Topic: Metallic rattle I cant find.... Not fixed....

[ophidia31]

The rattle is very intermittent. And I mean VERY. It is hard to diagnose because it doesnt show up all the time. But when it does show up, it is usually after about 30-45min of driving. And heres what I know from there:

After that time period, it usually shows up during coasting/deceleration when the rpms are low (1500-2000).

Braking the car to stop faster doesnt really decrease the time the rattle is there. Lasts about 5sec or so.

Ive tried putting the transmission (auto) into neutral to maybe unload the drivetrain and the rattle still exists.

Its not my endlinks as those were changed out last week for a different noise and the rattle occured prior to replacement.

Ive checked the heatsheild under the hood and made sure the exhaust wasnt hitting anywhere under the car and there is plenty of clearance for it.

Also, by the time I get the window down to get a better idea exactly what part of the car is comming from, its gone. Though with the warmer weather approaching, I could have the windows down possibly just have the top down.

Now I do have a header back solo exhaust waiting to go on so it may be something with the stock cat or a loose baffle in the muffler that my friend mentioned. I want to go over all my bases before switching it out as I may not be able to hear it afterwards and make sure it might not be something more. Just looking to see any ideas you guys may have.

[Arabas]

any indication from where it comes? i mean front end, rear end?
this is a good start, coz checking the whole car is difficult

[Sly Bob]

By process of elimination, changing the exhaust would be a good place to start. If you don't hear it any more after that, problem solved.

Otherwise, as Arabas said, knowing where the sound is coming from is crucial.

[JimmyBaja]

Maybe one on Kelu's gremlins escaped again 
I agree with putting on the new exhaust idea.

[ophidia31]

I would want to say its more towards the rear. I really heard it in the car when i had the rear panel out when i was taking out unecessary wiring and modules and stuff. When I put it back in, i was still able to hear it but dont think as loud as without the back panel. (Ill have to test that by taking it back out again) But then again, sometimes it sounds like it comes from under the car towards the front. But i dont think thats it as it didnt get any louder in the car when I didnt have either carpet in when I was pulled the deadening off the floors. The only way i really heard it was because i took out the monsoon system and just yesterday put a radio in for some tunes. So it was pretty much me and my thoughts for a month and could hear everything the car was doing without any noise from a radio.

[elff]

Have you checked your own head.
Maybe some marbles are loose?

 

[ophidia31]

Do you know any good psychiatrists? 

[J_Bond]

put it on a lift and shake everything by hand.  That usually how I find stuff like that.

[Sly Bob]

And it's a rattle and not a squeak?

[Critterman]

Check the driveshaft bolts at both ends.  haven't heard of a loose one in a while but they were several a couple or more years ago.

[ophidia31]

put it on a lift and shake everything by hand.  That usually how I find stuff like that.

Not a lift, but jack stands. I shook the shit out of everything i could get my hands on under there.

And it's a rattle and not a squeak?

could be a rattle or like a rythymic tapping too.

Check the driveshaft bolts at both ends.  haven't heard of a loose one in a while but they were several a couple or more years ago.

Ill check them when I do the exhaust since itd be easier to undo the tunnel brace without the exhaust there.

[ophidia31]

Also had the windows down on the way home from work so I can hear it a little better and it didnt do it this time around. Of course. 

[blackbirdracing]

I keep getting the brake caliper rattle on mine. I fixed it for about 2 weeks. By doing the e brake adjustment. Now its back.

[ophidia31]

Exhaust went on little over week ago and the rattle is still there. Though today I was able to turn my head fast enough to pinpoint if its front or rear and its definitly 95% sure its comming from the rear of the car.

[blackbirdracing]

have you tired the Ebrake adjustment?

I had a rattle and it fixed it...

[ophidia31]

Havent tried it yet. Did your rattle come and go whenever it felt like? Because this is how this one is turning out. I can kind of hear it at speed when coasting since the new exhaust is quieter than the stock when coasting, but more so when slowing down.

[blackbirdracing]

a quick thing to try is when you hear the rattle pull up slightly on the e-brake.  The ding will sound, so it may be hard to hear the rattle, but if you think it goes away, then do the Ebrake adjustment.

[ophidia31]

Tried that on the way home yesterday. Dont have a radio so I dont get any dinging or warning chimes so i could hear everything. With how quick the rattle comes and goes, its difficult to engage the ebrake slightly but fast enough to before the rattle goes away. But from the times i got it, it seemed like it stopped it and others it didnt. Ill try the adjustment and see what happens.

[JimmyBaja]

Since you still haven't found it I'm going to suggest something that I found on my car, just check it & see, simple enough... the door latch post on the body, it was making a metalick clicking noise, could sound like a rattle. Push up & down on it with your hand, passenger & driver side & see if you hear a click. If thats it let me know & i'll tell you how to fix it.

[Arabas]

ophidia, also check if your seats are pushing against the tulip panel (or the plastic part behind the seats).
i remember the zipper handle used to click on the panel and do some sort of noise when i had the co passenger all the way back.

[ophidia31]

I fixed the latches last year and theyve been good and the seats have been adjusted to not make any noise. Its definitely comming from outside the car as you can hear the noise bounce off a close building when you drive by it when it happens.

[EarthNTX]

Since reading this thread, now I'VE GOT A BLOODY RATTLE behind me. Seems to be coming from that waterfall thing. I'm going to check to see if anything's loose and what I've got stored in that huge compartment! 

[ophidia31]

Since reading this thread, now I'VE GOT A BLOODY RATTLE behind me. Seems to be coming from that waterfall thing. I'm going to check to see if anything's loose and what I've got stored in that huge compartment! 

That is more than likely where the black metal piece that holds the tulip on the car hits off the actual body. When you pull the back panel off, you will see the black peice bonded to the silver of the car in probably only two places with nothing in the middle. Tap with your finger on the middle and you will hear your rattle. When I still had my back panel in the car, I always thought it was the panel itself making that noise because when i put pressure on that section, it stopped. Fast forward to February when i took that panel out, the rattle was still there. That center part of the back wall where those two parts meet up is where it was comming from. Can either stick something underneath it or put a piece of dynamat or similar material on top of it.

As for my rattle, the ebrake trick didnt stop it from happening like i thought it did. The noise  Didnt do the reset, but i also wasnt pulling up on it far it enough to just barely engage it. I tested on a hill an went click by click to see when the car would stop. 3 clicks allowed it to roll just but eventually slow down and the 4th added the resistance and stopped the car. Not tire screaching stop. So today i tried on the way to work, pulled up 3 clicks and the rattling was still there. Still going to do the reset when I get a chance, but dont think thats the source of the problem.

[ophidia31]

Allrighty, had my friend go for a drive with me today. Hes been a mechanic for about 11yr so hes a good friend to have. What sounded like the ticking noise comming from the rear right side (yes, I would say its a ticking now that im listening to it alot more and not a rattle like i first described), is now just comming from the center of the vehicle rear. He was able to really listen to it with his head down by the back wall so he heard it better than i where I always had to keep my eye on the road when I was trying to listen to it.

I really hope its not the diff going out on me, but going to try changing out the fluid and see how that goes. As far as I know its been making the noise since early december when I first heard it with the music mainly turned off and hasnt gotten any worse really.

[Hal 9000]

I doubt these are what you're hearing, but thought I'd post the two rattles that drove me crazy till I found them.  One, the rear view mirror has something in it that rattles, and it sounds like it's coming from everywhere but there.  Second, when the top is up, sometimes the closure handle rattles against the front of the opening it fits in.  Sounds like something deep in the dash when it happens.