Exhaust Rattle...

Jun 17, 2004 4 Replies
J

I own a 2000 Subaru Outback with 41k miles and I've had a rattle emanating from the front underside of the car when I accelerate; especially up hill.



I've taken the car to a Subaru shop and the mechanic said a protective plate for the exhaust was loose. The plate was riveted in place and the rattle disappeared for several weeks. This cost me 30 minutes of labor or $40



Recently, the problem has reoccurred. I spoke to the repair shop and they said that the best thing is to cut the plate off, free of additional charge. I'm no automotive engineer, but I'd imagine Subaru put the plate there for a reason.



I realize these symptoms are vague, but has anyone else experienced a similar problem? Does this solution seem reasonable, or is my mechanic just lazy?



Thank you,



Joe Antol


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A

This seems to be a common problem, and from what I've seen here on the newsgroup, there is no fix. People tell the exact same story. Fixed it, sound comes back, only solution is to cut it off- but doing so could start a fire, so don't do it.

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C

I had a chevy truck with this problem, I finally bought a heat sheild blanket and attached it to the body instead of the converter. The floor over that spot was actually cooler that way.

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J

I have the same problem with my 2000 Legacy GT. Just started rattling a couple months ago @ around 65,000 miles. I've found the source of the rattle, it's a shield in the area before the catalytic converter. One end of the shield is welded, but one end is free to vibrate. I tried duct tape, which worked for a while, but I suspect it melted.. Shimming sounds like a good idea, just need to find the right object...

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