Hey guys and gals... I appreciate the help that is provided on this site. I am new to it and find it awesome. 2001 Legacy GT Wagon has a buzz from the under carraige of the car on acceleration . Shop tells me it is common ... heat shield?

 

The sound is annoying. makes the car sound cheap. ANy suggestions ?

Take it off. If the bolts are still intact. Just take the shield off. If not, take a cut off wheel or torch and cut the heat shield off.

Do a search for 'heat shield', 'exhaust rattle', or a combination of those, there are a fair amount of comments on the subject.

 

here's a good thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20411

 

You could bang on the shield with a rubber mallet, see if you can find where it's loose. And if you can't tighten it down, pulling it off will definitely cure the rattle for good!

Hose clamps work well...

 

I've done 2 so far... The last one on the back side of the back cat converter... Don't remember the first one, but's it's there, and I did it last summer...

I've had this same problem twice, and I know what you mean - it does make the car sound cheap. In the first case, the rattling came from the shields further down the line, after the Y intersection where the two pipes come out of the exhaust ports. The dealer shop just removed them for free (I had just bought it from them used), but I'm not sure why they didn't just resecure them.

 

In the second case the rattling was coming from the two spots where the heat shields meet the exhaust ports on the engine. If I recall correctly, the clamps and/or bolts fell out. The dealer shop simply resecured them and charged $50. I thought it was worth it just to get it over with.

 

This must be a common thing. I kind of wish I could get my heat shields back from the first incidence, but I guess I'm OK as long as I don't park in any tall grass!