Rattle Be Gone

So during this most recent winter, a rattle started up in my car.

I didn't think much of it really. As in the years before my car would occasionally get more noisy during the cold months. Probably because the metal parts were cold lol. As the noise usually vanishes again when things warm up. 

I thought that was what would happen this time around. My car would be noisy with this rattling sound until it got warm enough for it to stop.

It didn't stop.

Which...halfway concerning.
But I kinda just....wrote it off as nothing really.

Though when I finally got around to getting an oil change (which I had procrastinated a bit) 
I asked the people there what that rattling noise was.

And they were like "Oh, its your heat shield. It's loose. We can probably take it off for you next time you come in." But like....it could cost $$ if the labor took too long sooo I figured I'd wait a bit for that.

-Okay I was mostly hoping the thing would just fall off on it's own. *exhales* 

Cue a month or so ago?
Coming home one day, our next door neighbors were sitting outside.
-As they're prone to doing when it gets warm outside.

And one of the guys was like "Your car is making a rattling noise!" 
And I was like "Yah, it's the heat shield, I've been told."
To which they agreed -cus these guys living next to us are car guys. Constantly spending their weekends and occasionally weeknights tweaking and fixing up a merry-go-round of different cars. 
So I was pretty sure they knew what they were talking about lol. 

In any case. The conversation didn't really progress much beyond that. 

Until tonight.
When Kikay and I ventured outside -to go catch a rarer pokemon-
And the guys were out there working on their cars again.
One dude was like "Where's your green car?" 

*laughs* Which is funny because it was in the driveway behind him if he'd just turned around in his chair. 

I pointed it out and he was like "Bring it over! We'll take that shield off for you." 

^^;; 
Apparently the rattling of my car was getting on their nerves. ^^;; Heh.
I suppose it was offensive to their senses to have such a racket when they knew how to fix it and....probably were frustrated that I hadn't done anything to fix it  yet. ^^;; oops. lol. 

We ended up leaving my car in the driveway as that was easier.
And they took the jack and lifted my car up so they could get underneath and see what was going on.

lol the entire time I was paranoid that they were going to notice something majorly wrong with my car. Or you know....accidentally break it. 

In any case.
The heat shield apparently had its two front bolts rusted in place...while the back ones had rusted out?
But the overall problem was....the two front bolts were doing too good of a job lol.
They couldn't just pull the heat shield off and call it a day.
Nope. Stubborn thing refused. 

So they ended up taking an old metal coat hanger and used that wire to tie the heat shield back in place instead of taking it off. 

The result?

My car isn't noisy anymore!!! HUZZAH!! lol 

We'll see if it stays quiet in the coming days as I drive it around.

But yay for neighbors who are willing to fix things! ^^;; Woot!

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi