Q: Rattling sound under the car.

asked by on March 03, 2017

I just bought a 19 year old 98 crown Vic with 78000.00 miles on it.Florida car which never saw a New England winter...Love it. The problem is that when I start it up i'm getting a rattling sound coming from under the vehicle. I suspected that it was probably a loose heat shield, but when I went under the vehicle and sort of"whacked" things around, nothing seemed to be loose. I'm pretty sure it's not coming from the engine. It "purrs" like a kitten. Any Suggestions? Also..Sometimes when I start the car i get a sort of "groaning" sound(which seems to be coming from the steering wheel and lasts about 3 seconds,then disappears)..Any suggestions?

Hi there. If you have a flex plate or a flywheel on your vehicle, the nose could be a loose bolt causing the rattling noise as the engine is running. If the noise lessens out as the engine is revved up, then there could be a loose heat shield that is vibrating.

For the groaning noise that you hear for a few seconds on the steering wheel, the power steering pump seal may be getting dry when the pump is shut off when the engine is shut off. If the pump is groaning, check the fluid level and see if its low. If its full, then the pump maybe on its early stages of failure. If you need further assistance with your vehicle making a rattling noise and a groaning noise around the steering wheel, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

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