Weird rattling noise! please help! mechanic can't solve!

Ok so first off I have a 98 riv and i love it to death, but a couple months ago it started making a very strange rattling noise somewhere relatively close to the firewall on the passenger side when I either accelerate going up hills (especially gravel roads), accelerating after rounding corners or after stop lights/signs. It is getting almost unbearable to listen to now because it happens all the time now. My mechanic has looked at almost everything he can think of and has taken it out for a couple of spins himself and still can't figure it out. Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance!

Is it a more of a buzzing, or more of a knocking, or more of a clunking?

Check the heat shield for contact with the body or exhaust.

Check cradle bolts and bushings, also the rear transmission mount for movement.

Thank you - clunking is more of a word that suits the sound. Since it clunks does that mean anyhting different? Thnks for the input I really need to fix my baby!

If it's a clunk, I'd put my money on the trans mount and/or cradle bolt bushings. These are kind of a pain to fix, but parts aren't that expensive if you look. I had a mechanic quote me for the work on just the mount - $350. Cradle bolt bushings are a bit easier to replace, but might as well do them anyway if you're doing the rear mount.

i agree that a 'clunk' sounds like a mount, but I think AA might be right with cradle bolts/bushings.
I would expect a mechanic to be able to figure out motor mounts, and also, if it was the rear mount it should be near
the driver's right foot, not over on the passenger side.

BTW, Derek, you might want to power-brake it in Reverse to see if you get it to clunk as well. Just 1500-2000 RPM.

I just took it out and the sound is coming from the passenger side (could be something inside the dash) I did the whole reverse power-brake thing and it didnt make a noise when I did that sooooo.... I dont know what to tell ya... I think my mechanic checked the bushings and struts and said all that stuff was fine. What could it be if it isnt the mount and its still making the sound? thanks for all the help btw

Did he consider the CV joints?

I'd think the CV joints would be one of the first things he would check.

How many miles are on the car, dmaze?

Check the sway bar end links to while you are down there. They might look fine, but the bolt usually breaks inside the spacer. You can check by either unbolting it (might as well replace it while down there because it will be rusted unless you recently replaced it) or you can get a pry bar and lift on the end and see if splits. It will cause a pretty good clunk while going over bumps. You can also check the top shock mount. They can go bad and cause a noise.

This may seem a stupid suggestion, but I am throwing it out anyway.
Is there something in the glove box rattling?

Sometimes despite our best efforts we overlook the simple things.

I will have to check all of that stuff today. Thanks for the suggestion haha I did take everything out of the glovebox and it does sound like it is farther up. I wouldve felt really dumb if it was in there! haha well I will get back to you if I find out anything today. Hopefully I figure something out

If you're saying that the noise is vertically "farther up" than the glove box, it sounds like we're back to the top of the strut... unless the front motor mount was so busted that the engine was banging into the firewall.

Very hard to localize these sounds. I heard a 'clunk' from what I thought was the left control arm area. My mechanic showed the problem on the lift - rear trans mount and right ball joint were shot.

Sorry I meant farther "forward" than the glove box it could be vertically higher or lower, neither I nor a passenger can pinpoint the exact location from listening. Its driving me nuts the mechanic said it definitely wasnt the strut, so I will have to ask him to look at all the things you guys have told me. Any more ideas would b great - thanks again you guys r really helpful!

Another vote for broken endlink bolt or even swaybar, although the mechanic should have seen that easily enough.

Hope you find it with all the suggestions given. Can't think of really anything else it could be.

I'd go to a different mechanic...........

dmaze wrote:

Ok so first off I have a 98 riv and i love it to death, but a couple months ago it started making a very strange rattling noise somewhere relatively close to the firewall on the passenger side when I either accelerate going up hills (especially gravel roads), accelerating after rounding corners or after stop lights/signs. It is getting almost unbearable to listen to now because it happens all the time now. My mechanic has looked at almost everything he can think of and has taken it out for a couple of spins himself and still can't figure it out. Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance!

If you have not already take a close look at the tops of the strut mounts. If you got new front macpherson struts within the past 2 years and they were installed wrong, the strut rods will rip the bushings and start wacking on the hood. Telltake is the hood jiggles when you hit a large enough bump.

I kinda doubt this is your problem but again if you got new struts past 2 years, I'd take a look. The old strut bellows are unobtanium but if the strut is assembled without them there will be too much push on the bushing, and it rips.

Albertj

i guess ill be the first to say it since ive been hearing about it a lot recently. have you or the mechanic checked the harmonic balancer? if thats fine my second guess is a mount or suspension component like everyone is saying.

Any updates?