I have a 2001 V6 Automatic, 91k miles. When in 1st gear and accelerating or slowing to a stop I get this weird noise like a fan blade scraping the shroud.

Checked the fan operation with a/c on and parked. No problem. Turned a/c on and off during acceleration with no effect on noise.

Once the car up shifts the noise vanishes, then when coming to a stop the whop, whop, whop starts again. The noise does not appear to be synchronized to the engine rpm or speed/motion of the vehicle. It sounds like its independent, if I shift to neutral while in motion, the sound disappears. Once stopped the noise stops too.

Anyone? transmission?

Put the back of the car up on jack stands, be sure the rear wheels are way up off the ground. (Block the front wheels so it wont try to roll off.) Put it in gear and just let the brake off. Then you can try to track down exactly where the sound is coming from.