Hey

I'm having a problem on an otherwise perfect car. It appears that whenever i go downhill like on a freeway or a road i hear this scraping sound coming from underneath the car. When I drive on leveled surface i don't hear the sound at all. Also i noticed when i'm next to a guard rail on the freeway and i can hear a sound like maybe a paper bag is under the car. The sound resembles the act of holding a piece of paper to a fan, as you would hear the paper crinkle as the air is forcing it to move. It's making alot of racket but when i get out to check it there's nothing under my car at all. I have no idea what this sound is and i don't know if anyone's ever had this same problem. I was speculating that maybe it was the transmission folding under the load of going downhill but i may be making that up fully. Anyone have any lead as to what this may be.

Car in question is a 1998 Honda Civic Ex Coupe 5-speed Manual

Anything unusual that i noticed around this particular week the problem started happened: I looked at my headers and i noticed it's missing two nuts on the far right side on the bottom studs under the top ones. The gasket still seems to be held in place totally fine.

Anywho, thanks in advance to whomever can troubleshoot this or at least attempt. I'm a lil nervous to drive the car now.

 

morning

 

nothing wrong with worrying, but i'd replaces those nuts.. as for the scraping sound, is it possible to listen closer and find out what part of the cars it's coming from? front, rear? side? could just be something stuck up there, could be something rubbing.. are you lowered?

 

Thanks for the word Dontoh. The sound is coming from the rear of the car around the trunk area. The car is still on stock suspension, in fact everything is entirely stock. Any ideas based off this detailed information?

 

As for those header nuts i'll get em back on ASAP i need to get torque wrench.

 

before overreacting, do you have access to a jack? try jacking it up and spinning the back wheels, see if you hear or see anything

 

I had a similar issue a while back, ended up being the bolts holding my cat. converter heat shield had failed and it was dragging along the ground.

 

Yes i have access to a jack, i'll get to it now and let you know what i hear.

 

That's what i initially thought it was, i had been doing oil pan work on it for the past couple months and i assumed it was that. I got under the car to look and everything was there in tact.