Ok guys - so I thought I had this problem figured out, did the repair, and - whoops still there. Here is what is going on:

I have a noise which sounds very similar to a bunch of pebbles being sucked up a metal vacuum cleaner tube, a bunch of clinking. It only makes the noise in certain instances, but very consistently:

When i hit the gas after coming to a stop, but not again (even if i step on the gas) until i stop and start again. Accelerating or slowing while driving doesn't cause the noise. Whats more is that hte harder i stop, the worse it is.

more troubling is a kind of growling noise, which started occurring much later, and much less consistently. This noise is only under power, as soon as you let off the gas it stops. It is most noticeable at around 23 mph in 2nd gear. Again, I had attributed this to my exhaust troubles.

I also have an occasional engine light throwing the code:
P2259
secondary air injection system control |B| circuit low. ------------------no longer getting a CEL

I had thought it was the cat (my car does have 86 k miles). So, I replaced it with another stock midpipe, and the engine light went off, for a half a day :wallbash: and came back on - then a day later it went off again, and stayed off, only to pop up a week later for about 20 minutes, and again disappear.

this problem is getting really annoying - its embarrassing pulling up to a light and having people look over, only to have this clinking vacuum-cleaner -esque noise when you hit the gas.

HELP?


here is a recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzOYZ_i-IcY&feature=youtube_gdata
it also includes a new noise i just discovered.

Try using premium fuel.

i do - that's all i Use and nothing else has ever gone in my car - so that's not the issue.

Still need help on this - anyone with any thoughts?

The CEL is an air pump CEL...so that shouldn't have anything to do with it.

Does it sound like an exhaust rattle...like a heat shield is hitting ..or does it sound like an engine noise?

I would get it up on a hoist and smack the exhaust around and see if it will rattle....

Motor mounts? If its a deep rattle...Check the passenger side mount...

Tinny rattle is likely exhaust....

maybe i'm not reading this correctly, but it is the "marbles-in-a-can" or whatever they call it? if so, that's a somewhat common (albeit usually bad) thing i think. i had it.

Does it happen with the motor idling while parked?

If so, safely park you car, leave the engine running while the noise is occurring, and get out of the car and walk around to the rear, and put the heel of your shoe on your exhaust tip. If the noise goes away that is what the issue is. I have the same thing, I need to trim my heat shield.

maybe i'm not reading this correctly, but it is the "marbles-in-a-can" or whatever they call it? if so, that's a somewhat common (albeit usually bad) thing i think. i had it.

In my limited experience with it.....MIAC only happens in the higher RPM ranges in any gear and as soon as you shift it goes away. I think it's the heat shield as well and it needs to be looked as as Chickenwafer has said below. Since the OP said he had exhaust issues, we know someone was working around that area, so it's a good bet.

And to the OP................if you take the CAT off and have a midpipe, you're gonna have a CEL. Well, most will anyway.

Check your brakes as well.......sometimes the dust cover will rattle as well....

OG poster the sound you hear is your exhaust ports opening. They rattle

thanks guys

the noise isnt present in neutral, but only when you put it in gear, it doesnt sound like the heat shield, though that does make noise too :\ it is definitely not a healthy noise, and i dont think its the exhaust ports. I hope its as simple as the exhaust tips rattling, but i don't know - it didnt always make this noise, and its only under the conditions i mentioned before.

im curious about the brakes / dust cover rattling - i'll check that out.

as i said, the strangest thing is that if i close my trunk after running the car, it makes that same clinking noise, but only the one time, until i run the car again - what noise would do that, in addition to only being present when i step on teh gas after a stop, and come to a stop? the only other way i can describe it, albeit obtuse, is its sometimes similar to a cylinder dieseling - and yes i know its a rotary, im just comparing. realy though, try sucking some gravel into a vacuum cleaner with a metal hose and you'll know exactly what it sounds like...

i'll try to get a recording of it or something.

2tone - when you had it, what did it turn out to be?

Your CAT all in bits in your muffler canister?

This is a bit difficult to diagnose on the net ;)

OG poster the sound you hear is your exhaust ports opening. They rattle

Huh?

thanks guys

the noise isnt present in neutral, but only when you put it in gear, it doesnt sound like the heat shield, though that does make noise too :\ it is definitely not a healthy noise, and i dont think its the exhaust ports. I hope its as simple as the exhaust tips rattling, but i don't know - it didnt always make this noise, and its only under the conditions i mentioned before.

i'll try to get a recording of it or something.

