Exhaust Rattle...

[Joe Antol]

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

 

[Alan]

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.

 

[jimuntch]

Before you consider having it removed, try shimming it yourself. I've used
this procedure several times, with several subarus...crawl under your car
(cold engine), use a rubber mallet to gently bang your heat shield to
determine where the rattle is coming from. Next, you need to find something
to work as a shim in between the heat shield and the exhaust system. I've
used a variety of materials...nuts, bolts, screws, driveway rocks. Gently
tap your shim in place, tap with your hammer to confirm the rattle is gone.
Fire is a possibility, although fairly remote. The top heat shield protects
your cabin (and you), the bottom heat shield keeps tall grass, leaves, etc.
from catching on fire. I've been a firefighter for 17 years, and I can't
say specifically how many fires have started due to heat shield
removal...one time the interior of an old (Buick) caught fire, but the
floorboard was rusted to the point that it looked like swiss cheese!
hth...jim

 

[Chris Phillipo]

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.

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.

 

[Jason]

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...