exhaust vibration when accelerating

[Renegade (2 Point Slow)]

i have a 96 jetta gl 2.0 and i have noticed that when i first start driving my car after it has been sitting (for any amount of time) and i am accelerating from about 2000 rpm's to about 3000 my exhaust (or what i think is my exhaust) makes a rather loud vibrating noise. it goes away after driving it for a few minutes, but it is quite annoying and makes my car sound like a tin-can. i have a friend that has a 98 gls 2.0 and he says that his does something similar. is it just a stupid heat shield or something that i can take off, or is it something else ? but what i really want to know is how do i get rid of it ? thanks a lot...

[db]

Most likely your exhaust is hanging too low or too high. I would jack the car up and inspect the exhaust. Make sure you have enough clearance both high and low. Sometimes after awhile the rubber hangers get dry rotted and they break or sag causing the exhaust to hit the metal brace.

If you cannot inspect the car take it to your local exhaust shop.

The reason why you only hear it for a bit it when the exhaust heats up it will expand. Also when more acceleration is forced the exhaust will stiffen.

Best of luck!

[tf242]

Everything that db said... PLUS... you could also get rubberized cover for you hook. That resolves the noise and vibration issue in some cases.

[shedpress]

TF...would you recommend that for me? so I dont have any possible noise in the future? do it now before I install so I dont(if it happens)have to do it later? thanks.

[tf242]

I don't have one...and no noise here. But some of my local mod freaks have these on.

You see Brian, these can be put on even when your muffler is installed. So I wouldn't worry until you really have a problem with vibration or noise.

You can see them on right from factory on Ferrari and other higher cars. When you drive behind them you think their muffler is dangling? It is not.. They have rubberized suspenders for their mufflers.

[firemaker1]

I had the same rattling noise on my 95 jetta 2.0. It was the catalytic converter heat shield. I took it to a shop and got it welded and no more noise.

[ms]

I had a rattle noise coming from my exh manifold .I jsu bent the cover back and tightened it up alittle.

[ms]

Also check the clearance above and below the rear axle.e

[k2jetta98]

yeah i had the same problem, my heat shield over the exhaust manifold cracked and it was ratteling so bad, when i went to vw they just took it off for me and no more rattle from that. but my exhuast hangs a little low by the rear axel and that rattles from time to time, when it gets a little warmer im gonna fix that.

[jettacf1997]

yeah, it sounds like the heat shield to me. I had the same problem. If you get it it just needs to be re-welded or taken off.

[rtmadrigal]

took off my exhaust manifold heat shield, took care of one rattle. mine is also doing it around the cat. but not on the cat. body heat shields suck sometimes!