Need help. Spent an hour reading many, many threads about various "noises," "fluttering," "clicking" but no real match. Closest was one about decleration noise in a W58 manual car. I have a '97 SC400, with the OEM Auto trans. Runs great, no noises whatever except around town, at relatively low speeds, windows up, when I lift off accelerator there is a strange cross between "fluttering" and "clicking" noise. Kind of like muted castanets, or a playing card a kid put in his bicycle wheels. It goes away immediately when I push down on the gas. Directionally, it seems to come from behind the dash rather than within the engine compartment. I hear it less with windows down, don't hear it so much at speed on the fwy, but that may be due to competing road noise. Not a loud noise, but it's getting on my nerves. Anyone else experience this or know how the hell to get rid of it?
thanks

 

bump . . . not a terribly interesting thing, but I've searched and searched and can't find answer . . . surely someone else has experienced this. Thanks for any info

 

I experienced a similar phenomenon some years ago when I replaced my clutch in my SC3 with a W58. After replacing the trans after the clutch install, I incorrectly mounted it back up. It caused the same symptoms you are describing. Have you gone under the car and checked the trans mountings?

 

Mine is an automatic, and I have looked under car . . . taking to my mechanic next week and will have him look at anything under car that could be an issue.

 

anyone . . . searched like crazy, but nothing quite like this . . .

 

My SC400 sounds exatly like that, when I rev the engine over about 2000rpm (somedays over 3000-3500).
It makes more noise when I don't press down on the gas pedal and let the car decelerate, but in my car the noise doesn't do away completely when I start accelerating either.
I have also located the noise coming from somewhere behind the dash. When I ask my friend to rev the engine when I'm listening for the noise in the engine compartment, I can't hear anything unusual, but my friend does hear the flapping noise clearly in the car.

Please let me know if you have succesfully fixed the problem...