I'm not a huge fan of asking for car advice on TWW but maybe you guys can figure this out.

'97 240sx SE auto 102k miles

going through the gears when the rpms are between 2900 and 3500 the engine becomes much louder and there is vibration through the gas pedal, and I must push the gas a little harder to keep accelerating at the same rate (a little loss of power or maybe just getting out of the engine's power band). In top gear #4 this is the most noticable. At first I thought it was the tires, but I don't believe it is anymore. It has been doing this ever since I got the car. My brother, who owns a '98 240sx stickshift with similar mileage does not have this problem with his car.

When I am in that rpm range it sounds like some ricer with a fart cannon is riding beside me on the highway.

Could this be an exhaust leak or something wierd? or is my engine going to blow up?

Thanks for the help
-Read

3/13/2006 11:58:55 AM

your engine is about to kick the bucket

or one of your squirrels died

3/13/2006 12:23:39 PM

check your engine mounts and spark plugs/wires first, not to mention your air filter, when the sound gets deeper like that, it means its under a heavy load, and in that range it will be pulling the hardest, so if your air filter is clogged, or your plugs are bad it will show up worse at that speed. also it will bind if the engine mounts are worn out.

3/13/2006 12:25:06 PM

Or if you have a big ass hole in your exhaust or the exhaust is binding on the underbody (if mounts are shot or if the pipe's been bent by a speedbump or something).

You really need to have somebody (either here or otherwise; myself or gk2004 will be glad to) look at the car in person. It's too hard to interpret symptoms that most folks describe, unless they're real car geeks (like me!).

3/13/2006 1:48:29 PM

Yeah, new air filter and new plugs so I don't think those are a problem. I should probably put a new fuel filter on there sometime soon (I don't think it's ever been done!). I'm going to a nissan meet this weekend so I'm sure I can have some of those guys look at it.

Thanks for the suggestions guys

If any of y'all wants to go for a ride in it and see yourself then let me know.

[Edited on March 13, 2006 at 4:05 PM. Reason : s]

3/13/2006 4:02:40 PM

I THINK A TURBO KIT WOUDL FIX IT

3/13/2006 4:19:46 PM

^ well my little brother just got a t25 and ssac mani and silvia IC an piping and stuff. I could just steal his.

3/13/2006 4:26:54 PM