So lately I've started hearing a rattling noise that I am hoping some people can help me pinpoint. I cant exactly tell where it is coming from yet because I only hear it while I'm driving and havent had a chance to try anything from outside of the car. I dont have any video of it yet either, but hope to have that here in the next day or two so maybe people can give me a better idea.

I *think* it is my clutch finally starting to give out after 133k miles.

Here's how it works:

If I am at a dead stop and start out in pretty much any gear (1st, 2nd, 3rd-sort of) it will make a metallic rattling sound for the first couple of seconds as I am accelerating.
It only does it at first rolling movement. Once I'm rolling, I dont hear it any more, even when changing gears. Only ever from a dead stop.
I can barely hear it once in a while if I am in neutral and blip the throttle, but not usually and even then it's barely noticable
Not sure how long it's been doing it because I usually have my music on. I've only started hearing it this past week when I havent had any music playing while I have tried to listen to it.

The car still shifts fine. The engine sounds fine and revs up OK in neutral and when in gear it doesn't feel drastically different as far as I can tell. It engages gears ok, doesnt fight me at all.
Every gear accellerates fine and makes no grinding or odd noises so I doubt it's the trans.

My clutch fluid over the past year and a half has been slowly dropping and I've ended up having to bleed it twice in that time because it got low (slow slave cylinder leak?). There is no fluid inside the firewall that I have noticed though.

I also know my cat is about toast and the secondary O2 is shot (I've had a CEL on that for about a month).

Any ideas based on a first description?

Thanks!

Aaron

 

Does it change when you push the clutch in while in neutral? If so could be a throw out or pilot bearing.

 

Sounds the same with the clutch in or out.

I was able to get it to do it while in neutral so I took a video here, accidentally upsidedown.
You can see it only does it in the first couple moments either coming up from or dropping down to idle.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SROWfaTf1s0[/media]

 

Take out the o2 sensor yet? Perhaps its no longer in 1 piece, ive seen where they break off and rattle inside the cat. Long shot maybe.

 

Certainly worth checking. I might try to do that tomorrow if I have time. Thanks for the idea, Chris.

Like I said, the car doesn't feel any worse than usual, so I am hoping I'm not hurting anything by driving it.

 

Unless you know you broke something while driving, I don't think the rattling is because of your clutch is going out. Based on your description with the way your car drives, I think the clutch itself is fine, since it doesn't sound like its slipping or anything.

Also, did you drive over any large objects recently?

I'd check out what Chris suggested, and then I would invest a few bucks doing a complete fluid change, engine/tranny/diff and inspect all drained fluids for metal debris.

 

So I got under the car today to pull out the o2 sensor and sure enough it was broken.


New cat and sensor time.

 

^cheaper to probably go test pipe

 

Berks is like 110 new, it already has an antifouler built in. No CEL with mine for over a year now. That with your HKS will sound great.

 

I might consider that. Sean (tipton80) was suggesting a test pipe as well when I was talking to him about it.

My biggest concern with being a drive leader while having a test pipe for the poor souls behind me.
My car also tends to puff smoke a lot now that it's getting on in years when I'm near redline and a testpipe certainly isnt going to help that.