A Strange Problem

[LoyalDeserter]

Having a strange issue. Was just about to get home, shifted into second after a stop light. at pretty high revs but not at full throttle, and all of a sudden there was a grinding noise that continued when I was in-gear. I got it into my driveway, and the car seems very down on power, couldn't make it up my steep driveway without stalling. I was able to shift it into reverse no-problem, but it still stalled and grinded in reverse as well if going uphill. It even sounds wrong when just sitting in neutral. Sound is a little hard to describe, sounds dirty and grindy. The problem seems to be engine-side, as it's making the same noises in every gear I've tried, 1st-3rd and reverse, and the clutch and shifter feel normal. Seems it may be in limp mode or something. No check engine or any other warning lights though. Any ideas?

[lammie200]

Throw out bearing, maybe. How many miles on the clutch?

[map]

Can you record the sound and post?

[LoyalDeserter]

Only a few thousand miles, previous owner had to have Fiat almost completely rebuild the engine, as the factory had installed the wrong crankshaft bearing, which was letting the crankshaft move around, causing vibrations and scoring the cylinders. It got a new clutch when that was done.

It still makes the sound when the car is neutral and the clutch isn't depressed, which makes me think it isn't a throw out bearing, but I don't know. My only theory was that maybe an engine mount broke and it is now knocking around in the engine bay, and maybe when that happened the car was thrown into limp mode. Might explain why the noise is so bad on startup. Started it with the hood open and my brother said it moved around a lot when it started up, but he's 14, so I'm not sure how reliable that assessment is, may have just moved a normal amount. I am reluctant to start it again, as I don't want to make whatever it is worse. Getting it towed to the dealer tomorrow.

[Fiat500USA]

Did you ever get this issue fixed? http://www.fiat500usaforum.com/showt...lopping-Around

If you did, I would go over the work done as maybe a cable/mount/connection got loose and you are not getting all the way into gear.

[LoyalDeserter]

Yeah, that got fixed. Shifter felt so much firmer than it ever had before when I got it back, it felt awesome.

That may be it, but I'm not sure. I think it's something else, as the sound still happens in neutral, and we seemed to have no problem getting it into reverse or into first when we were moving it around in the driveway.

I tried listening while I shifted from first to reverse and back again with the engine off and the windows down, and it made the right snicky noises.

[LoyalDeserter]

Car was towed away today, atm I think maybe a flywheel issue, as the problem seems to be engine-side but started after a gear change, or they screwed up something with the short block when they did the engine rebuild.

Will post updates.