So I have been getting this rattle during cold starts lately. I don't know if it was there before but started to notice it after I got my head gasket replaced (I was an idiot and snapped off a spark plug in the head...).

The rattle seems to come from the turbo area. It wasn't as bad when I was actually recording it (of course...) but it is a bit louder than what's recorded in the mornings.

Normal? Bad? If bad, what could be causing it? I checked the heat shield and it seeme to be fine.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qw0xca1h2t...70059.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3k35yxtp00...74947.mp4?dl=0

 

I wouldn't say bad, but annoying. Hard to tell without being there. Does the noise stop when the car is warmed up? Have someone give it some throttle. See if it gets louder. You can also wait for the engine to cool down and start shaking parts. Maybe something is loose back there.

 

there's an M6 x 1.5 10mm bolt on the backside of that heat shield that rattles loose sometimes. It will rattle when it's cold, and when the metal gets hot and expands, it stops rattling because it's tight again. Just tighten it with a 10mm wrench.

 

Will check all the bolts on the heat shield this weekend. Yeah it quiets down when warm but doesn't go away complete so you are probably right about the bolt.

Thanks.