I have a 1993 Toyota Camry V6 SE.
Within the past couple months I have developed this “rattling” sound when I am accelerating. I noticed the sound the most between 1500-1750 rpms. To me it sounds like a loose exhaust pipe, some recommended heat shield.
At a recent inspection, I had the guys look under the car and they did not find any loose exhaust pipes or heat shields.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
Although this type of noise is most likely to be a loose heat shield, it is also possible that you are hearing “pinging” from the engine when you accelerate. Bear in mind that everything is guesswork for us, as we can’t hear the actual sound, and different people will describe the same sound by using very different terminology.
Anyway–if the sound could be compared to the sound of pebbles rattling around in a tin can, then it is possible that you are hearing “pinging”–especially if your engine has been running hotter than normal. If it is pinging that you are hearing:
*Make sure that you are using gasoline of the octane specified in your Owner’s Manual
*Check your maintenance records to see if your spark plugs have been replaced according the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule
*Have your mechanic check the EGR to see if it is sticking
*Have the cooling system checked if the engine is running hotter than normal
Have you had a mechanic ride with you in order to hear this noise? If not, I would suggest doing so. Hopefully your mechanic has not made himself deaf by listening to too much rap music or heavy metal music!
Who chose the word “ping”, 100 years ago, to describe the sound that everybody else would call “rattle”? It’s a bad choice of a word; but, we’re stuck with it. You may need to go a higher octane gasoline on an older engine, like yours. You may check with a mechanic on removing possible carbon build up in the engine cylinders. If the engine has a distributor, you could retard timing. Easier acceleration can diminish ping.