Yes. If you go to 1:38 you can hear it loudest, and that's when I'm coming down from 4800 or so. It's loudest at that time (because of the high revs) but it behaves that way at all revs, sounding loudest on light or no throttle with the engine loaded from decel. Below 3000 only a person who has been listening to it at higher revs can hear it. But as the saying goes, once you've heard the song you can't "not hear it."

 

Yup, then we're definitely hearing the same thing. I've been hoping it's a normal sound coming from my transmission, which it sounds like it may be. Definitely disconcerting the first time I heard it.

 

I must say that is way more pronounced than what I have experienced. Surely someone here will give more insight. Intake noise likely, I wonder if this changes if you upgrade the plenum? Maybe a before and after plenum owner is nearby? Or valve train, hmmmm...is your oil topped off?

 

Yes, the oil is top of the readout but not overfilled. Oil changed by dealer prior to the sale.

Maybe the 4.0 liter X51 conversion will be required to rid myself of this troublesome warble?

 

Okay, question again for those of you who know your *** from a hole in the ground, unlike me.

I've been categorically ruling out gear whine because it doesn't sound like any of the race car gear whine I'm accustomed to. And because there are so few references to "gear whine" in threads on RL GT4 forum when I search (one or two.)

But I'm going to include that again into the hypotheses. Like I said earlier, as long as my brain knows exactly what the sound is, and that it's correct and appropriate for this car, I'm fine with it. My adaptable mind will start to hear it for the music it is if that's the case.

So if you know how the motor/clutch/transmission gears/differential gears work with each other please weigh in on the following scenarios. I'm trying to test the sound and see if I can isolate it and make it go away by any of these actions:

Will gear noise go away if:

1) Driving in 2nd gear, 4000 rpm (say that's 45mph for the sake of this illustration). Push clutch in, leave it in, continue to coast in gear, with motor revs falling off.

2) same scenario, push clutch in, put trans in neutral, coast at same speed, let clutch back out.

3) Same scenario, put car in neutral, hold down accelerator keeping engine at 4000 while coasting in neutral.

4) Zero mph, trans in neutral, clutch out, engine revved to 4000.

5) Zero mph, trans in neutral, clutch depressed, engine revved to 4000.

My point is, I'm not sure what continues turning in those various scenarios. Knowing that for certain could help me test for gear whine, unless there is no situation where the engine can be held at 4000 without the transmission gears turning.

Thanks in advance!

 

As I stated yesterday; the noise is normal. I am sure some cars may be more pronounced than others.

Is this your first "GT" car?

 

First mid-engined GT. The noise properties are quite different.

And thank you for your contribution. But as I stated, I am now looking to know exactly what the noise IS. Not just that it is "normal."

Thanks!

 

It could be induction noise.
I was experimenting with weight loss by removing the fairly heavy foam backed carpet pads from the rear.
Without the back of the engine pad that covers the air filter replacement hatches, at certain RPMs there is a pronounced supercharger like sound.
Not sure if it's from a resonance or maybe a slight leak from around the seals, but I found it objectionable enough to not want to hear it, and put the pad back into place.
Try removing the pad to see if you hear more of the sound, there are no fasteners, it's easy.

 

^ Okay, great idea! I'll give it a shot. I still instinctively want to tie it to engine intake, not gearbox.

 

Just stopped by Hennessy because I was passing in front, and the top tech and service writer were discussing the customer car they'd just finished test driving as part of it's post-service test. They both went so they could address my question. The tech, who had ridden with me last week and was very interested in the noise, said it was making the exact same sound, at the same rpms, only mine is louder than that one or others he's heard. I asked what it was and he said he had no idea.

Also, they have the Atlanta PEC GT4 in the shop right now -- somebody destroyed the transmission and clutch during a track rental -- and that's getting a new trans from Germany and should be completed next week. So he said I could come drive that one to see if it makes the same sound, and satisfy myself.

I told him I was satisfied with his word on it, but I'd be happy to drive the PEC car with a new trans just for the hell of it, and so I'll do that next week.

I think it's the unusual volume and intrusiveness in my car that made me suspect something was wrong. Because when I searched on here and saw nobody else complaining, I just knew something was wrong -- if all of them sounded like mine, given the fact that many GT4 buyers were no doubt first-time GT car owners, there would be numerous threads asking about it, and when I asked you old-timers would have said, "Yeah, yeah, that's the thinnikin pin rubbing the hazmo boot; we get asked that all the time." Like happens with the "acorns" questions about 991 OEM Pirellis every fall when temps fall below 40.

Cheers!

 

This. Listened to the video and while I understand what the OP is referring to, this sound perfectly fine to me.

 

Okay, great to hear.

Unfortunately, I have an acquaintance from the track who had a GT4 and listened to the video just now and his response was: "I don't know what that sounds is...but mine never made it." He traded his on a GT3 two months ago so I can't sit in it and compare.

Sounds like either some make the sound and some don't, or some make it loudly and some make it quietly to the point that owners don't even hear it.

Sounds like I got one of the loudest ones around.

 

The only other thing that could be besides gear whine is intake noise. Has the previous owner messed with the carpet and panels in the trunk? Or better yet,has he installed aftermarket filters like BMC or K&N?

 

Thanks for weighing in, Neanicu.

Unfortunately, no BMCs. OEM filters with 981 part numbers on them. Everything seemed well-sealed and I can't tell that anybody's ever been behind the carpet and foam before me.

 

I'm sure this has already been mentioned... Does the whine change RPM range if you are in higher gears?