You’ve checked the cupholders.
Nothing is rolling around in the trunk.
But every time the car idles, starts moving or hits a bump, something underneath it sounds like it’s vibrating itself apart.
Exhaust rattles are common, and they’re not all expensive repairs.
It may be a heat shield
Parts of your exhaust get extremely hot.
Heat shields are thin pieces of metal placed around those hot areas to help protect the vehicle around them.
Over time, the places holding a shield in position can rust or loosen. The shield is still there, but now it can vibrate against something underneath the car.
That can create an annoying metallic buzz or rattle, especially at certain engine speeds.
Don’t just rip it off
When a thin piece of metal under the car starts rattling, removing it can seem like the obvious answer.
But the heat shield was put there for a reason.
We’d rather see whether it can be secured or replaced properly than throw away a part that’s protecting something above it from exhaust heat.
The rattle might be something else
Heat shields aren’t the only things that rattle underneath a car.
The exhaust system is held in place by brackets and rubber mounts. If one breaks or wears out, the exhaust can move enough to hit the underside of the vehicle.
Something can also break loose inside a muffler or catalytic converter.
Those problems can sound similar from the driver’s seat.
That’s why the first step is figuring out what’s actually moving. If you can tell us whether the rattle happens at idle, during acceleration, at one particular engine speed or only over bumps, that helps us narrow it down faster.
This is where experience helps
Thomas Powers calls his business partner Dallas Beard the “exhaust whisperer.”
That’s not because Dallas has some secret piece of diagnostic equipment. He’s simply spent decades working with exhaust systems and listening to the noises they make.
Once the vehicle is on the lift, we can see whether the problem is a heat shield, hanger, pipe, muffler or something else entirely.
We can fix what actually needs fixing
Because Stones River bends, fits and welds exhaust here at the shop, we aren’t limited to replacing complete systems.
Sometimes the answer is securing something that’s loose.
Sometimes a hanger or section of pipe needs repair.
And sometimes a damaged part really does need to be replaced. The point is to fix the source of the noise instead of guessing from the driver’s seat or removing a part just because it happens to be rattling.
We’ll tell you which one you’re dealing with before the work starts.
Contact
Stones River Auto and Exhaust, 1601 Flat Rock Road, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (615) 961-6322.
