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    Rattling under the car

    Boy, as if I don't already have my plate full with this car! I noticed today a peculiar rattling noise when letting off the gas. The noise seems to come from the right side of the car and it's intermittent. It is more pronounced at low speed and resembles dragging aluminum cans...though nothing is visably hanging underneath. It lasts only for a few seconds and dissappears when I get back on the gas. Just wanted to see if anyone has experienced this, or may know what it may be? It is not affecting my driving experience or performance...just annoying me! I am having my new Sport seat istalled this weekend at the BMW shop and will have them look at it, BUT I'd like to have an idea what's going on beforehand so I don't get screwed. Thanks!
    '98 BMW 318ti M-Sport California
    '87 Ford Sierra (Merkur) XR4ti (Track)
    '99 DINAN/Hartge 3 (retired)
    '88 325iS Eurosport (retired)
    '85 318i (retired)

    #2
    have you checked your exhaust system? Check the cat housings, all the brackets, make sure the housings and everything is in good condition. Mine rattles at 2k because the cat housing is falling apart.

    NASA MidSouth TT Director / GTS2 #018
    Mods: Coastal PS Fluid, 10w40 Oil
    Future Mods: Bosch Micro-Edge Wiper Blades, Painter's Tape, Spark Plugs, Freezer for Nutty Buddys, Adam Nitti CD's

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      #3
      Something in the exhaust could be loose or chunks of your catalytic converter are being blown out into the pipes, causing the rattling.

      '86 325 2.8i stroker - Arctic Blue
      '11 328i Sports Wagon - LeMans Blue
      Strictly Eta

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        #4
        rattle under car

        Had a similar problem with my 325ES, turned out to be the center drive shaft bearing was shot. you can't see it from under the car because you need to remove the aft part of the exhaust system and the plating above to access the shaft bearing. you might be able to stick you hand in far enough from the front end to shake the drive shaft and feel for play or noise. It is a pain in the ass job because you need to remove the entire drive shaft to change it. Not a really hard job just a few hours under the car. Good luck!

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          #5
          Check to see if the silly heat shields are loose.
          https://www.facebook.com/BentOverRacing

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            #6
            Re: rattle under car

            Originally posted by Super Eta
            Had a similar problem with my 325ES, turned out to be the center drive shaft bearing was shot. you can't see it from under the car because you need to remove the aft part of the exhaust system and the plating above to access the shaft bearing. you might be able to stick you hand in far enough from the front end to shake the drive shaft and feel for play or noise. It is a pain in the ass job because you need to remove the entire drive shaft to change it. Not a really hard job just a few hours under the car. Good luck!
            That sounds very plausible. I recently had the heat sheild removed, so that shouldn't be the issue. And come to think of it, there is a slight bit more vibration than in the past. I don't know if the center-shaft bearing is the cause, but the vibration is acceleration related. It's nothing major, again, just annoying. Thanks guys! I'll lift her up and see what's the scoop!
            '98 BMW 318ti M-Sport California
            '87 Ford Sierra (Merkur) XR4ti (Track)
            '99 DINAN/Hartge 3 (retired)
            '88 325iS Eurosport (retired)
            '85 318i (retired)

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              #7
              yea it usually happened when i was accelerating around corners or might have been accelerating in genreal i cant honestly remeber but i do remeber always hearing it clunk when i was making a left or right out of my street while accelerating.

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                #8
                I'm also getting a rattle when I let off the gas..
                last time I took my bro somewhere, he told me it's my cat.
                I haven't looked into it yet.. but he's prolly right.

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                  #9
                  If you have a stock exhaust pipe it probably has a heat sheild around it that used to have fiberglass like stuff between the sheild and the pipe. That fiberglass goes away after the years and then you have metal on metal. I still have the stock exhasut system on my car and no time to replace it so take ten minutes and pry that heat seil off the piping, this will expose your pipe to road hazards but will get rid of the rattle.

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