[driftking123]

OK guys, I ran an errand today in NC and got caught in HEAVY rain. Side note-I've had this car for over a year and have been the rain maybe a couple times, but always light rain.

Anyway, I was driving in sport mode 1SS 1LE with suspension in track mode. It was a 55mph country road and kinda busy. So I'm doing about 45/50 with no traction issues in 5th gear. As the rain got harder, I dropped to 40/45 and put in 4th gear. Then all of a sudden a "humming" with a little vibration started coming from under the car. It was coming from under my seat area. It did this twice and I even had to put my car in 3rd gear with the rpm's over 3k. So I'm thinking trans or diff. Or could it have been the rain messing with the suspension? When I pulled into the garage, I could barely smell a little burning smell. I'm not completely sure on that as it was a faint smell. After it stopped raining, I had an appointment and I could not use my wife's SUV so I drove my car. The car drove fine, with no issues or sounds or vibrations. Like nothing was wrong.

I would really appreciate any opinions or similar situation you guys have had. I tried researching it, but I can't find anything. I know I could go to the dealer, but it only did it twice in heavy rain so duplicating it would be impossible.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA.

Also, I added a couple of pictures on my drivers side. Is this normal? Could this be a problem? It looks like the trans line.

[N Camarolina]

I have two theories for you based on description and pics:

1)Traction control could have been intervening. Your rear tires look well worn (almost down to the wear bars), so hard rain could have resulted in significant loss of rear traction and TCS was activated. When TCS is activated, it produces the sound/vibration you described, as it's retarding engine timing. Usually this happens when you apply a decent amount of throttle (ask for acceleration) but with worn tires and heavy rain, even asking for less throttle may invoke TCS. This theory, however, doesn't account for the burning smell, nor why the problem went away when you downshifted to a higher RPM (the latter may have been coincident with TCS turning off as rain letting up or road surface traction improved). Lugging the engine (too high a gear/too low an RPM for the amount of throttle you are attempting to use) could also explain the sounds/vibration, but not in your case as the speed and gear choice from your description would not have led to lugging unless you were very heavy on the throttle which I assume you were not given the rain.

2) Cooler line leak/compromised. That hose that looks like it's surface is worn is the one of two differential cooler lines, which share fluid from the trans/trans cooler circuit. There is white discoloration around that worn part of the hose, as well as a spray pattern on neighboring hardware. Could be that you are loosing trans fluid when the line is pressurized during operation, and your trans fluid level is low, leading to symptoms from the trans. This might also explain the slight burn smell, but it wouldn't explain why your car drove normally on your subsequent trip.

Even if theory #1 is correct, I'd suggest ruling out theory #2. Take the car to the dealer, show them the pics, and have them investigate the integrity of the diff cooler to rule out that problem. If there isn't a way to pressure test the line integrity while the car is stationary, they could always pull the trans fill plug and use a impromptu dipstick to see if the trans fluid level is correct (1/8" below the bottom edge of the fill plug hole).

[driftking123]

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

I have two theories for you based on description and pics:

1)Traction control could have been intervening. Your rear tires look well worn (almost down to the wear bars), so hard rain could have resulted in significant loss of rear traction and TCS was activated. When TCS is activated, it produces the sound/vibration you described, as it's retarding engine timing. Usually this happens when you apply a decent amount of throttle (ask for acceleration) but with worn tires and heavy rain, even asking for less throttle may invoke TCS. This theory, however, doesn't account for the burning smell, nor why the problem went away when you downshifted to a higher RPM (the latter may have been coincident with TCS turning off as rain letting up or road surface traction improved). Lugging the engine (too high a gear/too low an RPM for the amount of throttle you are attempting to use) could also explain the sounds/vibration, but not in your case as the speed and gear choice from your description would not have led to lugging unless you were very heavy on the throttle which I assume you were not given the rain.

2) Cooler line leak/compromised. That hose that looks like it's surface is worn is the one of two differential cooler lines, which share fluid from the trans/trans cooler circuit. There is white discoloration around that worn part of the hose, as well as a spray pattern on neighboring hardware. Could be that you are loosing trans fluid when the line is pressurized during operation, and your trans fluid level is low, leading to symptoms from the trans. This might also explain the slight burn smell, but it wouldn't explain why your car drove normally on your subsequent trip.

Even if theory #1 is correct, I'd suggest ruling out theory #2. Take the car to the dealer, show them the pics, and have them investigate the integrity of the diff cooler to rule out that problem. If there isn't a way to pressure test the line integrity while the car is stationary, they could always pull the trans fill plug and use a impromptu dipstick to see if the trans fluid level is correct (1/8" below the bottom edge of the fill plug hole).

