6-speed Odd "Trickle" Noise and Lugging?

[TheGreenDragon]

Hey guys and gals, it's been awhile.

Unfortunately I am back, not to discuss and recommend wheels, but to ask for help identifying a problem.

Back around 6 months ago I bought a used MPFab Drivetrain Roll Suppressor from a member and eventually installed it on my car. Everything seemed to be fine, until I noticed hideous shaking just below 1000 RPM that caused the hood to rattle. I believe the DRS merely allowed me to feel these vibrations for the first time; not that the DRS caused the issue. However, the shaking was disturbing enough that I soon uninstalled the DRS in the hopes of making it go away.

Since uninstalling the DRS, the car has had a persistent lug to the engine at this same spot on the Tach. It isn't enough to shake the hood anymore, but it does rattle the dashboard plastic with an annoying buzzing noise. I also started to notice a very strange "water trickling" noise when I revved the engine in neutral or 1st gear that seemed to be coming from below the dash near the shift-lever. This "trickling" would stop after driving for awhile, but the lugging stayed and got worse if I used the A/C.

This is where things get really strange. Every day since the day I bought the car new, I have parked with the car in 1st gear or Reverse with the parking brake on depending on the hill slant. I was at a stoplight earlier this week, and noticed that if I held the shifter to the right near 5/6 gear, that the lugging noise coming from the dash went away, but holding the lever to the left near 1/2 gear made it worse. So I tried an experiment.

I parked the car overnight with the gear selector in 5th gear. The next morning when I got into the car, it started up, and both the lugging and the trickling noise were gone! Neither issue resurfaced during my commute so I've been parking in 5th the entire week. Now, however, the lugging has started to return slightly. Even worse, the slight whine I had experienced in 4th seems to have become louder. I had downshifted into 3rd gear to engine brake a hill, and suddenly there was a loud whine that filled the cabin, seemingly turning my cabin into a cello.

I suspect something is off with my transmission. But beyond the whining noise, everything else is completely bizzare. Did I blow out the lower transmission mount when I installed the DRS? Did parking in 1st this whole time warp the shifter cables somehow? I honestly have no idea.

Any help would be great.

 

[Maddmatts]

According to MPfabs site, the DRS increases vibration at around 900 RPM unless it has the softer rubber bushing option.

The trickle sound you hear is likely air in the HVAC heatercore and usually a sign of low coolant. Keep an eye out for leaks.

Transmission whine could potentially be a bad bearing, which was a common problem for the earlier manuals if I'm remembering right. There's a large thread about it in the transmission section.

 

[TheGreenDragon]

According to MPfabs site, the DRS increases vibration at around 900 RPM unless it has the softer rubber bushing option.

Right, I actually was in dialogue with Morgan when this issue first appeared to see if I had installed the DRS incorrectly. He told me about the softer bushing too, but the problem I'm having is that this vibration is persistent even after removing the part.

The trickle sound you hear is likely air in the HVAC heatercore and usually a sign of low coolant. Keep an eye out for leaks.

I will have to look into that to make sure it's not the coolant. I topped it off not too long ago, so I'd be surprised if it was low already. My bigger concern is that it only happens when the car is in neutral or 1st gear and it sounds like it is coming from the gearbox. Hence, I'm worried it might be the transmission making that noise and not the water pump.

Transmission whine could potentially be a bad bearing, which was a common problem for the earlier manuals if I'm remembering right. There's a large thread about it in the transmission section.

I remember that thread. I'm fairly certain they rectified the issue with the 2015 model. However, the symptoms do fit. The car is almost at 45K miles, so it might be about time to change the transmission fluid anyway.