Here are the symptoms as I witnessed last night.(Jap import 3.8 auto - year 2000)

when parked , the engine revs smoothly in neutral up to 4000 rpm, but as soon as you reach 4000, the engine starts shaking and making a knocking/rattling noise and will not rev beyond 4000.

when driving the car, all is ok until approx 4500 rpm, then you get violent knocking/shaking and it sounds like something rattling loudly on the drivers side of the engine compartment. the car loses power at this point and won't rev beyond it

Thats what a friend off mine has put it and it is the best way to describe it. Has anyone ever come across this.

I have had the front cats taken out, new spark plugs and fuel filter and the exhaust checked of which seems to be fine

 

Timing issue, bad piston or bearing in the crank. Those would be my 2 guesses or it could be something very simple. A vid may help out a little. Best thing to do would be to take the car to a reputable mechanic at this point and let them diagnose it in person.

 

The car has three stock limiters that I have found, one for neutral rpm, one for max rpm, and one for top speed. You are hitting the neutral/park limiter at 4k rpm. Not really sure about the other though as the max rpm limiter should be higher.

 

Thats the only video of what its doing. i will get 1 later whilst its still

 

Why are you taking it beyond 4 grand anyway? If I remember correctly these engines stop producing power bofre 4000 RPM's unless you have extra work done to it.

Matthew

 

idk mine redlines at 5250, its an auto. his is a 2000 if you missed that

 

i watched the video twice and couldnt tell exactly what is going on. it seems to get loud right before it shift at the start of the video. how long have you had the car?

 

Mine gets a big boost of power at around 4k rpn. zoom zoom zoom. Sounds like it has a turbo in it and feels like it.

 

according to autotrader, the car make 190 hp @ 5250rpms, thats the boost you are talking about on its way up to peak power

 

At beginning of videop is just going over a small bridge so got a bit of a echo back. Its more to the end of the video when pass cars coming other way. It gets to about 4500rpm and just stays there and rattles. only started abou 4 weeks ago. was fine before that. its a night mare now for overtaking as its hurting the performance of it