I really appreciate your insight. The tires may look worn, but they are new from 2 months ago and only a thousand or 2 on them. They are the supercar tires. I also don't do burn outs other then a chirp here and there. So I'm not sure it was the traction control. I knew to slow down and I never lost traction. I did go through some deep water/puddles-unavoidable. And it was on an incline as I was driving. These country roads are very hilly.

So, I changed the oil today and took a drive. A CEL came on (p219A) and I then started hearing a humming coming from the engine bay from in the car, I had to lean towards the steering wheel to hear as I drove. It's noticeable around 2500 rpms. I then got home and wanted to check the oil level and it was at the top x, but a puff of smoke came out of the dip stick hole as I lifted it out.

So I'm definitely going to call chevy in the morning. I'm hoping the code and symptoms are related and they can duplicate it. The white discolorations does have me concerned. Thank you again for your response.

Side note, my folks live in Cary and I used to be a Cary cop many many years ago. I'm glad someone close responded. Thx.

[N Camarolina]

Originally Posted by driftking123

Side note, my folks live in Cary and I used to be a Cary cop many many years ago. I'm glad someone close responded. Thx.

Well I had to respond. We have the same car, right down to the color!

The SC3 tires are known for their poor traction in heavy rain. I've attempted to drive on them on the track (VIR) during a downpour and they load-up with water very easily. Consequently, the traction control system (when in PTM "wet" mode) is very restrictive and retards a lot of timing which sounds like a deep groaning sound. Normal car modes (Tour, Sport, Track) will wait for the wheels to slip before activating TCS, but the PTM modes and I believe Snow/Ice mode retard engine timing (TCS groan when pressing on the throttle) pre-emptively.

Hopefully your woes are tied to the CEL code and can be found quickly. Good luck.

Camaro6 is a indispensable resource for diagnosing problems as well as maintenance advice. Please provide updates to your problem/solution here in the event anyone else who might have your problem in the future can benefit.

[driftking123]

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

Well I had to respond. We have the same car, right down to the color!

The SC3 tires are known for their poor traction in heavy rain. I've attempted to drive on them on the track (VIR) during a downpour and they load-up with water very easily. Consequently, the traction control system (when in PTM "wet" mode) is very restrictive and retards a lot of timing which sounds like a deep groaning sound. Normal car modes (Tour, Sport, Track) will wait for the wheels to slip before activating TCS, but the PTM modes and I believe Snow/Ice mode retard engine timing (TCS groan when pressing on the throttle) pre-emptively.

Hopefully your woes are tied to the CEL code and can be found quickly. Good luck.

Camaro6 is a indispensable resource for diagnosing problems as well as maintenance advice. Please provide updates to your problem/solution here in the event anyone else who might have your problem in the future can benefit.

Heck ya man I will update this with any news good or bad.

That may have been groaning sounds I was hearing. I just thought it was odd. I'm going to try to drive it again in heavy rain, just to see if I can duplicate it. I also have heard our trans fluid sucks, and should get flushed.

So You've been to VIR, I want to go, just haven't pulled the trigger. I'm retired now, but have a lot of police cruiser track time, just no personal car time. Thanks for all your advice.

[N Camarolina]

Now that you're retired, you can consider doing HPDE track events if the budget allows.

If you decide to pull the trigger, I'd suggest starting with an organization that is dedicated to learning, improving skills, proper track etiquette (directly linked to safety for all). At VIR, you can find this with BMWCCA tarheel chapter, PCA (Porsche group). I'm just finishing season 3 of HPDE events, primarily with BMWCCA (you can have any car brand to take part in these club events). You can find the calendar for HPDE events by searching Motorsportreg.com (Porsche club events are not on this list as you have to search for their events on their website).

I think the OEM trans fluid is fine, at least considering I need something for both regular driving as well as track. It needs about 1 mile of driving warm up (shift delicately during this period) before the shifts smooth out and become buttery, but after that it's fine. Other brands might be better for daily driving without the warmup, but either aren't good for track or components may not be compatible with some of the internal parts in the trans. Tremec started making their own fluid as well, but while that is better for the track, it is thicker and needs more warm up than the OEM before shifts become smooth.

[driftking123]

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

Now that you're retired, you can consider doing HPDE track events if the budget allows.

If you decide to pull the trigger, I'd suggest starting with an organization that is dedicated to learning, improving skills, proper track etiquette (directly linked to safety for all). At VIR, you can find this with BMWCCA tarheel chapter, PCA (Porsche group). I'm just finishing season 3 of HPDE events, primarily with BMWCCA (you can have any car brand to take part in these club events). You can find the calendar for HPDE events by searching Motorsportreg.com (Porsche club events are not on this list as you have to search for their events on their website).

I think the OEM trans fluid is fine, at least considering I need something for both regular driving as well as track. It needs about 1 mile of driving warm up (shift delicately during this period) before the shifts smooth out and become buttery, but after that it's fine. Other brands might be better for daily driving without the warmup, but either aren't good for track or components may not be compatible with some of the internal parts in the trans. Tremec started making their own fluid as well, but while that is better for the track, it is thicker and needs more warm up than the OEM before shifts become smooth.

