So it goes like this; I was driving my V ('01 B20Z manual awd) this morning to drop it off for inspection, the car passed and I picked it up. On the way home however, it started making an awful grinding sound, almost as if someone was machining a piece of metal on a lathe. It only makes the sound 2600 and 2900 rpms (give or take). It makes the sound regardless of whether or not its moving and regardless of whether or not the clutch is depressed; the AC being on or off didn't seem to have a major effect on the sound nor did sawing the wheel to check the PS pump. The other strange thing is that its intermittent even of I hokd the rpms steady. It wasn't making this sound before my inspection and I can't think of anything on the engine they would have touched (I live in northeast PA so no emissions). Any ideas? I hate bringing my car to the mechanic to be serviced but I may just end up calling them. I'd love to figure it out without them though. Help me out please

 

pop the hood and get it to replicate the sound while you look around for that sound. maybe get a friend to get it in that range from the drivers seat since it's kinda hard to do by hand on the throttle body.

 

Take off the a/c belt, the idler pulleys have a Service bulletin about this problem at the dealership.

 

The idler pulleys have problems, remove the a/c belt and see if it goes away

 

Turning metal on a lathe makes an awful grinding sound?

You might have more than one issue, here..

 

actually seems like the problem is the power steering pump, i cut the ac belt and the sound still hung around, sprayed wd40 on the ps pump pulley and it quieted down