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Rattling/Grinding sound at start up ???


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Just bought my '97 outback limited about a month ago (automatic) and last week I noticed a rattling/grinding sound upon startup in either cold or hot weather. The sound isn't to bad in park, but notice it gets louder when shifting between park/neutral/reverse/drive just standing still. The sound lasts for a couple of blocks of driving then seems to go away. Car seems to drive okay other than this noise.

 

Had one of the mechanics at work do a cold start so he could listen to it and he seemed to think it was just the catalytic converters that are rattling till they heat up and expand and stop rattling!

 

Just checked the tranny fluid after it got up to temp and it seems okay (did notice some bubbles on the dipstick but not what I would call foaming)

 

Car had 75000 miles when I bought it and I've since added about 1500 miles!

 

 

Anyone else hearing this rattling/grinding sound at startup, and does the catalytic converter that my mechanic buddy suggested sound like a reasonable culprit, or should I be more wary of some more serious problem?

 

Thanks all

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Just bought my '97 outback limited about a month ago (automatic) and last week I noticed a rattling/grinding sound upon startup in either cold or hot weather. The sound isn't to bad in park, but notice it gets louder when shifting between park/neutral/reverse/drive just standing still. The sound lasts for a couple of blocks of driving then seems to go away. Car seems to drive okay other than this noise.

 

Had one of the mechanics at work do a cold start so he could listen to it and he seemed to think it was just the catalytic converters that are rattling till they heat up and expand and stop rattling!

 

Just checked the tranny fluid after it got up to temp and it seems okay (did notice some bubbles on the dipstick but not what I would call foaming)

 

Car had 75000 miles when I bought it and I've since added about 1500 miles!

 

 

Anyone else hearing this rattling/grinding sound at startup, and does the catalytic converter that my mechanic buddy suggested sound like a reasonable culprit, or should I be more wary of some more serious problem?

 

Thanks all

 

There are exhaust system heat shields that tend to loosen and rattle as these cars age. On my '99 Legacy GT, the shields surrounding the exhaust "downpipes" (right where the pipes attach to the cylinder heads) have loosened. That causes a nasty "rattle/clatter" sound when the engine is idleing in "D", especially during engine warm-up. Really obvious if you pull into a drive-up ATM where the sounds reverberates off of the building...

When your engine is cool, get under the front of the vehicle and "rap" on those shields--right where the pipes attach to the cylinder heads--and see if they rattle.

I've tried rigging various oversized clamps around the shields to stop them from rattling, to no avail. I suspect the only correction may be to have them "tack-welded" securely back onto the pipes..........

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