I've been hearing a very subtle rattle lately from under the hood (I think) when I start from a full stop. Happens a little bit when I rev the engine in neutral as well. The sound is kinda like a rattlesnake's rattle but slower and a bit deeper. I drive an automatic 2k3 with 9K miles.

Anybody else experience this? It's irritating especially since the engine was sooo smooth before.

 

If you got a front strut bar.. it's might be hitting the intake manifod. I have a rattle to on my 2k SE. I think it's a heatshield loose some where. I had a loose catalitic converter heat shield on my 3rd gen once and it sounded the same as now.

 

I do have an SE...If it's the strut bar, how can I tell and what can I do about it?

 

Put 3 thin washers on each stud so that you raise the strut bar a little. After doing that make sure it doesn't hit the hood. I don't garentee that will fix the ratteling but it worked for the people that did it. From what you described when you rev the engine and when you start the engine, the engine moves back and forth, and when it does that, it has a tendency to touch the strut bar.

 

Thanks, I'll try it.