Car is 2003 Touring with 21,000 miles.

I am not mechanically inclined so any help, pointers, obvious tips are welcomed.

Engine is idle, RPM is less than 1,000. Car is in neutral with parking break on. So far I have only hear this noise while parking, I am not sure if the noise occurs while I am driving (I have not paid particular attention). I THINK that the noise goes away if I press on the clutch.

The best way to describe the noise is a rattleling/clanking sound while something is rotating. It is coming from under the driver's side, seems to be in between the engine and the driver seat?

1 . So my question is what is this sounds, 2. what is causing it, and 3. how do I fix it?

The first audio is from outside the car and the second is from driver's seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bckrp4imZ6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ajJQw4xvIk

 

clutch chatter, normal for a z.

 

Thanks for the video. Does NOT sound like a internal engine problem. This may be something that the motor is powering: air conditioning condenser, alternator. A mechanic will have to get under the car to isolate the problem.

 

At the time of the video, the AC was not operating.

Someone mentioned:
a) the Pressure plate not disengaging 100%, b) a bad throwout bearing or going bad bearing OR c) the pilot shaft is going bad or came loose.

Can any of the above item be a possibility?

 

^^^

kinda loud for clutch chatter, dont you think?

 

Thats not clutch or flywheel chatter and is not normal. I have a noisy set up but it doesnt sound like that. Are you a good manual driver? Be honest.. It sounds like your clutch is blown. Can you feel anything in the clutch pedal?

 

Hey man i have the same exact problem on my 2006 touring...I took it in right away to the dealership..and after explaining to him it wasnt my "loud" exhaust...he was like "oooohhhhh, thats a bad throw-out bearing" so 3 days later i get the car back....2days later same ****....so its normal for the Z's i hear so i gave up....maybe ill just replace the clutch, some claim to be quieter

 

+1. Too loud for the Z's normal clutch chatter.

It almost sounded like an exhaust pipe knocking on something with vibration...

 

Can you explain further?

I can shift "fine" through out all of the gears (1st to 6th) without any effort.

 

That does sound too loud for clutch chatter. If you're on an incline, though, I've noticed that it can have an effect on clutch chatter and making the sound more pronounced.

Try engaging the clutch and disengaging it for a period of time to see if that has any effect on the sound.

 

Does it sound like it coming from the Flex pipe? I have this little device thingy, its basically what the doctor uses to hear your pulse, the thing they put on their ears, i replaced the end of it with a small rod, and just try to hear where the sound comes from exactly. Long story short, it was a cracked flex pipe. Because if you do have testpipes on the car, the flex pipes on our cars break when it gets hot, i know, the term flex pipe, it suppose to flex, but survey said, i was wrong too. See if its the flex pipes.

 

^^^

do you mean a stethoscope???

 

Thank you for the suggestion, however I do not have testpipes on the car. Stock exhaust on the car. I'll put that down as a suggestion when taking the car to a mechanic in the near future.

From what people are suggesting it might be the throw out bearing. And from what I have gathered this is a common sound in our Z.

I will try to get a better recording of the noise. How loud the noise is plays a factor on what the problem could be.