GTLW Owners, anyone getting rattling on clod startup?

[Hugh]

GTLW Owners, anyone getting rattling on cold startup?

I'm pretty sure that I narrowed this down to the GTLW. When I start my car cold there is a metallic rattling sound coming from the rear. It disappears almost immediately though. When I had the car on a lift recently to replace the rotors my mechanic and I did the old "mallet handle" test. Which is to say you gently give a whack to suspected areas. The passenger side outlet pipe of the GTLW definitely had "something to say" back to the mallet handle.

Has anyone experienced baffles or any interior parts in the muffler can loosening on their GTLW? MY GTLW is about 2 years old and has about 100,000 miles on it.

 

[lithiumus]

Hey Hugh,

I had the same problem with my old GTLW... I wasn’t able to locate the problem until I pulled the unit off and did a close inspection. My guess is that mine was probably part of the same batch as yours… check the welds where the hook on the passenger side is attached to the pipe. Mine separated but is very hard to see unless you flex the in a direction that separates it. It’s a clean separation so it’s hard to see.

Check it out with a bright light and flexing the pipe in different directions. Once you spot it, have the mechanic re-weld it.

 

[Hugh]

I had to have one of the small braces between two of the pipes on the driver's side spot welded a few months ago. It was a clean break. I'll try out your suggestion and see what I come up with. Thanks.

 

[lithiumus]

It's probably the same thing but now on the passenger side...

 

[ediddynsx]

Thanks for the insight.......I think any muffler over time will start to go out.....whether it be cracks or the baffle getting blown out....so it lasting 100k miles is pretty good already.......thanks for the info.....it will be helpful for others when they start to notice their muffler going out or making noises.

 

[Hugh]

It's probably the same thing but now on the passenger side...

The thing on the driver's side made no noise. This start up noise is loud.

 

[MiamieNeSeX]

Seems like alot of things comming loose in the "rear ends" up in your neck of the woods


Armando

 

[lithiumus]

The thing on the driver's side made no noise. This start up noise is loud.

Maybe it’s just the way the exhaust resonates. Mine was very loud (squeaking rattle) on the passenger side but only when it was warming up. Once the car / exhaust was warm, no noise…