Clunking noise comming from under the center console & shifter...what is it???
 

Yesterday me and my girlfriend were in my car (01 Trans-Am WS6), we were crusing on the highway heading home from a day out, when all of a sudden we hear this loud clunking noise comming from under the center console/shifter. It felt like something was hitting the bottom of the console, and you could feel the bump if your arm was leaning on it. I pulled over and looked under the car, I was on the side of the highway so I coulden't get a good look, just saw that nothing was dangling or leaking. I also noticed it did this noise when I hit the brakes, not slamming on them, just regularly hitting them to slow. Sounds like something is loose under the car. So I continued the drive on home, then driving it today to work it was doing the same thing, sometimes when I let off the gas and get back on it clunks, other times when I hit the brakes and let off it clunks, and also I was NOT beating on the car AT ALL when I first started hearing the sounds, I was honestly crusing at 70MPH in 6th gear on the highway...one of the rare times I can honestly say that lol. It does not feel like a transmission or clutch problem, every gear still worked fine with no grinds or popping out, also clutch felt fine and shifting was fine. Today when I got home from work I called a friend over to take a look under the car...at first I thought the driveshaft may be loose somehow, then we thought a transmission mount, and also possibly a U-Joint. We got under the car and looked, mind you this is just jacked up in my driveway so we didn't get a real good look at it, but from what we saw the driveshaft is fine, the transmount looks fine, and the U-Joint also looks alright and is not leaking or anything. Tomm I plan on bringing it to a shop with a lift, but I figured I'd post it on here to see if its a common problem and maybe someone can help me out prior to it. Thanks and if you need more info just ask.

I had similar symptoms before on my last TA. found a loose bolt in a lower control arm.

Anyone else?

I would also check your tranny mount because it seems like it may be broken. Check your LCAs like someone else said as well.

i had the same problem. tranny was hitting the trans tunnel. fixed it with a $20 autozone mount.

It was the tranny mount on my 88 Formula when I had that noise.

Alright so it seems like either a tranny mount or something with the LCA. Thanks alot guys for the help!

I'd bet it's the TA mount. I had the bolt come off once and it made the exact same noise under braking/accelaration. It sounds like if someone was hitting the center console with a bat from the bottom.

EXACTLY what im talking about...I actually freaked my girlfriend out telling her there was a hand in the center console trying to break out haha

You were exactly right....the bolt popped out of the torque arm mount...its all better now though!


Thanks everyone for the help!

beat me to it....same thing happened to me one time....i was gonna suggest checking the TA....glad you fixed it.

mine backed out too. all of the sudden one day, was prolly loose for a while.

Shit is on there TIGHT now so hopefully it will be good from now on...but if not I know what the problem is

hope it works out. I cant come up with anything else but the TA mount or the trans mount

[QUOTE=01 Trans-Am WS6;9699692]You were exactly right....the bolt popped out of the torque arm mount...its all better now though!


Thanks everyone for the help![/QUOTE


Did u have to replace the mount are the bolt ?

Universal joint, trans mount or torgue arm bushing.

Another reason to shit can the stock torque arm.

I have this same issue and i have the adjustable UMI torque arm thats has its own mount. My car was an auto car we put a T56 in it, I replaced the tranny mount which was torn, but its still sounds like something is hitting the car from the bottom. What am I missing?