# Lesabre rattling noise **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** lesabre, buick\ **Created:** [May 11, 2024, 10:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884 "2024-05-11T10:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 10:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/1 "2024-05-11T10:43:40Z")
For over a year this car used to make a noise that was a mix of a sound of rattling and chattering. It did this at 2 different situations. When coming to a normal stop only when almost fully stopped. If you took your foot of the brake it would go away. AND. When you started taking off from a dead stop. If you took your foot off the gas it would go away. After getting up to speeds around 5 - 10 mph it would be gone. If took off slow it would not make a noise. It stopped doing this a couple weeks ago. Now it’s making a rattling noise coming from the front of the engine. I took the belt off to check all the pulleys. They all are solid. The exhaust is solid. A friend of mine is picking me up to do some drinking tonight. I believe he has a stethoscope. I will ask him to bring it along to do a quick listen to see if I can better pin point from where it’s coming from. It is very quite when in neutral louder when in gear. Especially is sitting still in gear. ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 10:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/2 "2024-05-11T10:52:52Z")
What year model is this? And what makes you sure the exhaust is “solid” ? This sure sounds like a loose heat shield or something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 12:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/3 "2024-05-11T12:18:18Z")
“Solid” may not be the problem… Too close might be. The exhaust moves around when the engine rocks. If the exhaust, especially a heat shield is close to something on the car a rattle can occur. Putting the car on a lift and shifting through the gears might expose what is touching. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 12:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/4 "2024-05-11T12:48:21Z")
Could be a loose/broken motor mount allowing engine to flex the exhaust making it hit chassis ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/5 "2024-05-11T13:41:15Z")
+1 for above reply’s > [@knocksensor](#): > > I took the belt off to check all the pulleys. They all are solid. When you did this, did you start the engine to see if the noise was still there or not?? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/6 "2024-05-11T15:18:08Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Putting the car on a lift and shifting through the gears might expose what is touching. +1 When it was a couple of years old, my father’s '63 Plymouth began emitting a strange rattling noise underneath the car when it was idling. Our mechanic found that there was insufficient clearance between the e-brake cable and the exhaust pipe, due to a slight bit of slack in the cable. A simple adjustment eliminated the noise. ---
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/7 "2024-05-11T16:21:24Z")
It’s a 98. I originally thought exhaust. I drove up the ramps and seen nothing wrong. It was my first thought because this began the second I dropped the gas tank. Having to drop the muffler to get the pipe out of the way. So then that noise before this was also exhaust perhaps. As for the heat shield. That has been removed a while ago as it was practically falling off. Some shops will give a free estimate for a quick check. I’ll have to do that. ---
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/8 "2024-05-11T16:25:30Z")
No I did not try running w no belt. Good idea. Will do. ---
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/9 "2024-05-11T19:12:34Z")
Thank you Davesmopar. I ran w belt off not a noise at all. Put back on had the noise back. At least now I know it’s not in the motor. The alternator has no slop but when I turn it it does make a bit of noise. It is charging good. At 14.40. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/10 "2024-05-11T19:54:09Z")
> [@knocksensor](#): > > Thank you Davesmopar. I ran w belt off not a noise at all. Put back on had the noise back. At least now I know it’s not in the motor. Did you spin all the pulleys by hand? Did any of them feel rough? what about the belt and tensioner? Sometimes belts can make weird noises ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/11 "2024-05-11T20:12:06Z")
I’m going with a failing belt tensioner. I’ve been there and done that with the rattle. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/12 "2024-05-11T20:55:12Z")
> [@knocksensor](#): > > but when I turn it it does make a bit of noise. It is charging good. At 14.40 A failing bearing if still intact will not effect charging, if you have an impact or high speed drill and you can spin the alt pulley with it somehow, you can hear what the alt sounds like while spinning fast… Like already mentioned by others, spin all your pulleys, but also put some side load pressure on the pulleys while spinning them, to see if they feel rough… The belt tensioner if bad is a little more involved than your normal run of the mill serp belt tensioner (coolant passages)… But yes a belt and or tensioner can make some noise, especially if the tensioner is jumping… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/13 "2024-05-11T21:15:21Z")
> [@It\_s-Me](#): > > Could be a loose/broken motor mount allowing engine to flex the exhaust making it hit chassis +1 The brake relationship you first noted could be an important clue. When stopped in D. brakes on, that puts a significant twisting force on the engine and transmission. If the engine or transmission mounts were beginning to fail, that twisting force could cause something to interfere. Suggest to ask your shop to access the condition of the mounts. ---
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/14 "2024-05-11T21:26:32Z")
> [@knocksensor](#): > > stethoscope Yes by hand. None turned rough but the alternator did make a slight noise. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/15 "2024-05-12T13:12:04Z")
Also check your harmonic balancer (vibration damper) to make sure it is not coming apart or wobbling… ---
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/16 "2024-05-12T13:41:16Z")
My friend put a stethoscope on it while I had it in drive. He said it sounded loaders on the alternator. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/17 "2024-05-12T13:50:57Z")
At least those are easy to replace on your vehicle… Can you swap the one from your spare car to confirm?? ---
**Author:** ![knocksensor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@knocksensor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knocksensor)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/18 "2024-05-15T03:21:16Z")
It’s not the exhaust. I put on the ramps and blocked the back tires and put it in gear. With heavy gloves I grabbed the exhaust and nothing took the noise away. I swapped the tensioner pulley still had the noise. I again removed the belt and the noise was gone. It does get a bit louder when I turn on the air conditioning. Im guessing either that or the alternator. The alternators are different so I can’t swap that. As for the belt why would they design a belt that a engine mount would need to be removed to change a belt? In gear at a idle makes it louder and the air conditioner increases it even more. And the noise is continues forever at a idle. With time the bad pulley should start to show better. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 4:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/19 "2024-05-15T04:14:29Z")
> [@knocksensor](#): > > I swapped the tensioner pulley still had the noise. With the rattle the tensioner pulley isn’t the issue. I’ll admit that I haven’t messed with it on a '98 LeSabre, but the rattling issue would be with a weak spring in the auto-tensioner body. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 4:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884/20 "2024-05-15T04:41:20Z")
I have no help on the problem, but I do think it’s a good French/automotive pun, ‘Lesabre rattling’. How about this for a worn out Rabbit: ‘Golf shot’? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lesabre-rattling-noise/194884.md?page=2)