2tone - when you had it, what did it turn out to be?

well i ended up needing a new engine - but search for MIAC - it was a well-discussed topic. basically, i had loss of power randomly. like if i was accelerating in 2nd gear, flooring it, it would go but the equivalent of flooring it in 6th gear. start of a seal problem or something - loss of power but not total failure - it was still driveable.

honestly i don't remember exactly about MIAC - but at higher rpms, the engine, also randomly, would start making a noise as if you were rattling marbles or rocks in an aluminum can. it was so random though, had to do with heat soak i think. ah shit i don't know, but it's happened to enough people that you can find a few threads on it.

but i will say that the MIAC sound DEFINITELY comes from the engine. i mean no mistake about it, the sound is "in front of you." so if it sounds like it's exhaust or maybe your brakes like others said, it's not MIAC. you would know if it was coming from your engine bay.

well i ended up needing a new engine - but search for MIAC - it was a well-discussed topic. basically, i had loss of power randomly. like if i was accelerating in 2nd gear, flooring it, it would go but the equivalent of flooring it in 6th gear. start of a seal problem or something - loss of power but not total failure - it was still driveable.

honestly i don't remember exactly about MIAC - but at higher rpms, the engine, also randomly, would start making a noise as if you were rattling marbles or rocks in an aluminum can. it was so random though, had to do with heat soak i think. ah shit i don't know, but it's happened to enough people that you can find a few threads on it.

but i will say that the MIAC sound DEFINITELY comes from the engine. i mean no mistake about it, the sound is "in front of you." so if it sounds like it's exhaust or maybe your brakes like others said, it's not MIAC. you would know if it was coming from your engine bay.

Do you have a good recording or can you make one? Does it happen when you are really asking for power WOT? Does it stop when you back off a little?

thanks guys

2tone - it doesn't sound like the engine - thankfully, it definitely sounds behind you. Im hoping what it is is just that there is some residual pieces of the old cat still in the rest of the pipe, i didn't have access to a lift or anything to do it myself, so i had it done - mistake, they never do it right.

dannobre -
i did replace the cat, thinking thats what it was, thats what makes me think i might be some residual crap still int he exhaust. if that's the case I don't care because eventually i'll be upgrading and getting rid of the whole stock exhaust anyway.

old rotor
- i will work on getting a recording. It only goes for a little bit when u first step on it, after it "clears itself" then it doesn't do it again, unless you wait a while, then if u are cruising and step on it a little you get a sound that sounds similar to dieseling in a cylinder, ironically. however if u come to a stop, the harder you do, the more noise it makes when you start up again. but it is only under power. i haven't noticed any power loss though...

oh and no CEL anymore, so the cat was definitely the thing throwing the code.

ok i made a recording of the noise that i hear - and while i recorded it, i discovered, yet another new noise - heres the clip: there is no video, because i recorded it with garage band, but please listen through it - the new noise is at the end. I put some text in so you can kind of see whats going on.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzOYZ_i-IcY&feature=youtube_gdata

Huh?

It's a small, thermal exhaust port right below the main port.

Clutch throw-out bearing?

Does it make a difference if the clutch is depressed?

Clutch throw-out bearing?

Does it make a difference if the clutch is depressed?


probably should have mentioned this is an AT - yeah i know, not my first choice, but was the only one i could find in good shape and in my price range.

hmm definitely sounds like something to do with the exhaust.. that sounds familiar but i cant quite put my finger on it.. and its only toward the rear of the car? maybe it could even be your diff?

hmm definitely sounds like something to do with the exhaust.. that sounds familiar but i cant quite put my finger on it.. and its only toward the rear of the car? maybe it could even be your diff?

thanks for checking it out al.
jeez i hope its not the diff, that would suck. plus it would be a good excuse to get that aftermarket exhaust i've been eying. it is rear / middle of the car - which again makes me think exhaust - it would be great if it turned out to just be residual crap left in the catback.

eventually maybe i'll just take it to the dealer, have them tell me whats wrong, and then fix it myself - ha!