# What is this sound?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-sound/38244>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** lesabre, buick\
**Created:** [October 17, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-sound/38244 "2009-10-17T21:14:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![coltsfan2001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@coltsfan2001](https://community.cartalk.com/u/coltsfan2001)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-sound/38244/1 "2009-10-17T21:14:05Z")

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When my car is idiling there is a it sounds like a clanking sound my cousin thinks it may be the water pump but we are not sure. He said it sounds like the fan blades may be broke off and bumping against something. But while driving it does not make that sound. It is a 1991

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-sound/38244/2 "2009-10-17T21:36:41Z")

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Check for a loose heat shield on the exhaust system somewhere. These can make a clanking/rattling sound when they become loose under certain engine operating conditions.

How many miles on the vehicle? If you don’t find a loose heat shield, then what you might be hearing is a stretched timing chain hitting the timing cover when the engine is idling.

Tester

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![coltsfan2001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@coltsfan2001](https://community.cartalk.com/u/coltsfan2001)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-sound/38244/3 "2009-10-17T21:45:43Z")

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It has about 114830 on odemoter