SaphGreyC63

My car is a 2012 sedan, and last night I am getting close to 4000 miles, when Im parking my car in my garage. I notice a sound coming from the exhaust, kind of like a rattle when the car is idling and when i start to get on the gas. It's very annoying and is easily heard. Anyone heard of anything like this?

SaphGreyC63

Bump!

Can really use some help. The sound makes the car sound cheap when pulling up to a stoplight.

VividRacing

Could be a lot of things, most likely a broken exhaust hanger if the noise is truly from the exhaust system. Take the car to the dealership, it will be covered under warranty.

JimmyR

Hard to diagnose in words but if this helps I had a rattle in the exhaust on another vehicle, turned out to be a loose oxygen sensor. But as you have warranty the quickest solution is to get the car along to a dealer and let them sort it out.

SaphGreyC63

Thanks Vivid and Jimmy,

I don't know what an exhaust hanger is, but I'm guessing its a little hanger that holds the exhaust system in place. Judging by the sound and the fact that I tested it a bit by closing my trunk while the car was running and the sound would increase immediately after the close and then return to its normal sound it sounds like that could be it.

Like both of you said, I have a warranty, might as well use it huh?

VividRacing

Yeah! Don't worry about the car so much and just take it in, you paid enough for the car I think you deserve to just drop it off and have someone fix it haha

SaphGreyC63

Tell me about it. I just hate having to go because my preferred dealer who really takes care of me is a good 70 miles round trip. But you got to do what you got to do right?

VividRacing

Yeah that is quite a bit of mileage to put on the car so I understand

slfmde

Could be a heat shield as well.

VividRacing

more likely then a broken hanger ! Good call

ddcha

sure it's a rattle and not a burble?

Blown63

+1
I had an issue like this and it was the heat shield that was loose. Where is the noise coming from when your in the car? Does the noise go away after on the gas a bit?

SaphGreyC63

The noise goes away after I get on the gas a bit, but not immediately. Noise is definitely coming from the rear of the car.

As far as being a rattle and not a burble I am sure about that since when the car is just on and idling in my garage you can clearly hear it and if you open and close any door or the trunk when you close it you can hear something rattle even harder.

HoozyerdaddyC63

Funny you mention that. My car has a similar rattling coming from the rear after I had the new exhaust put on. I hear it when I am at idle, but if I press the gas just a little bit it seems to go away.

Hey dboutros, is your exhaust stock?

After I had the new exhaust installed I went back to the shop and they pushed up the exhaust and tightened it further. It seemed to do the trick for a short while and now the rattling has returned.

If your exhaust is stock, go back to the dealer and see if they can tighten up the slack on your exhaust pipes. It should definitely be covered under warranty.

SaphGreyC63

Yeah, my exhaust is stock, anything mechanical on my car still is stock. I am sure the dealer will cover it, but I wanted to check up here to know whether this was a common issue or something more sinister where I should not drive my car at all except straight to the dealer.

I will try to post a video later tonight or tomorrow, it should be clearly heard.

SaphGreyC63

Here is a video as promised.


The thunking sound is me opening and closing the door to show how the rattle increases.

HoozyerdaddyC63

I have that exact same sound at idle. When I open the trunk and put my hand down it feels like there is a vibration coming from the center right near the bumper.

The noise went away for a little bit when I had the shop prop the exhaust higher and tighten the bolts more, but it is back again.

VividRacing

Yeah something is just loose, most likely a heat shield like stated before

JimmyR

Get the rear of the car up on ramps or hoist - grab the exhaust with both hands and shake it - you should be able to reproduce the sound and see where it is coming from. Sounds to me like it is a loose/missing exhaust hanger, in which case a friendly exhaust shop would be able to sort out for a few bucks and save you traipsing all the way back to the dealer

SaphGreyC63

Small Update!

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Especially JimmyR. Even though I don't drive my car during the week the IDEA of the sound being there was driving me crazy. So when I got home yesterday I did exactly what you said, got under my car and gave my exhaust a good shake. The same sound quickly came up and so I started trying to pinpoint it. At the end I found this little brace bar between the two sides of the exhaust which simply had a loose bolt. Took some tools out and five mins later bolt tightened.

Turned the car on (first time in three days and it was cold out) and you gotta love those cold start barks! Rattle is gone. Still have an appointment to see the service department tomorrow so going to have them check it out to make sure I tightened the right thing and that its properly tightened (not to mention I got the check engine oil level light so I can probably get a few quarts for free That and I do want to see if they have the updated software for our transmission limp mode.

Here's a pic of the brace I am talking about


Thanks again for everyones advice and help. This is why I love this community!

VividRacing

good work!