info: 90 n/a vert auto (i know, i know its slow)

the day starts off at 5:30 am i am leaving for school. let the car warm up till it gets to the C and head off. not even a mile mile away from my house a car slams on her breaks to miss a dog. i dodge her and stomp it to avoid oncoming traffic and to pass her.(the temp was on what the s4 people would call normall operation temp.) the car back fires (aprox. 5 1/2k). 10 miles up the road the ADD COOLANT light comes on , i pull over add some coolant , and once agian i am off to school, go to cross the patune bridge (this is a bridge that floats in the water) the tide was high and i bottom out bad on the bridge . i then drive the additional 30 miles to school. i get there and while i was putting up my windows i notice and odd noise from the engine, pop the hood and the airpump is making its usual noise (the braket is broken, waiting for repalcement to get here) but from the exhaust side towards the back of the engine there is this horrible noise (like rattling yet grinding too) it only does this at idle,the idle also seems jump like it can't decide weather to idle at 600 r 900 give r take 100 when the rpms go over 1k it stops, the engine still puts out the same there is no power loss. i am not realy worried about the coolant thing i know my i have a leak where the thermostat is, the ? is what the hell is that noise i can't find where it is coming from and y my idle is jumpy? could the exhaust got knocked loose r something from the bridge? (i havent checked yet the car is still hot) sorry for the long thread

and thanks for all the help

shawn


edit: the car made back home with no problems except for the idle when i stop

 

I think it's time to go to church...


-Ted

 

thanks ted but i don't belive in "GOD"
can someone please help me

 

That may be the problem. Try and follow the yellow brick road next time!

 

come on i need some real help this is my daily driver "follow the yellow brick road" ? and how will this r church help me?

 

ok it is deff. an exhaust leak i can smell it from under the car by the passenger side tire and under the hood, could this be the cause of the idle problem? i am almost sure it is the cause of the rattling noise.

 

your poor idle is the throttle postion sensor try to adjust it before you go buying a new one cause they're really exspensive

 

i checked for codes and there r none so i don't think that is it, i will check agian tomorrow when i go to school

 

If you bottomed out then you probably did make a nice little leak Look for scrapes and **** to see where it hit.

 

pre cat big *** dent not quite sure where it is comeing from thought its dark and i don't wanna put my hand where i can't see it, i just hope its not the manifold

 

i figured it out

well turns out my heat shield got knocked lose, the reason for my bad idle: the spark plug wire (L1)got shredded buy the fan belt.(can't belive i didn't see it before) anyway i wanna thanks everyone for helping me try to find the problem


shawn
edit: still got the exhaust leak though

 

Good time to upgrade to aftermarket exhaust, no?

 

How the hell did the sparkplug get shreded.. someing must of been going all over the place in ur engine bay

-Jacob

 

the clip that holds it cracked, don't know how but it is so from now on i am using tie straps to hold it to the bracket