GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

already did a search no luck on my subject. I am having a problem with the rear heat sheild at the axle rattling really bad with my magnaflow cat back. how can I solve this problem as it is really starting to make people think I have a ricer and not a respectable modified car. that is the only problem I am having is the exhaust rattle.

I had the same problem after I installed my magnaflow. It's pretty easy to fix actually. What you need to do is loosen the bolts that attach the two sections together and "cheat" the exhaust downward. Then you retighten the flange while pushing it downward. This will reposition the exhaust ever so slightly (away from the heat shield). You may need to loosen the nuts on the u-bolt too to position it properly. Let me know if that helps.

I need to put mine back up on the jacks and check it out. Mine rattles only when the engine is cold, the first few minutes. After that is doesn't make any rattles at all. I think the same thing with the rattling, that people will think it is ricey. It rattles only at a certain rpm, so I try to avoid that range when it is cold.

That's the same rattle I had. Trust me, loosen the flange in back, pull it down more, and tighten it back up.

i used a jack and a breaker bar and forced the heat sheild up away from the exhaust, it only rattle a little when I start it cold none after that. i will work more on it later while it is cold to get it off the heat sheild. so bending the heat sheild worked for me.

Yesterday I worked on my Vibe quite a bit. I put the back up on stands and checked out the muffler. I found it to be hitting the middle rear heat shield, right in front of the rear axle where the exhaust piping is curve upward. I loosened the rear joint and was able to adjust it just a slight amount in order to prevent it from hitting the heat shield. I just retightened it and now it doesn't have any ricey vibration sound when the engine is cold . Also, back when I first installed the system, I thought that middle cross brace was causing some vibration as well. I removed it way back then, but then checked the clearance yesterday. It did clear the pipe, but I added two washers that were probably 1/16" thick each and remounted the brace. There have been no vibrations at all!One thing I noticed yesterday is that there was actually quite a bit of soot at the rear joint. Is that a sign of a leaking exhaust? I made sure I really tightened that joint yesterday.

a lot of us have had this problem...including me...mine just seemed to go away by itself...