Car rattle

[Connemara]

I have an '07 Chevy Cobalt. Over the past week or so, I've noticed a rattle while cruising at higher speeds (60MPH+). It sounds like it's coming from the undercarriage, right in the middle or maybe on the right side of the car. It's new, so I'm a little concerned. Initial thought is a wheel bearing but I'm not sure. Any other ideas before I take it to the dealer?

 

[Harold falcon]

Is it still under warranty?

 

[StephenHero]

Sounds like wheel balance.

 

[ramuman]

It could be one of a million things. My money is on something to do with the exhaust if it's actually the middle of the car...like a heat shield for the cat convertor coming loose.

 

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

Is it still under warranty?
Yeah.

Originally Posted by StephenHero

Sounds like wheel balance.
Potholes have been really bad this year and there's a stretch of road I'm on every morning where it is 99% impossible to avoid them. Could that have screwed something up?

 

[bigbjorn]

Exhaust heat shield, if it's a rattle.

Wheel bearings don't rattle. They growl-whine. Also, a lot of the time, they get louder as you turn away from the affected wheel, loading the suspension on that side.

The easiest way to start to diagnose these things is to determine whether the noise varies with wheel speed (drive train, wheels, brakes), engine speed (engine), or is triggered by road undulations or potholes (suspension) or others inputs.

 

[rnoldh]

Empty whiskey bottles under your seats.

It is well worth looking for them. Some might not be empty.

 

[Logan]

Originally Posted by bigbjorn

Exhaust heat shield, if it's a rattle. Wheel bearings don't rattle. They growl-whine. Also, a lot of the time, they get louder as you turn away from the affected wheel, loading the suspension on that side. The easiest way to start to diagnose these things is to determine whether the noise varies with wheel speed (drive train, wheels, brakes), engine speed (engine), or is triggered by road undulations or potholes (suspension) or others inputs.
OMG, car talk from someone that actually knows what the **** is up. An unbalanced tire would shake your steering wheel at certain speeds and drive you nuts the second time you drove the car after you noticed it. This may be a wild and radical idea, but have you checked any Cobalt forums instead of asking advice on a style forum? I know, it seems crazy, but they will know whats up and you will probably have an idea within a day as to whats rattling. http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/ Sometimes the help people seek out on here blows my mind.

 

[Blackhood]

Originally Posted by Logan

OMG, car talk from someone that actually knows what the **** is up.

An unbalanced tire would shake your steering wheel at certain speeds and drive you nuts the second time you drove the car after you noticed it.

This may be a wild and radical idea, but have you checked any Cobalt forums instead of asking advice on a style forum? I know, it seems crazy, but they will know whats up and you will probably have an idea within a day as to whats rattling. http://www.cobaltss.net/forums/

Sometimes the help people seek out on here blows my mind.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe the guy has 5 years worth of contacts and 35,000 posts so he thought he might ask one of the 77,000 current members from people he trusts before soliciting advice on a new forum where he doesn't know who to trust for advice?

 

[alexanduh]

an 07 car isnt really a new car seeing as its 2011..

 

[CDFS]

Originally Posted by rnoldh

Empty whiskey bottles under your seats.

It is well worth looking for them. Some might not be empty.

 

[ter1413]

check the trunk for a body...

 

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Blackhood

Did it ever occur to you that maybe the guy has 5 years worth of contacts and 35,000 posts so he thought he might ask one of the 77,000 current members from people he trusts before soliciting advice on a new forum where he doesn't know who to trust for advice?



You're joking right? It doesn't matter how many posts he has, he is still asking for help from a forum based on clothes. There might be 10 people that own that same car on here.

That site has 53,000 members and I'd bet that 90% of them own a cobalt, and the rest own a car based on the same platform as the cobalt. So they would probably get the same rattle and be able to help him out. I don't know what car forums you visit, if any, but the people on them are not giant ego douchebags like they are here.

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by Logan

You're joking right? It doesn't matter how many posts he has, he is still asking for help from a forum based on clothes. There might be 10 people that own that same car on here.

That site has 53,000 members and I'd bet that 90% of them own a cobalt, and the rest own a car based on the same platform as the cobalt. So they would probably get the same rattle and be able to help him out. I don't know what car forums you visit, if any, but the people on them are not giant ego douchebags like they are here.

welcome!!

 

[Xiaogou]

Originally Posted by Connemara

I have an '07 Chevy Cobalt. Over the past week or so, I've noticed a rattle while cruising at higher speeds (60MPH+). It sounds like it's coming from the undercarriage, right in the middle or maybe on the right side of the car. It's new, so I'm a little concerned. Initial thought is a wheel bearing but I'm not sure. Any other ideas before I take it to the dealer?

The heat shield on your catalytic converter is loose.