jhenty

when my car accelerates it makes a sort of buzz or rattle sound like something metal inside the engine is loose or something. I was told that it might be a loose heat plate or something but i dont know where to start looking. It only happens during low end acceleration, if anyone has any info please let me know. thanks!

steviej

iTrader: (1)

heat shields come loose all the time. They pieces of sheet metal surrounding parts that get very hot. Usually they are only held on by rivets or small bolts or spot welds. Raise and support the front of the car safely. crawl under and start banging about with the back end of a breaker bar or large ratchet. listen for vibrations. Usually the heat shields are incorporated into the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, and muffler. Bang the exhaust too. Sometimes the honeycomb element inside the catalytic converter breaks loose and rattles around inside the casing. (Happened to me in my old Bonneville and to a friends Dodge truck). The cat still functioned, but just made a lot of noise depending on the motors RPM.

If it is a heat shield, reattach it or rip the sucker off depending on which one.

You can also try puttin the car in park and slowly bring up the RPM while someone stands outside the engine bay and listens.

good luck in your hunt for the noise.

steviej