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Why is my car rattling in idle and low speeds?

Tiny
LPP
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 CHRYSLER SEBRING
  • 80,000 MILES
As soon as I start my car I can hear the rattle but it gets much worse after it's been driven a bit. When I'm going highway speeds it seems to go away. I took it in to an acquaintance's shop and he said he thought it was coming from the dash side of the engine but that he couldn't diagnose it without totally ripping apart my car which I didn't have time for while I was there. I'm taking it into another shop tomorrow but I'd like to have some idea of what it MIGHT be so they don't totally b.S. Me. Is that where the transmission is? My coworker mentioned something about the 'bell housing' I think. I don't know what that could mean. Any advice?
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Monday, July 23rd, 2012 AT 7:13 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
So its coming from the engine?If so the top end of the engine or the bottom end of engine.
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Monday, July 23rd, 2012 AT 8:03 PM
Tiny
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The mechanic that looked at it before said neither, just that it was coming from the back, like where the dash is. To me, it sounds like it's coming more from the bottom but I'm not really sure.
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Monday, July 23rd, 2012 AT 8:36 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
So behind the engine between the firewall and engine?
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Monday, July 23rd, 2012 AT 8:47 PM
Tiny
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Ummm maybe? I really have no idea. All I know is the rattle gets worse the longer I drive it and it seems to be the absolute worst when moving really slow (like pulling into a parking stall) or in idle. I've read other answers suggesting maybe it could be a problem with the flexplate. What is that and how likely is that to cause a rattle? I also think it could very well be the transmission (which is automatic) because I got stuck in traffic recently and for like half an hour we were moving MAX 15km/hour and my car realllly struggled to maintain such a slow speed.
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Monday, July 23rd, 2012 AT 8:59 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
A flex plate connects the engines crank shaft to the transmissions torque convertor. The torque convertor is bolted to the flex plate and the flex plate is bolted to engines crank shaft.I have seen them break crack etc and make noise but dont know if thats problem. You need to get it checked out right away sounds like a serius problem. Please post what you find.
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Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 AT 3:43 AM
Tiny
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  • 4 POSTS
It was the flexplate bolts! They just needed to be tightened! :> My dad was so shocked that I knew what he was talking about (he took it to his usual shop and called me with the news). He doesn't know anything about cars and when he tried explaining the problem and the simple fix, he was struggling to find the right word, and I was like 'Was it the flexplate by any chance?' And I was right! Thank god for this website for giving me a clue about common issues.
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Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 AT 4:16 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
Your welcome thats what were here for. So were the bolts that go thru the flex into the torque convertor the ones that were loose?Or the ones that hold the flex plate onto the crank shaft?Glad to hear you got it fixed though.
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Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 AT 7:38 PM

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