Sounds like I have no exhaust at all.

[Flip-Side]

My wife has been driving the vibe for the past 4 months now, and I have been driving a beater so she can. There has been a rattling sound at idle for quite some time, and she never had the car looked at even though I yelled at her a dozen times. Now she calls me today whining that the car is loud as heck, as if the muffler is gone (it isn't though). I told her to go ahead and take it to work for now, since I'm guessing it is a loose pipe, cat, or manifold. I'm gonna crawl under it tonight and have a gander, but I was never able to spot anything before. Has anyone else had a similar problem with the vibe?I hope nothing falls off...oh well.

[damronjr]

Yeah, just check all the connections and make sure nothing is loose from the headers back. Otherwise, your muffler or cat might be bad?

[ToolGuy]

Cracked header?

[Flip-Side]

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Flip, are you free next week at all, maybe we could meet up and take a gander? You are a stand-up human being my friend. Let me try to have a proper look by myself to see if it's something obvious first so I don't look silly when you notice my header missing.I'm gonna crawl in the hood with a flashlight to have a better look today. I got underneath yesterday and didn't notice anything out of place, but I'll have it running, and up on a jack hopefully this time. Hopefully the noise will give away the point of the exhaust leak.I karate chopped the muffler a few times and it did not fall off or make the sound, but it did make me look pretty goofy, which my brain constantly laughs at me for. Then I ninja walked back inside the house, with nary a sound. Oh yeah.

[ToolGuy]

We have a lift at my office and I can look at it for you if you need!

[Flip-Side]

Sorry for the delay guys. It looks like the heat shield on the catalytic converter may be the culprit....I think. The rattle is coming just after the downpipe, and before the rear axle. Just something loose it seems. Does the vibe have a problematic exhaust I have not heard about? It does not make the noise when the car is warmed up, just when it is cold.

[Lancer]

Give the cat a couple good raps with your knuckles and see if it starts rattling. Although it wouldn't cause the exhaust to get any louder. Just add some rattling to the mix.I was hoping that I just had a loose heat shield until I wacked the cat a few times. Sounded like a baby rattle. Then again, I also had a CEL on.