Clackety clackety clackety?

[Andrew <aos+yahoo@xxxx>]

I started hearing a new and distressing noise tonight. It is best
described as sounding like my subject line, and is very metallic in tone.
It sounds kind of like what I would expect a broken metal piece spinning
inside a metal container might sound.

I was very low on fuel at the time, so I figured maybe it's the famous
noisy fuel pump sound (which I've never heard), so I went and filled up
the car. No change. The noise was on and off for a while, and would
sometimes go silent when the engine was at idle (although not always).

I dropped off the friend who was in my car and drove home, and the noise
mysteriously disappeared, meaning I can't listen to it now or locate its
source (although from inside the car, it definitely sounded like it was
coming from the rear).

Any ideas?

-andrew
#4115, Houston TX