Knocking noise...possibly solved

DocG

5th graders > me. They're not bant
Sep 25, 2005
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Cincinnati area
Just to let everyone know that was reading my previous threads about the knocking/rattling noise. Took it to dealer today and went on a nice test drive. The tech said he thinks its a loose heat shield on the exhaust. I'm going to crawl underneath it again this weekend and take a look. I'll let you know if that's it. Hope so!

Off topic, but on an aftermarket x-pipe system with cats....are their heat shields, or any problems with not having heat shields....or are they not needed since the cats are typically in a different location?

Thanks!
 
Could be the brake dust shield(s) - sounds like a loose heat shield and only vibrates at like 3500 RPM +. I swore it was the heat shield on the cat on the 01, but it turned out to be the pass side brake shield...which we promptly removed.
 
why do some people remove the heat shields? I thought it was necessary to keep the heat from coming into the interior and potentialy damaging the interior carpet. the vibrating noise i get occurs around 13-1500 rpms but it definitely sounds like something is loose and its coming from the passenger side as well
 
stangdriver, the problem isnt solved yet, this is just what his dealr told him...they bs all day long.

doc you said you have the sound at idle and it gets faster with giving it gas. it sounds like air rushing and ticks when you first give it gas. i have the exact same thing to a tee. i find it super hard to believe it is just a lose heat shield vibrating.

i hope thats all it is but i doubt it. let me know. it sure sounds like its coming from the engine. i could see it maybe getting louder as you gas it if it was the heat shield, but what about free rev in with out the car in gear. i know it still ticks cause mine does, but why would a free rev be shaking the heat shield. also the sound is rev matched i dont think the heat shield sound would be rev matched.

i hope your dealer is right but i doubt it....let me know
 
Its a very strange noise. At idle, sounds like air rushing...inside the car, it almost sounds like the heat/ac is on with the air rushing thru the vents, but it's not. Sitting in neutral w/ clutch in and out, it will rattle at various RPM's....but its pretty reliable to do it at about 3-3.5k. Also rattles while driving. Strangely, it will not do it with the hood up....and I know someone said there's a lot of ambient noise, which I understand, but if I can pick out the rattle on the interstate next to a semi, I should be able to hear it with the hood open, especially when its pretty loud with the hood closed.

I crawled underneath and I'm assuming the heat shields the tech was referring to are the small metal plates attached directly on top of the cat's. Almost a double layer of metal there. Do the stock GT's have two cats on each side (I know...cumb question)? On my 04....there's the larger shape that is almost vertical by the manifold connection, then another...longer shape that is horizontal closer to the crossover. Which is the actual cat? Anyways, I've poked and pulled and knocked, and none of this stuff seems lose, and the dust shields don't seem to be bent or close to anything to be making contact, unless they're rattling near where they are attached.

I'm thinking possible BS too. Car is still under warranty, just don't know if its something that's loose and I don't want to get charged for them taking the time to find something, say its not covered, fix it...then not really fix it, and keep taking it back, etc. etc. I hope to find the prob myself, but I'm not very good at diagnosing.

Thanks guys!
 
doc, now youe description sounds different then mine. i thought yours was ticking that got faster as you reved. that is what mine does.

anyway you have four cats on the mid pipe. they have the shields on the top close to the car. yea its just a extra sheet of metal over the cat.