Tapping Noise (Exhaust?)

I have developed a strange noise... almost a rattle.. from what I believe is the under/passenger side of my 99 TJ. It doesn't happen all the time, seems to happen mostly when it is warm and has been under a load (i.e. stop-n-go traffic, highway driving, etc) for a while. The rattle is the loudest when under load, i.e. when I take off from a stop sign or accelerate up a hill. It has gotten louder lately. One day it was so bad, the "rattle" (sounds like metal tapping metal, actually) was happening at idle. I got out, and since I was in uniform and couldn't crawl under it, I just stuck my foot on the tailpipe to see if that would stop it, and it seemed to.

I'm finally home, but can't get it to duplicate at a time when I can put it up on stands and take a look at it. Every time I do, it won't duplicate. I DID find a lot of green/white powdery stuff caked on the pipe between the cat and the muffler. I've never seen that before. The pipe has a thick coating of this junk from end to end of the pipe connecting the cat to the muffler.

Any thoughts on this? It isn't one of those "it's a Jeep, it makes noise, deal with it" situations. My wife thought the muffler was dragging yesterday it got so bad.

By the way, I tapped, pulled, pushed, and prodded the exhaust from the downpipe back. Nothing loose that I could see.

Eric

99 TJ SE
Reply to
Eric
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check your convertor

Reply to
ISellJeeps

Sure sounds like your catalytic converter to me! The guts of it come loose and rattle against the metal. Mine does that.

-jeff

Reply to
Handywired

Ditto on the cat comments I have had a few go like that.... change it before it plugs right up or causes excessive back pressure on your engine. The first one that went on me rattled for a few months then it decided to break up and jam into the cat outlet nozzle and drop my forward momentum to a crawl, I actually went out and drilled a 5/8" hole in the front of the converter to allow me to drive to the muffler shop.

Reply to
Jeepster

Mine started doing that the last time I let the teenage daughter loose in it. Better check.

Reply to
John Welch

Reply to
David C. Moller

David C. Moller did pass the time by typing:

Not a bad thing to check. Turned out what I lived with for about a year thinking it was lifter tick was actually a teeny exhaust leak on #6 and the start of a cracked header.

Reply to
DougW

I'm pretty sure it's the cat too. Called a Jeep dealer today and it should still be under warranty. I have an appointment to get it replaced tomorrow. Good thing too, I barely made it home today. NO POWER AT ALL. Not to mention I've gotten 92 miles on this tank of gas and I'm approaching the red line...

The power issue didn't start until yesterday/earlier today. Either that or the power issue wasn't a noticeable issue until then. Should I have the stealership check anything else out for damage?? I'm driving about 3 - 5 miles to the shop tomorrow, hoping that won't be a big deal...

Eric

99 TJ SE

Reply to
Eric

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