follow what starter986 instruction on bleeding. That is how I did on bleeding.
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