Hey all, I've been a long-time browser of the boards, but I've never posted. I decided that would change when I got a Camaro of my own. Got my first car a few days back - a 1989 IROC-Z. I'm discovering all sorts of things that need attention. Generally, I'll do a search for it and I'll find an answer quickly. But this one, I can't find an answer for.

When I start up, the car will start as normal, but I hear a rattling noise coming from the right side of the instrument cluster. It sounds like a rapid tapping of your fingers on a wood surface (that's about as close as I can describe it). I really can't tell if it's inside, or from the engine. One thought that popped into my head is sounds like the oil pressure guage is the doing it. The needle is pegged on the right side of the guage, not moving at all (bad sending unit?). So what do you guys think? Could it be that needle trying to move around or something else?

 

get used to it, most thirdgens rattle and sometimes its impossible to find what is rattling. does the noise change with engine rpm?

 

Check to see if you have anythng resting on the firewall under the hood. Maybe something fell into the vents?

 

Well, the knock doesn't change with RPM, it's coming from the central vents - the rattling would happen when I changed the air selection from bi/lvl to off I think. It'd be a quick rattle of 6 knocks or so, then it'd just stop. No foreign objects in the vents either. Found out my fan for the a/c and heating won't turn on either. The **** is too loose to do anything, so I tried turning it with a pair of pliers. It moves and all, but the fan won't turn on. I checked for loose wires and everything - nothing.

 

Heh, never mind never mind....I found the prob a few minutes ago. Loose cable going to the blower under the hood. Works great now. Man, the previous owner must've loved to pull cables. This is the 3rd one I've found since I bought the car 5 days ago. As for the rattling noise...I'll just live with it.

 

when i got my car, every wire behind the trunk panel was pulled for some reason. plugged stuff in and now my third brake light and cargo light work. havent tried the hatch pulldown thing, but im pretty sure its dead by now anyway.