Unexplainable Rattle in my Pro5

[pro5turbo]

Hey everyone, here's the scoop.

I won't lie to you....I have been rough on my car for the past few years. I'm always pushing my car to it's limit to get what I can out of it. Whether it would be racing down our local roads, slamming gear after gear, or slamming the needle to the capacity of the car / engine.

Now that the car is reaching close to 7 years old, I have noticed a few minor and fixable problems, but this one has stumped me for the past few months, and I need possible solutions from all angles in order to resolve this problem.

While in motion, in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gear - usually around 3k rpm, I have been hearing an unexplainable rattle/grinding. The only way I can describe the rattle is this:

Take an empty soda can, put some hard candy in it (such as wonka nerds), and rattle it around at a high rpm.

It sounds as if it's coming from the engine compartment, or underneath the car. I can hear the rattle/grinding when passing by parked cars on the side of the street, but only when my windows are down, so it's not significantly loud. I've lost no performance, it seems that shifting is more of a challenge (seeming like the clutch isn't quite grabbing as well as it used to).

Maybe someone else has that has a P5 that has heard this rattle or grinding, and can explain a solution or possible solution.

Thanks!


Pro5turbo

 

[idrift4wd]

it might be something hitting the heat shield? check that out

i had a rattle around 2,600rpm something was rattling the heat shield

 

[pro5turbo]

ok, i'll add that to the list to check tonight. Anyone got any other ideas on what it could be?

The following problems don't apply:

Muffler Bearings
Kiniblin Pin
Blinker Fluid
Gweebo Disc

(having said that, i'm sure i'll hear some new ones i've never heard before.)


LOL Thanks!

 

[Knox Joe]

Take an empty soda can, put some hard candy in it (such as wonka nerds), and rattle it around at a high rpm.

That sounds like you're describing detonation.

 

[pro5turbo]

well this is an additional rattle/grind other than the standard sound of the engine. It truely sounds like a metal grind.

 

[Psylence]

Can detonation be just an every once in a while thing or does it have to be constant? I kind of get some pinging every once in a while but I haven't gotten around to figuring out what it is. Yours sounds constant on account of the window being rolled down and hearing it when cars pass. Which sounds more like a rattle of something loose.

 

[pro5turbo]

well detonation is constant, because you need it to push the piston back up. As much as I would like to think it's the heat shield, i'm afraid it could be the clutch plate, or even maybe a ripped up gear in my transmission, but - would a ripped up gear make an audible grinding noise like that?

even that, would the clutch plate make that kind of noise?

 

[justanothermp5]

is it a grinding or a rattling? cuz my car does that in 2nd gear when i keep it at a constant 3k, i think its the exhaust on mine, but i have so many rattles in this car who knows what it could be lol

 

[pro5turbo]

It sounds like a grind, but I don't want to mistake it for a grind when it may be a rattle. The thing is, that it happens when the car is good and warmed up, and only in motion, and when in gear.

 

[justanothermp5]

well grinding can only come from the trans,
do u feel any rattling or excess vibes through the shifter?

 

[pro5turbo]

Here's another example - when the car's warmed up, this is only when it happens. When I accellerate slowly, it starts to grind/rattle, but when I "get on it", the noise goes away, and when i slow down (mind you, my foot is still applying pressure to the gas pedal), the noise will return.

It's not loud, but significant enough to drive you NUTS!

 

[pro5turbo]

well my clutch hasn't been the same for a while, and seems to grab less effectively by each passing month. I've had the idea that it could be my transmission gears or the clutch, but i've never had this problem, so i'm puzzled beyond belief.

"do u feel any rattling or excess vibes through the shifter? "

nope, no excess vibes or rattling in the shifter.

 

[justanothermp5]

yea thats exactly what happens in my car, its nothing to worry about but it is very annoying

i have no clue what it is to be honest

 

[pro5turbo]

Well this weekend i'm going to tune up my car. I'm gonna change the spark plugs and the wires, and even flush the engine to try to get all build up out of there.

For some reason, i'm lead to two places:

1. Either there's something loose and rattling inside my engine.
2. or my transmission is SHREDDED.

 

[zoomzoom02]

I have something similar, but have had it for over a year now. Replaced my clutch two months ago, and the tranny was fine. So I don't know. I gave up. To tell you the truth, I don't know how my car has lasted 7 years and 123,000 miles. I was rough on mine too (it was my first car) and I went through a tranny and a motor by 60,000.

Good luck on figuring out what it is. I'd like to know.

 

[pro5turbo]

Yeah, i'll have to keep you updated and let you know if what i do this weekend, solves my problem, or if I have to dig deeper into the problem.

 

[hondajunkie01]

ok so do any of you guys have a short shifter,cuz what you are explaining sounds like the shifter hitting the heat shield...try and hit down on the shifter with ur hand and see if it makes a rattling noise.....

most companies that have short shifters come with spaces for the front and not the back...which would be why it happens in 1,3,5 and not 2,4


i just put in one and its doing the same things and it took me a few days to figure out what it was ....but i hope this will help you guys

 

[justanothermp5]

no thats not it on mine, i cut the heat shield right there to make sure it wouldnt hit, i do have a SS though

its comin from the engine compartment somewhere not underneath

 

[slavrenz]

well detonation is constant, because you need it to push the piston back up. As much as I would like to think it's the heat shield, i'm afraid it could be the clutch plate, or even maybe a ripped up gear in my transmission, but - would a ripped up gear make an audible grinding noise like that?

even that, would the clutch plate make that kind of noise?

He's talking about early detonation, aka "pinging". Try switching to a higher octane of gas and see if it goes away. Also check your ignition timing to see if it may be overly retarded/advanced. This can cause pinging also.

 

[Donas64]

I made a thread about this a few days ago. I have the same rattle. I was told it might be the j-pipe heat shield. It's driving me NUTS!!! Have not been able to confirm that yet though. Exact same symptoms. Most audible with window down, no loss of performance, I have an automatic, goes away at higher RPMs.