Rattling noise from engine

[milhouse7]

Originally Posted by Jonnybegood

Trouble shooting:
1. Start car, rev a little, sounds fine.
2. Backup up out of drive way sounds fine.
3. Start up the road sounds fine.
4. About 1/8 mile up the road chattering/fluttering sound starts. Acceleration amplifies sound.
5. Put car in neutral. Chattering sound comes and goes while coasting.
6. Revving the engine in neutral while coasting amplifies chattering sound.
7. Engine in neutral at idle no sound, can hear rocker arms.
8. Revving the engine in neutral while stopped makes sound.
9. Sounds like a loose rocker arm.
10. The Sound goes away level after reaching full operating temperature.
11. Chatter rate does not seem increase with rpm.

OK I relieved this tells me that its not the power/drive train. Well may be just a little bit

Cause: Low oil, sound must have been coming from the oil pump as it was chocking for some oil to pump. Time flew by and wife driving a lot more, typically I change every 5 to 7 thousand miles. This time to my surprise 15 thousand was racked up. I hope my engines OK. It sounds and feels good. Chattering/fluttering sound is gone.

I had these exact symptoms. MIL P0011 code came up which led me to search on this site. This morning i checked the oil and next to nothing on dipstick! Went to get oil changed/refilled and now the noise is gone. The code is still there even after 6 hrs of highway driving, so I'm not sure if I need to clear it manually or will it take a few days to clear itself.

[bamboo spear]

My wife both have Muranos, mines an 05 and I think hers is an 09. We both have similar rattles, usually after accelerating into a turn, right after starting up the engine. When leaving our neighborhood we turn right to exit and as we accelerate, and the windows are down, you can hear a slight vibration/rattle, but then it seems to go away for the rest of the day.

To me it sounds like something beneath, rather than engine problems. A rattling heat shield is a common internet answer, but I haven't really followed up on it.

[MuranoSV]

Yes, I guess it's the exhaust heat shields.