[The Black Car]

ok guys see if you think you know the answer to this, i dont.

i have just installed a new flowmaster force 2 cataback on my 03 v6 3.8 stang. it has been running fine. i have just done an oil change about 2 days ago and today i started hearing a strange noise coming from, what i think and can tell, the intake manifold area behind throttle body or maby in that area but a little lower. the noise sounds like a rattling.

i hear it when i start the car with it in park. the noise goes away when the engine idle begins to slow down, but when i shift into the drive gear it starts up again until i shift back into park.

if it helps i had just done an oil change with 5 qtz of oil and the level is ok. i use 5w 20 mobile one fully synthetic and this is the first time i am having this strange noise.

this might be a normal thing and all completelly in my head but i am not sure. i would greatly appreciate help if any1 knows what it is? btw i have an automatic transmission.

[Drick]

AHAHAAHA Got to be some kind of record man to make a 7 thread

But anyway we need a sound clip to diagnoes it further

[The Black Car]

haha wow, ya sure man ill get you the sound clip. and oh sorry about all the posts, my comp was screwed up and the submit post button wasnt working so i guess in all my attempts it generated so many, sorry guys.

[Drick]

Haha no problem I know all about internet problems and the subit button beiging stuck witch has resulted in me making a few double posts on my dial up internet back home so dont worry about it next time it happens though just go through real fast and his the yellow X next to edit to delete post you could have done that in the first 15 minutes after and cleared it all up :wink

[HMUSN]

^ unless some one posts after you.

than you can only edit your post. you can't delete is :wink

and yes.. that is strange.

a sound clip is your friend.

[Drick]

Im saying if he would have done it right after it happened before anyone even seen it

[The Black Car]

sorry guys im kind of new to the posting thing so i didnt really know, but as far as the sounds clip i will have that available as soon as i can get my car from my gf's job

[The Black Car]

sorry guys i havn't go the sound clip yet but i brought it to a mechanic to look at the car. he didnt get a chance to put it on the lift, he was kind of busy. he said that the sound is likely coming from the cats. perhaps there is a blockage? or maby spark plugs are bad? i have noticed drops in performance, and more fuel consumption, which would be strange since i installed a flowmaster 40 catback ( by the way after i installed it i felt an increase in power and gas mileage relatively seemed to stay the same.). i have actaully noticed that since i got the car, it has seemed too have a strangely low mpg, so maby it is possible the cats might be the source and maby i may need to trouble shoot it from there? any suggestions?

p.s. i smell some bad smelling emissions from time to time and the car can sound a little like a lawnmower in the drive gear(especially when accellerating), but in the park gear the lawn mower noise seems to fade a little but not comppletely.

[ShelbyGT]

a V6 will sometimes sounds like a lawnmower in drive idk why but my cousins sounds like that to but thats probly cuz he put turbo cats on it and customized his own exhaust

[The Black Car]

the thing is it never sounded like this. when i put my flowmasters on it, the car sounded really nice (a low but deep toned sound/ not a gt but nice(no lawnmower sound) w/ no lawnmower sound and then after i changed the oil, it started to make that noise more and more each day.

[The Black Car]

i am now thinking exhaust leak

[The Black Car]

ok i figured it out and got it fixed. it was an exhaust leak coming from the welding in the midpipe by the y connecting area on the drivers side. there was a big crack in the pipe, i brought it to my welder he took the whole thing off and got it fixed. cost me $250, not bad i thought (the shop took me for an idiot and tried to charge me for a whole new pipe $1400, and $600 for labor of installation, i laughed in that shit stain's face). i wanted to change that whole pipe off for a custom job with an h midpipe but could not afford it, will do it at a later time.

in any case she runs great and sounds great now! thanks for your suggestions everyone.