worrying rattle - (nothing to do with)driveshaft?

[chrishill 0]

I've just diven the 15 or so miles back from my parents house listening to a very worrying rattle which seems to be coming from under where the rear ashtay is (and yes its empty!) The only way i can discribe it is at low rev it sounds a bit like a pencil rolling over a table, but more metalic, at higher revs its like the worlds biggest angry bee trapped in a jar! Its not there all the time, it seems to come and go, but i can 'make' it happen by sticking the handbrake on and holding it on the bite. The car seems to drive fine still, but i cant help but think...thats where the driveshaft runs isnt it? (no you muppet!)

 

just hope its not my C's death rattle..... :(

[chrishill 0]

any ideas?

[dr_mat 0]

The "driveshaft"? Near the REAR ashtray? :roll:

Maybe you mean the rear axle beam?

Most likely it's the exhaust hitting the rear axle. You say the car has been lowered... Check that first...

[goodridge 0]

Downpipe Heatshield? :roll:

[vr6storm 0]

any ideas?

 

 

you'll only have a driveshaft near there if you have either

 

A)went a gone RWD

 

or

B) went and gone AWD

 

 

more that likely its something to do with the rear axle beam,some sort of heatshield or maybe a brake disc backing plate/guard

[chrishill 0]

ok ok so it was a total novice's guess :oops:

 

yes its been lowered, but that was a few weeks ago and the problems just reared its head, the sound is coming from the area directly under where the ashtray/armrest is, it deffinatly sounds like something thats turning/spinning rather than knocking (which i would assume a loose heatsheild would sound like?). guess the only real way to know is to get it looked at :roll:

[coolrado 0]

cat heat shields have a habit of rattling loose if the heatshield, brackets or bolts are knackered just chuck the heat shield :wink:

 

if you check the shield and it seems ok and cant find any other visable cause it could be a knackered cat :(

 

hth

[chrishill 0]

ok, i'll get the heatsheld checked out, not likely to be the cat....i dont have one! :D

[coolrado 0]

ok, i'll get the heatsheld checked out, not likely to be the cat....i dont have one! :D

 

not much point checking the heat shield then :lol: its the cat heatshield that rattles :oops:

 

sometimes the handbrake cable can rub on the rear tyres

 

check for leaks in the exhaust where its joined, sometimes a small hole can sound like a ticking or rattling

[Henny 0]

there's a full length underbody heatsheild which runs the entire length of the center tunnel... this is held on by mild steel spring clips which rust, fall off and allow the aluminum heat shield to drop down onto the exhaust causing the rattle you describe... ;)

 

The oddest bit is that VW sell the clips for about 18p each! and it's a stupidly simple job to fix the rattle too! 8)

Get it up in the air and have a look at the exhaust pipe (when the pipe's COLD!) and you'll see the aluminium shield I mean and almost certainly find that's what's rattling and be able to see how many new clips you need... 8)

[chrishill 0]

Took it to a local garage and got them to have a butchers, turns out i'd lost a nut off one exhaust mount/hanger and the other side was loose! The guy 'nipped my nuts tight' as he put it and its all sorted now. What is it about the C that gives me uber paranoia with every little rattle?

[dr_mat 0]

What is it about the C that gives me uber paranoia with every little rattle?

 

Next time you get a rattly wing mirror, don't worry, it's not the driveshaft, it just MIGHT be a rattly wing mirror... ;)

[chrishill 0]

nah its near the front, that'll be the engine dragging along the road after dropping out wont it?