You are right about all of that and i have looked into VIR before. I'm just not sure when I can get out there. I have 4 kids and I'm kinda Mr. Mom now.

I have an appointment to get my car checked this thursday. I was using Trifecta Calibration and then I decided to go back to the stock tune/calibration before I drove to the dealer, well it cleared my CEL. So I don't have that to have them check out anymore. Oh well.

I also found a new issue with the car. In the rear end I hear a rattling/rubbing of what I believe is rubber. I think it is related to the suspension. It only happens when I accelerate fast and make the rear end dip. I thought it was the NPP valves, but the more I drove it and did my own testing, it is not that. But Chevy will look at that too.

However, I may be selling this car and getting a 1998-2002 Trans Am. 1. because I had one and it was my dream car when I was young and 2. my wife desperately needs a new vehicle. And it has to be a newer vehicle as her last 2 have been 8+ yrs old and have had lots of problems.

[driftking123]

Here's a 15 second clip of the noise I'm hearing now.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxyzTz2I_...a9nk9DVtznWwDb

[driftking123]

So Chevy could not find a problem other then the exhaust sitting/rubbing on the heat shield, but the location is on the passenger side near the trans. The noise is coming from rear end. It also takes 10-15 minutes for the noise to be heard. This is not the problem, the problem is in the suspension or axle area.

They also unplugged my dash cam from the cigarette lighter plug, so I'm not sure why they don't want me seeing what they are doing.

I guess I have to wait for something to break and then have em fix it. In the mean time I get to enjoy BS noise from Chevy's great engineering. You know, the engineering that has multiple law suits, parts that are not working right, not getting replaced, not being redesigned.

[klango.br]

I bought the Camaro 3 months ago, I did a complete inspection, changed discs, pads, checked the entire suspension, new tires, no alerts in the injection control unit, in short, I left the car ready to travel (I love roads with strong engines). On my first trip (two months ago), I drove for about 300km in good weather, everything was perfect, then I encountered heavy rain on the way, that's when I was scared by the behavior of the car, I lowered the speed to 80 km/h and got in. in the rain, the vehicle was in low D, practically at idle, the TCS was on, so far everything was ok, but the next moment an absurd noise started from the rear axle, it sounded like the differential, it's scary the whole car vibrates, at first At the moment I thought that the discs had bent because they were hot, but I realized that the noise was coming from the differential, even without accelerating the vehicle continues to vibrate, I lowered the speed even further, pulled over, got out in the rain and expected to see the differential broken, but everything was not in order. order, I took the car out slowly, the weather became good again, the suspension dried out, the car returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Two months later I was returning from a trip of just over 1000km, again I found myself in the same situation, the car ran well at the beginning of the rain but when everything was wet, again the rumbling sound in the differential was present, remembering that even without accelerating there is an absurd vibration. By chance, my wife was recording at the moment the vibration started.
Follow the video, and the question does anyone know how to solve this? I imagine it's Something related to traction control.I imagine it's something related to traction control, sensors, anyway, this is the first time I've seen someone report this problem and the dealership has no idea what to do.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QdPUpIBZ6lI

[arpad_m]

Hey Klango, to the forums. If you really have a 2014 as your signature says, that's a 5th generation Camaro and this is the 6th gen forum, so you may find more people who could help at camaro5.com.

Now, as to your problem, I have never experienced this. My first thought was that your tires may be worn, perhaps close to bald, and that's why traction control comes on all the time in low grip situations such as standing rain. This would explain why you only have the problem in inclement weather. You can also experiment with turning traction control partially and fully off, then checking if the noise remains (I'd only do this when nobody is around if my tires were worn or Goodyears, hehe).

The diff is a closed system, I cannot imagine how it would vibrate in the rain but then become "smooth" again when the road dries up, meaning it's unlikely to be compromised. I don't see how the transmission could be implicated either, again, given this is limited to rainy (and cold, perhaps?) weather.

[N Camarolina]

The traction control system activating doesn't just retard throttle inputs. It seems to retard engine timing to (presumably) reduce torque and prevent wheelspin. When this gets activated, you can physically hear it, as the engine note becomes deeper and takes on kind of a humming sound.

There are 2 ways you can confirm it's the TCS causing this bahavior while it's raining:

1) Turn off the TCS (warning, the tires will likely spin and you may lose control of the rear end - so choose a wide open place, like a parking lot)

2) Reduce the throttle input to practically nothing or zero and it will stop because you are not asking the tires for much torque, so they likely won't slip and TCS won't be activated. The drivetrain is still all connected and the car is rolling, so any noise at this point is due to a drivetrain problem.