Tracking down a strange rattle from the front end

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 30 Apr 2017, 09:48

I've been dealing with a strange rattle from the front end of my car for some time now. It really rattles hard when going over a series of quick short bumps. Seems to be coming from the front drivers side. I pulled the driver wheel off the other day and everything looks pretty tight. No play in the rotor, strut or any of the strut components. I did notice that the front headlight and fender seem a little loose and their is some play in the headlight, which I'll have to tighten.

It's really wierd though because it seems more like a metal against metal rattle. I also wonder if it might be a broken drivers side hood spring that is rattling within the fender. Could I check that without removing the fender?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 30 Apr 2017, 11:57

If the hood spring was broken you would know it without even looking. The hood would get really hard to lift and it would be really crooked when you opened it. The hood springs have a metric butt-load of tension.

...Lee

Post by **kahl** » 30 Apr 2017, 12:59

I would look first at the sway bar links. I've had the metal on metal rattle sound. The links seem fine while inspected but when the suspension is moving the rattle pops up.

Post by **oragex** » 30 Apr 2017, 14:19

Tracing a rattle is a hard thing. Just to say, I had a rattle from the hose going to the windshield spray nozzle. Look first at the exhaust manifold heat shield. Then there a several exhaust heat shields under the car.

Post by **erikv11** » 30 Apr 2017, 16:32

kahl wrote: 30 Apr 2017, 12:59 I would look first at the sway bar links. I've had the metal on metal rattle sound. The links seem fine while inspected but when the suspension is moving the rattle pops up.

Ding, ding, ding !!!

Post by **SonicAdventure** » 30 Apr 2017, 21:20

I replaced the two sway bar links last year with Meyle Heavy duty units. Both are still tight and present when the car is still with zero play. After further inspection, I can see that my hood spring isn't broken. And it's not my head light that's loose it's just the front corner marker light and that's not what's causing the noise. I had my strut tower bushings replaced last year and that has taken a lot of noise away from the front end, but this annoying rattle is still present and sounds like it's louder this year than it was last year. I tapped on the various heat shields and none of them seem to be loose. I'm not sure how to track this down. Maybe I'll have to find a way to mount an old cell phone with a video camera somewhere under the car to record what's rattling? I don't know.