Sounds like someone's tied some tin cans to the bumper. (It was the Cat)

[Vince70]

So today I started my old Bmw compact up and on tick over it had a really loud rattle (it sounds like someone shaking a tin with stones in if that makes sense) which to me sounded like it was coming from underneath the underside of the car.

 

Not having access to any ramps or a pit I've taken it into my local garage to find out what's the damage, so I just wondered if anyone had any ideas.

 

It only went through the ticket last week and I guess I've done about 50 miles since then and the exhaust was changed for a new one about 500 miles ago last year and since changing it has had what I think is a really nice burble or it or could be because its a cheap eBay one with silencers that are filled with old Brillo pads hence the burble.

 

I'm hoping it's something like a cat heat shield but I can't see one on it.

 

But I will say that since developing the horrible rattle it seems a lot quicker and the engine seems sweet as a nut so maybe it's a loose silencer whatever I hope it's not an expensive rattle and just wondered if anyone has had similar.

[r.welfare]

My wife's car did this a while back. Some of the clips holding the heatshields between the exhaust and floor pan had gone AWOL and the shields caused the rattle.

[Dave_Q]

Deffo heat shield, there's one above the centre section of the exhaust, you might be able to see a corner of it hanging down.

 

They're held on with rubbish clips, soz am on phone but look at realoem for a diagram.

[Ghosty]

Agreed, it's common for 96-01 Civics to do it, happened on both of ours.

[DSdriver]

Have you looked at the rear bumper to see if anyone has tied tin cans to it?

[Junkman]

Did you check whether someone's tied some tin cans to the bumper?

[hpi_matrix]

Did you get married recently?

[Vince70]

I've just got the verdict and it's the Catalytic converter that's making the noise..

The garage I use are fantastic and The mechanic said if it was his car he would leave it so luckily I've got a decent stereo in the old girl so I can turn it up till I can find a nice cheap genuine one for sale or if I feel flush I will wait till I get my next 43% off sale on euro car parts .

[Vince70]

I was thinking about taking the thing off and knocking the stuffing out of it then putting it back on.. But a eurocarparts special is only about £60 and made by Klaris so it's most probably the same as having a decat pipe fitted anyway as its most probably filled with Brillo pads and newspaper anyway at that price.

[Dave_Q]

What reg is it, can you manage without the cat?

 

I would take it off and see if I could get the loose bits out, I think I'm right in saying there is a joint in the system just before the cat so should be easy enough to shake out the rattlers.

[Vince70]

It's an R reg 97 Ti but it does sound like a good idea as I wouldn't have to worry about emissions for another year now.

[anonymous user]

Seeing the title update I had a vision of a cat chuckling as it tied a couple of tin cans to your bumper. The other trick he might like is to find a car with the old fashioned chrome hubcaps and put a handful of gravel inside one before refitting it.