Rattling,and more rattleing, and more rattling

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a rattling coming from the front end of my car in the wheel area on the driver’s side. It started after my husband changed my brakes. I then had my wheels balanced and hoped that maybe that would help. It did not. I had a mechanic look at the area that the rattle is coming from and he thought it was just a poor design and that the panels covering the wheel areas and part of the oil tank were loose and rattling. We tightened down the loose flaps took the wheel off and looked for loose pieces and bolts. Nothing. It still rattles. I suggested to my husband that I hoped he was not trying to kill me – now he refuses to do my brakes any more. The brakes work great.

Any ideas before I lose my mind and get? It is a convertible so I have the top down a lot and there is current a lot of road construction so I am constantly hitting bumps and rough pavement so the car is rattling like crazy.

2

Does this car have wheel covers?
If so, it is very possible that the noise is simply coming from ill-fitting wheel covers.
Try taking them off to see if this makes a difference.

My only other comment has to do with your statement–“panels covering the wheel areas and part of the oil tank were loose and rattling”. By “panels”, do you mean the fenders? Is this a reference to Sarah Palin’s fabled Death Panels?
Oil tank? Huh?
Can you clarify these points for us?

3

Check the hood hinge bolts. The hinge bolts on my 2000 Blazer had loosened up enough that there was some play in the bolt holes. Every time I hit a bump it sounded like the dash was going to fall off.

Lift the hood up and check for any play in the hinges.

Ed B.

4

DQ, What Model-Year Is This PT ?

Could you possibly describe the sound as popping, clicking, snapping or ticking ?

Do you have to hit bumps to get the rattling sound ?
Will it do it while accelerating from a stop or turning ?

CSA

5

I had the same problem on a 2000 Ford Windstar after an independent shop that specializes in brakes replaced the front pads. I took it back and it seems to me that it wss the clips that hold the pads to the calipers. There was some kit that they installed to stop the rattle. I think the same thing must have happened when your husband replaced the brake pads.