On a recent road trip with my lovely wife I was hearing something that I never noticed before. I usually drive alone and with the music on, but on this trip the music never got turned on. I could hear what I assumed at first to be a very slight exhaust barble on deceleration. Fairly consistent. I don't recall hearing it before. But then again, I may just not have noticed before because of listening to music. The more I heard it, the more I started to worry about it. I'm wondering if it might be a rear end or drive shaft issue. I will say, I don't feel any abnormal vibrations, just the sound.

I know XKRs will barble and pop on deceleration, but do NA XKs do this at all? I didn't think so, but maybe they do and that's all this is.

Thoughts?

 

Is your exhaust original?

Do you have a sound clip?

Try manually downshifting from 3rd to 2nd around 2200 rpm and see if its the same noise.

 

Probably not what you're referring to but I know that the N/A 4.2l's have a drone at around 1600 RPM.
My 2008 XK has it and I've come to like it.

 

My 2007 XK does ‘barble’ as it downshifts while decelerating. Much more noticeable in Sport mode, and my exhaust is more pronounced than the standard XK, as I put a XKR backbox on it, with the valves permanently open.

 

Original exhaust. I always drive in Sport and Dynamic mode.

It's quite subtle. I doubt I would be able to record anything useful.

I will play with the manual downshift and see, but at this point I would say it's much more about lifting off the accelerator than an actual downshift.

 

Bet if you drive it in Normal mode, you’ll hardly notice it, and may not hear it at all.

 

the NAs can absolutely do it, but by removing the rear muffler. you could have an exhaust leak? also, the valves in the rear muffler assembly open with exhaust pressure only on the NA; maybe one or both of yours is stuck open.

 

I think this may have hit it. It's very subtle when I do hear it, but I'm fairly convinced now that I only hear it when in Sport and Dynamic mode. I've driven with them off here and there and don't heard it. But again, it's VERY subtle when I do hear it.

Thanks all

 

Welp, it turned out to be a driveshaft issue after all. The car was suddenly making a very obvious clucking sound, so I pulled into the nearest parking lot and called for a tow. Just got the car back a few days ago. I haven't driven it a lot, but the noise that prompted this thread seems to be gone.