GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

PLEASE read this topic before you respond to this, it may influence your answer http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=30297im having a horrible noise from under my car around the cat area when im starting and accelerating through 1st and 2nd gear...im not sure if the cat is dead or if my exhaust is loose or what...this sucks....

It could be as simple as a loose heat shield, but you could have broken up the internals in the cat when you landed hard. I had a horrible rattle years ago in the exhaust on a cavalier and had to replace the cat do to a broken heat riser.

how much are we looking at to have a cat replaced? i really do think that may be what it is, there is no noise coming from the engine bay, everything sounds fine from there except a slight valve click but thats been there for a long time...

When I had it done, it was around $200.00, but that was about 14-15yrs ago. Let the car cool down, get under there, wiggle everything around and then reach up above the cat and pipes and check the heat shields. Try tapping the cat and muffler with a hammer to see if anything is loose inside.

crap this is bad...alright ill try to see if anything is free inside it! thanks!

check to make sure all the hangers are still where they need to be a few could have poped out

I had a rattle like this on my 02 Civic. Turns out my heat shield was rusted out on one corner. So when installed my exhaust I just ripped it off.The cat is expensive for two reasons, one the part, and two cause they have to cut it out and reweld.

Dude, get under her and try flexing the heat shield... You never explained what it sounded like really, is it a metallic rattling? does it happen constant or with RPM? Does it happen all the time or just when warm/cold?? Quote »The cat is expensive for two reasons, one the part, and two cause they have to cut it out and reweld.The cat is expensive because it contains platinum and because it's registered with the "government" Exhaust guys cut and weld that stuff all day long...

its metallic sounding, kinda raspy and its from start to about 3500 rpms after that engine noise takes over so i suppose i cant hear it. i hear it most when the car is cold...ill check the heat shield though...