# What's that noise?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** accord, honda\
**Created:** [September 29, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314 "2009-09-29T15:06:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![courtneyyasmeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@courtneyyasmeen](https://community.cartalk.com/u/courtneyyasmeen)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314/1 "2009-09-29T15:06:29Z")

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I have a 1997 Honda Accord. For the past year or so it has been making a funny noise-- I believe it’s coming from the exhaust system. It sounds like metal rattling. It doesn’t make it all of the time, and I can make it go away when I change the pressure on the gas pedal. I had it checked out and nothing was found. The heat shield has been removed. And it has been cleaned out (one of the mechanics thought it might have been rocks, but it wasn’t). Recently, the exhaust has been a bit louder when I start the car. There is no apparent exhaust leak though. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314/2 "2009-09-29T18:35:29Z")

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It could be a loose part inside the muffler or cat converter. If you’re sure there’s no leak I would live with it for now. There are other cars that are money pits at 12 years old, so it’s a minor imperfection.

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**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314/3 "2009-09-29T19:33:30Z")

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My guess would be a heat shield on the exhaust (converter) However I can’t actually see it or hear it.

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**Author:** ![euryale1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@euryale1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/euryale1)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314/4 "2009-09-29T22:18:03Z")

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I had a loose cat element that would rattle like that. Not the heat shield. Eventually I removed the cat and replaced it. Yup the old one was like a rock in a soda can rattle rattle. Btw because it was loose like that my jeep could not pass emissions, I geuss the exhaust just wandered past the cat without being treated.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-that-noise/37314/5 "2009-09-29T22:46:33Z")

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I had a muffler with a rusted out and loose baffle onside that sounded like that. Once I removed it I could tip it fore and aft and hear the piece silde around.

The ceramic substrates in car converters can also break and do this.

By the way, if it were me I’d get that heat shield replaced…even if it meant a new converter. That’s there for a reason.