fluttering noise and lots of knock after I drop it off with a shop?

[BlackBeauty]

Hey guys, I always do my own work with my car because I can't trust anyone. The last time I left the car at a shop was sometime last year, because I needed to get a tranny fluid change. And just today, I dropped it off to get two new tires (front) and an alignment.
Well the tech finished the work, then took it for a test drive to check the alignment I assume. When I got the car back, I noticed that just giving it light throttle to turn onto the highway caused the knock gauge to go full red instantly. With enough gas to give it just 1psi, it reads knock all the way to the last red light every time. I haven't boosted it more than that since, cause I don't know what will happen. The ScanMaster doesn't not show any KR.
When I got home, I could tell the car was sounding weird. I popped the hood, and revved the motor, when the RPM's are falling, there is a fluttering sound. I thought the turbo took a dive and the compressor wheel was slapping the housing. Took off the MAF, compressor side looks ok. I drove it straight back to the shop. I asked the tech if he boosted at all, he said no (I think the answer would always be no). Had him listen, he guessed valves. And said he noticed it was leaking oil, maybe it's low. I just topped it off on Tues., and I know it's slowly dripping oil.
So I don't know what it is. I'm hoping it's something EXTERNAL and loose, that is hitting something else to set off the knock sensor. Any suggestions on what it could be? I hope the exhaust side of the turbo is ok. Like I said, there's a fluttering sound when the rpm's are winding down, and the sound is coming from near the turbo. Any help is appreciated.

 

[onefastjackass]

My car and many others always flutter when the gas is let off.

The turbo is despooling and flutters.Is the noise you are discribing sound like birds stuck in the intake?

Does youre car have a K&N filter on it?If so how long since you put it on?

Are the hoses to the maf and intake pipe on and tight??
What about on the other side from the turbo down to the intercooler and back to the intake??
What I am thinking is that you may have a leak on either side of the turbo which would be letting you here the flutter more and will change the fueling to make knock.

Also you could have a fluttering that you just noticed because of the knock going red and have some false readings from a broken mount downpipe rubbing etc.

 

[XLR8]

My car "flutters" when I let of the gas. You said your Scanmaster shows Zero KR but the knock gauge goes full red. They both can't be right. I would check for loose wiring to both the SM and knock gauge. No offense, but since you're seeing the knock gauge show full red and are rightly concerened, can the strange sounds you hear be psychological? Are the sounds really different from before?

 

[BlackBeauty]

Lol. Thanks for the replies. When searching for others who have had problems with "fluttering," I noticed a lot of people do not know what a turbo sounds like. It's not the sound of compressor surge, the fluttering happens with even the smallest of revs. Unfortunately it's difficult to accurately describe a sound over the Internet. I will be taking the car to TR specialists on Friday (that's the one place I trust... and where I got my tranny fluid changed).
I know just about everything there is to know about my car, and have never heard this sound before. Something is different, it may just be a coincidence that this noise and knocking started the same day that I brought my car to a shop. I will do some more searching under the hood today.

 

[HellOnWheels]

My guess would be the problem started with the "test" drive the mechanic made after installing the tires and doing the alignment.

Hope its nothing serious.

HOW

 

[BlackBeauty]

update

For those of you who were following along, I did end up getting the car towed to the local Turbo Buick specialists. They determined the "fluttering" sound to be rod knock. I went back to the tire shop and told them there's a spun rod bearing and I was given an estimate of $4-5000 for a stock motor rebuild... I filed a claim, and insurance adjusters or whatever came out to look at the vehicle, and determined the cause of death was due to mileage, time, and modifications. Therefore, the shop is not responsible.
I don't know what to do from here. I think I am going to call corporate today. Any suggestions would be great. This is a giant independent tire chain.

 

[GNVenom]

Always ALWAYS put a valet chip in the ECM when you bring your car in for any service. The ones we provide setthe maximum RPM to 4800, boost to 12PSI and top speed to 65 MPH. This way when they "test drive" the car, they won't hurt anything as the car falls on its face when they get into the throttle.

Words to the wise....

-John Spina
www.casperselectronics.com

www.gnspyder.com

 

[cool 84]

I agree, I've always had the wastegate rod in my pocket when I've dropped my car off at a shop. After going to pick my dad's T-type up from the AC shop only to find the owner giving people joy rides on a back road, I will never take it anywhere without a valet chip or no boost.

 

[Night Train]

I will never understand why anyone would leave one of our cars at a repair facility for any reason. Where my car goes, I go, unless it's with one of our vendors.

 

[BlackBeauty]

I did not realize all of this would happen. If I had known the tech was going to take it for a spin after putting tires on and aligning it on a machine, I would've capped the nipple on the actuator to limit boost to 12psi, AND I would've gotten in the car for the ride.
I was standing out front of the store when the tech backed the car out of the bay, and he drove around the back where there are parking spaces. Turns out he drove around the back of the plaza and got onto the road, as I saw him pull into the parking lot 5 minutes later.

 

[strikeeagle]

Take the $5K out of his hide...

 

[Turbo6inKY]

I think you're missing something...

The bearing was on its way out. Even with a valet chip, it would have spun when you got it back and hammered on it yourself.

I see the valet chip as a way to prevent a tech from getting happy with the car and having it come out from under him and hitting something. Not something that will prevent engine damage. If the car is tuned to the ragged edge and has high miles, you should expect it blow up at some point.

 

[strikeeagle]

So KY,

Let me borrow your car and hammer on it. If it blows up, well, it doesn't matter, 'cause it would'a blown up for y'all as well...

Tell me you don't really believe that...

 

[GNVenom]

I blow my own ride up, I look at it as "Time to Upgrade". But,
Someone else trashes it, that's a whole different story. That person is RESPONSIBLE for it's demise.

Moral: Don't drive someone else's car unless you can pay for it if it breaks.

Don't cross the river if you can't swim the tide.
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

-John Spina
www.casperselectronics.com

www.gnspyder.com

 

[slamming 6]

Get Legal Advice from the best firm you can may cost you 1200 but thats better than $5.000.

 

[Turboboy]

yea who knows maybe it saw 6 grand on that test drive!
any damage done while in any shop IS there responsability. the only exceptions is stolen items from inside the car, go figure. at least hear in ill.

 

[iownaGN-GS]

LESSON LEARNED, NEVER, NEVER LET ANY SHOP TEST RIDE, PERIOD. UNLESS THEY ARE CRASH DUMMIES.

WALT

 

[zam70]

Originally posted by Turboboy
any damage done while in any shop IS there responsability. the only exceptions is stolen items from inside the car, go figure. at least hear in ill.

BS Turboboy. You are looking at things in a very wide perspective.

I'm sorry to hear about your car, I really am but it seems people forget that things break. It's a sad fact of life.
Being in the Automotive service field, coincidentally, they sometimes break when not in the owners posession.

If the service guy did something to promote the breakage, they should be liable. If they didn't, they aren't...YOU have to prove they did something wrong...(and I hope you can for your sake)

 

[FastRegalWE2]

that really sucks either way.......

 

[Turboboy]

Zam 70 totaly see your point things break! And it very well may not have been the shops fault but from a legal stand point if that is when it decided to break either with help or on its own he has legal rights. i sat through three weeks of class on just ills laws on work and service writing i know it doesnt make much sence if it was not intentional i guess it is to protect the cust and give them the benefit of the doubt). ive seen a shop have to replace an engine because it came in with a niose (which turned out to be a rod knock and when the tech reved it a few times the rod came thtough the block. everyone knew what happend but they where still responsible for it because it happened in there possesion and was just a moderate noise when it came in.