I have a 1996 LX 2 door, with the 2.2 Engine. The mileage is about 89,700.

When starting the car for the first time, I'm noticing a "jangling" sound. The noise begins when I shift into reverse; as soon as I shift into Drive, the noise stops. For the rest of the day, both when driving and starting, the noise doesn't exist.

I thought the license plate holder was loose (that's what the sound is like - a piece of metal that's loose), but nothing so simple.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

Sounds like the heat shield for the catalytic converter. My daugter's 95 Integra did that just before it started "jangling" all the time...

 

Thanks - is that something a Honda dealer needs to fix (perish the thought - I'd need to print money) or can Sears or another auto center take care of it?

What should a new heat shield cost to install?

 

Crawl under while it's cold and check the sheet metal shield, just to be sure. I'd hate to send you down the wrong road without verifying. Usually the shield will start rattling when one of the four fasteners (one each corner) fails due to corrosion. Then it starts "tinging" against itself,
it's made like a clamshell over the coverter. I actually took some SonicWeld and epoxied the halves together, it lasted a good while before the others failed. An exhaust shop may be able to tack weld it back together. I eventually wound up removing the whole thing, if you do, just don't park over anything flammable (leaves, high grass) it may set it on fire, being the reason for the heat shield to begin with...

 

Ok, thanks.

Of course, when I took the car out this morning, no noise.

If I take the car in, and have it put on a jack, I assume any corrosion to the fasteners would become apparent - or is there a reason the car has to be cold?
[sm=gears.gif]

 

The metal may be expanding just enough due to the heat to quit on its own.