What is causing this sound?

[GrayS550]

A couple of days ago I started my car after a very cold icy morning, and I started hearing this sound. It happens when the car is cold but goes away after a couple of minutes. Any thoughts? I haven’t looked under yet… It’s too cold outside. When the engine is warm and I rev it, I don’t hear the sound. I hear it make this sound sometimes when I’m driving too.

It’s coming from the center console area under the car, and under the passenger footwell. Passengers have said they feel a lot of popping underneath their feet.

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[Mustang5555]

I wouldnt drive my car with it making noise like that. jack it up and look. I still work on my cars in the snow here in buffalo ny.

 

[GrayS550]

I wouldnt drive my car with it making noise like that. jack it up and look. I still work on my cars in the snow here in buffalo ny.

The car drives perfectly fine. No transmission vibration, no weird engine sounds. I’m thinking something is caught under there.

 

[cerbomark]

If you don t find anything loose under there I ll go out on a limb and say maybe it s water (condensation) built up in the section of exhaust under that area. You mention COLD and then goes away. It s hard to tell if it s a gurgling sound or hard knock on my computer .

Rev it hard a few times and have someone see if water blows out back. I ve see it build up in mufflers like that.

 

[Rapid Red]

Did not say when it happens, sitting still, driving, or both?

 

[Deleted member 69033]

Something is loose, or maybe like a stone got thrown up and caught between something? Or a chunk of ice same thing?

Car sit out in the cold? Anywhere to thaw it for a few hours? Or take it for a good bottom wash.... I've had cars wobble and rattle due to ice and a car wash cured it.

 

[cerbomark]

Did not say when it happens, sitting still, driving, or both?

I assumed sitting. ????

 

[Grayghostcoyote]

I would take a bet that you have an exhaust leak, I had the same issue with mine and when the car was warmed up it went away. People on here make me laugh, if you had something stuck under your car it wouldn't just stop making the noise when the car was warmed up ...... Check your exhaust connections and go from there.

 

[Grayghostcoyote]

if something was loose the noise wouldn't go away when it was warmed up, unless loose you mean maybe an exhaust clamp...

 

[momalle1]

Noises travel like crazy. I had a noise like that over bumps on an old Cougar, turned out to be a loose parking brake cable. Get it on a lift, it'll probably be obvious!

 

[Grayghostcoyote]

yea but a noise like that wouldn't just go away when the car is warmed up ...

 

[GrayS550]

When the car is decelerating, I hear it at 2k rpm. It crackles at that rpm range. Maybe the headers cracked or something got loose. Will jack up the car tomorrow.

 

[ApplesAndOranges]

When metal receives heat, it expands. It could be as simple as a loose bolt or exhaust clamp.

 

[GrayS550]

UPDATE: Solved

because it was below freezing and the exhaust got hot when I drove it, the bolts holding the mid pipes to the headers came loose and the mid pipes slid off a bit, and the car was just “backfiring” out of that area. Tightening it fixed it.

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