Honda Car Forum

i have 96 civic, my problem is everytime I start my car in the morning and tap the gas there is a noise coming from the front hood. When I drive the car and step on the gas i will make noise (its like metal rattling) but after about 5 minutes of driving the noise is gone and the engine is running smooth.I'm not sure what is the problem but i'm guessing maybe its the exhaust manifold, engine, or timing belt.what are the symptoms of bad exhaust manifold?thanks

sounds like a rod knocking in your engineyes in the engine and yes thats bad i could be wrong cas its not easy to go by wat someone says but i think i am right

Check the exhaust shielding around the manifold and under the car.Sometimes the fasteners that hold them in place come loose or the shields develop small cracks and will rattle until things warm up a bit.Just make sure the exhaust is cold before touching them,and tap around on them with a plastic or rubber mallet and listen for vibrations.

its a stuck lifter. after the engine warms up the oil thins out a little and sometimes it will unstick. get it fixed, quit driving like a idiot, and maybe you wont ruin it again.

I had a similar problem with my 96 Accord& the problem was a hole in the exhaust manifold. Luckily, I took mine to dealership& it was covered under a recall. So check to see if maybe yours is too!! My car's symptoms: had some loss of power when I would start off from a stopsign or redlight but once I got the speed up to between 50-60mph you couldnt tell there was a problem. Hope this is helpful!! Good Luck!!

Cracks in the exhaust manifolds are very common on the Civics of that era. They usually crack where the exhaust runners meet the mating surface where the manifold bolts to the engine. they are typically very visible. if the manifold is cracked, your best course is to take it to a muffler shop and see if they can weld the crack shut. Otherwise, you need the manifold and that manifold includes the catalytic converter so it gets very pricy.The other possibility is that the heat shields for the catalytic converter or the under car heat shields are loose or broken. That is also a common condition on the Civics of that era. My advise is to let the car sit overnight, then open the hood, start the engine and go up front to listen to where the noise is coming from. If its higher in the engine compartment and from the front it is probably the exhaust manifold. That will make more of a ticking noise than a rattle. if the noise is lower towards the front, it could be the converter heat shield. If the noise is lower and towards the center of the car it is the heat shield for the exhaust system.on some Civics of that era the exhaust manifold was covered for 10 years/150,000 miles under the emissions warranty. if the car is out of that time or mileage you might want to ask your honda dealer to see if honda will pay for it as goodwill provided they confirm that the problem is with the exhaust manifold.\hope that helps