Well... I'm not sure why at all you'd think it was your intercooler... There aren't many moving parts in there

If you mean it sounds like something rattling around in the intake, then the simple answer is: Look in the intake. Do you see something there? If not, then that's not the problem.

It could be a huge number of things though, you'll need to get down-and-dirty to pinpoint this.

Check your belts, make sure nothing's scraping against them. Just inspect the engine closely for anything loose, and hopefully it's something like that.

-Jesse

Ya i know there isnt any moving parts in there, im not a complete idiot. but i was just wondering if anyone thought that it might be possible that sumthing could of been stuck in there or nething...i really dont even know why i posted this seeing as how its a dumb question.

Haha sorry...

Cody

It is always a possibility that something could be stuck in there. There's only one way to find out

-Jesse

Check to make sure all of your pulleys are securly bolted to where they should be. Check your turbine and compressor wheels for any play. This rattling doesn't happen at idle?

I would actually check your exhaust components, more specificly your DP. Inspect it for cracks. Chances are pretty high that it cracked and a shard of metal is stuck inside your system. I have had a previous experience with this, as well as several of my friends.

i also have this problem, but i own a 2g instead of a 1g. i would only hear this noise when im going on an uphill road. i hear that it can possibly be the harmonic balancer as stated by defiant. i still havent figured it out, but let me know if u do. thanx

I had a rattling sound coming from my engine bay intermittently. Come to find out when I changed my timing belt, my balance shaft belt was broken.

No it does not happen at idle, even if i rev it up. Nothing at all.

I have no balance shafts, so i wouldnt have a belt would i? I dont think so.......

Thanks for the replys.

Didn't realize you had b.s. removed. Hope ya figure it out anyways.

Crankshaft pulley is a good suspect. Make sure the outer ring hasn't seperated from the inner ring. They are connected by a rubber dampener material that breaks down over time causing the rings to seperate and start clanging around. The pulley can actually still function after the dampener material breaking for a time, but it's very dangerous since the outer ring is now probably banging into the timing belt cover, and since it's moving the belts are more likely to come off in ways you don't want.

Thanks for the replys and im goin to go check it all over real well tomorrow, specially the pulleys.

Later,
Cody

It's coming from the front of the car, the front left side. It is metal on metal, at first we thought exhaust but I took off the exhaust after the downpipe, at least now it puts out 14 lbs of boost vs 9 with the exhaust on Just goes to show how important that mod alone is , also um, it is metal against metal, only under load, not at idle, not in neutral revving, and mainly under heavier load. If you are going 60, and just cruising, no noise, you get on it, it starts up. Same as yours?

Yup, you described it exactly my friend.

Now what could it be.....

I just blew my turbo, someone said it coulda been the turbo It's dead now, another on the way but I think maybe camshaft gears, someone said the rubber cushion between them rots away and they hit each other....someone help us with this pls, I know most of you guys got it , it's a "normal" DSM thing...jeez

If it was the cam gears, you would hear the ticking at idle and in neutral revving, not just under load.

Ugh....I've tapped on everything under the hood for rattling, NOTHING! Not a heatshield or anything like that....

Camshaft gear rubber?? There is no rubber in the camshaft gears nor in the head between them... what are you referring to?

Take the ic of and examine it for cracks around the mounting points or the brace.

Get a stethescope and start going over the engine.

I'm not reading this whole thread, have you ruled out the harmonic balancer?

If you don't find it, time to hire a mechanic. Before you HAVE to.

So I'd like to know if there was a solution as I have this problem at the moment. Seems to me that the noise moves around depending how hard the engine has revolved.