Sorry for being a dumbass but I am not mechanically inclined. My 98 2.3 CL has 156k miles and is still on its original muffler. I had the catalytic converter replaced about 3 years ago. I hear a rattling sound when I start it up and it seems to come from the bottom of my car, not the engine. It's not constant. It rattles at start-up and it rattles when I'm in too high of a gear and the rpm is low.

 

no, its a clamp that holds from the pipe from the exhaust manifold, before the catalytic converter.
it rattles, mine started to do it last yr.

 

loose bolts? its sounds like its not secured. any CEL?

 

my old car would rattle when i turned it on and banged hard shifting into first... it turned out i was i lost a clamp that held the pipe onto the bottom of the car... got it re welded and it was fine

 

I assume this is a cheap fix?

 

i havent fixed it yet.
i tried to tighten it myself but it started rattling like 3 days later.

 

Could be the heatshield for the Cat also, they always fall off hondas

 

i think i know what you're talking about. I know its not my muffler cause when i heard the sound i listened back there and it was definitely in the front. but mines more a large vibration thats extremely loud. only heard on startup after sitting overnight or such. no idea what it is. :[

 

i think we're all hearing the same thing, it only happens to me on start up. it goes away after i put it in gear. but it use to rattle all the time.

 

yeah same here. its like a big awkward noise though. hard to describe. kinda a vibration, kinda a rattle.

 

Word

 

Yeap. This may be the issue.

 

i had a really bad exaust leak too so i just got all new mandrel bent piping cost me 100 bucks talked em down from like 150

 

I looked under my car when i heard the noise. noticed my heatshield on the cat is hanging. so my guess is thats what it is. I'm gonna go under and check it out maybe tomorrow. shouldnt be much to get it welded back on.

 

Just rip it off ryan

 

Doesnt seem safe? haha.

 

Nah, it's fine, I had mine held on with a wire hanger, but ripped it off last time i was under my car

 

I went under to take a look, realized that the reason why it was hanging was because the side that the nut is on is rusted away, like entirely. I'm debating on what i want to do with it because at my job i always park on grass and the main reason for the heat shield is so it doesnt essentially start a fire under your car. although this is highly unlikely and since my car is at Jeep status im sure itd be fine.

 

bah your car is 4 feet in the air who cares?

 

Touche.