I hear a rattling or clanking noise only when I accelerate, and it only happens during the first maybe 5 minutes after I start my car. Then it fades away and I can barely hear it. It isn't cold here or anything, and it doesn't happen when I turn, just when I accelerate. I am thinking maybe it's the timing belt but am not sure. My car has 100,000 miles and I've never had anything changed except for the oil. Does anyone know what this is or had this happen? I have a 99 Honda Civic hatchback.

 

Anyone know what this is?? I am planning on taking it in in a few weeks when I have some money, but can't till then. I am afraid it might be doing some permanent damage. Can the timing belt be the problem??

 

sounds like a heat shield.

 

i got a 97 fourdoor and mine does that too...right at 1500rpm its the loudest and anywhere else its low but still there... lemme know if you find out what it is

 

loose header is also a possibility.

check tightness

 

not sure bout where his sounds like its comin from but mine sounds like right in front the motor....oh and mine also just crossed 100,000 miles and it just started doin it and its gettin worse and worse

 

check the heat shield on the cat and the heatshield on the header

 

aight to get to the cat ima have to lift the car alil...when it cools off ill go check those...thanks

 

My car did it all the time until I cut the top heat shield off my cat.....and then...silence

 

and how would i go bout doin that?

 

My car is doing the exact same thing. Just got over 100k miles too. 96 Civic DX. Mostly when I first start it then drive quick.

Not sure how it can be the heat shield? wouldn't it do it all the time?

 

my car started doing that last year.. turns out the bolts rusted on the heatshield and it came loose right at the end of the header.. so I took one of those screw clamps and clamped it down. I'm planning on getting rid of the whole thing anyways.. I took my top hs off for now

 

Mac2118,
It only did that when you first started it up. THen it quit after about 5 mins???

I dont think your talking about the same noise. If its a heat Shield , it probably wouldn't stop , and it would do it all the time.

 

just check for loose stuff. like grab everything and shake it. yah look at heat shield..

 

thanks for all the replies...when i get some time this weekend ima go "shake everything" lol...

 

hahah

 

Probably in the header area somethins loose or not bolted up correctly. I know my b-pipe's loosely conntected to my header and it rattles at around 3000-4000 rpms, but I'mma just wait until my stock exhaust manifold w/cat arrives to fix it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jont717 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mac2118,
It only did that when you first started it up. THen it quit after about 5 mins???

I dont think your talking about the same noise. If its a heat Shield , it probably wouldn't stop , and it would do it all the time.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, i bet it is the cat heatsheild, mine did it too, the reason you can here it when you start it, is the engine is at a higher RPM, thus more vibration, at least, thats the conclusion i came too...check it out, i had the exact same thing, and it was the bottom heatsheild..

 

you make a good point. it doenst sound like some kinda heat sheild rattling, it sounds like something is in yor engine or w/e. but the car doesnt do it after it heats up. mine did it for a couple days and then it stoppe doing it all togehter... then it came back

 

I have the same thing on my 95 civic. The noise is an intermitent rattling, sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not. I checked under the car with it off and running and I still couldn't figure it out. It sounds like it's coming from the engine compartment, but nothing seems loose. It's driving me crazy.

 

do you have a dc header.? mine makes a rattling sound also. i think its hitting the headshield somewhere

 

Not sure if you meant me or the original poster, but I do have a DC header and I have no front heat shield. I had my problem with the stock header and heat shield also.

 

my car also rattles but its the motor actually twisting a little bit and hitting a part of the frame that is sticking out slightly...