Strange rattling noise from under car
 

As I was driving home today with the windows down, I noticed a rattling/clanking noise that comes from the passenger side under/side of the car. It sounds to me like a thin metal plate vibrating and hitting something. As I drive normally I don't hear anything but any slight bump on the street (such as lane reflectors) and I hear it. If I'm on the middle lane and go over a reflector with my left tires I don't hear anything but on the right I do. I also noticed it on the highway as I went through a bridge that has slight bumps I could hear it really loud.
I know it's very hard to determine what this could be without you guys actually hear it but any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Sound like something came lose get ur self under the car and look for anything thats missing bolts skrews or something that can move with ur hand back n forth remember saifety first make shure u have something to hold the car like a stànd if r jack fails and wheel shoks,

If u still cant find probl take to dealer i just hope ur not hearing the slave cylinder bearings if u have manual tranny well thats normal.

Good luck. :ugh2:

I dunno what it could be, I looked under the car and everything looks fine. I feel like if its coming from the wheel well.

Are you sure it's not the passenger seat belt buckle? That drove me nuts till I figured it out.

In that case take ur wheel off and se if ur brake caliper didnt loose a screw and its like plapping up n down, i had that happening to my civic after pads change didnt tighten screws properly.:shakes head:

Yeah, jack it up and inspect if you have any damage, maybe to the exhaust and/or take the right wheels off and look for loose parts. Interested in hearing what the problem was. G/L :tup:

Oil change lately? Check the diffuser...plate that covers up the area where they get to oil drain. (Thanks Isamu)

Muffler bearing.

Is your crossmember brace rattling against your exhaust?

This guy is gonna take apart his whole car LOL, everyone is telling him to "check this, check that, remove this/that" :tup:

I know its not that because i don't hear anything with the windows up. Its nothing inside the car.

this might be the problem. I feel like the chatter might be coming from the exhaust rubbing against something metal. Is there a heat shield on top of the stock exhaust that maybe came loose? Its either the exhaust or wheel well area its hard for me to determine exactly where the chatter its coming from. It's a "thin rattling" so it leads me to believe its some type of thin sheet metal.

^^^^^
The guys in the "what did you do with your Z today (with off topic replies)" thread thought this too...

If it's the seatbelt flapping because of wind, you won't hear it with the window up. Try driving with the window down and the passenger seatbelt buckled.

First thing I'd look at is the seatbelt (probably not it, usually a clunk from the buckle or a buzz/whirr/flap from the belt, but it's easy to check). Then I'd check the heat shields on the exhaust. Then I'd look through the FSM to see if there are any other thin metal shields that could come loose.

Good luck. If you can get someone to ride shotgun and listen they might be able to tell approximate location of rattle (in front of the door, under the door, behind the door).