Uh oh i hear rattling in my spec

[Insurgent]

My car is an 02 Spec v, 60k miles (yeah it's been romped on a bit but well maintained) and for some reason now when i start up the car and while i reverse out and also shift through first or second i can hear a rattling sort of noise come from the underside of the car where the exhaust runs. It stops once the RPM's get higher and it doesnt do it in any of the higher gears or after the car has been running for 10 mins. The car seems to be running just fine and I hear no other noises. I'm just worried because next week I'm installing a catback exhaust and I'd like to address this problem if it can be helped. I don't want to install my catback to something that's bent or broken. Would this be something like broken bushings or something more complicated? what should i look for?

[nametakennow]

Check your heatshield bolts on your exhaust mani, and when you install the catback, check all the heatshield bolts down there too. Where does the rattling seem to be coming from? It may just be clutch/flywheel chatter. It's probably nothing.

[Insurgent]

It sounds like it's coming from the passenger side floor board, right under there.

[NSR_s30]

Yeah, I'd check all the bolts and hopefully it's nothing serious.

[RED_DET]

Check the crossmember motor mount bolts.

[smokeshow11]

i have the same problem it was the heat sheild,i just took it off becouse the bolts broke.everything is ok no fire yet... ,but if that isnt your problem then it maybe your cat.....good luck

[Insurgent]

i have the same problem it was the heat sheild,i just took it off becouse the bolts broke.everything is ok no fire yet... ,but if that isnt your problem then it maybe your cat.....good luck

Ok I can't see any broken bolts, where were yours? I think it's just loose but I have to find someone with small enough hands to reach up between the fans and the exhaust to check. I really want to remove the shield and I've been researching and people seem to be fine after doing it. Only problem is I live here in Phoenix, could I have problems this summer if I mess with it?

[spec_v_girl]

Plenty of people have removed their heatshields, including myself, and I have never heard of any fires or anything weird happening because of it (and I'm really active on the Vboard, so word would get around if there was an incident involving this).

It could possibly be your cat breaking up... one day in my '93 Sentra I started to hear weird rattling when I started the car, and it turned out to be my cat breaking up.

[l31nismo]

I'm surprised your just now complaining of rattling. These Specs are rattle boxes. Mine is an 05 and it rattled driving it off of the lot, brand new.