Ive got an annoying engine rattle thats bugged me for 6 months - anyone got any ideas what it could be?

It only occurs when the engine compartment is quite hot, sometimes doesnt appear on really cold days. Its a rattle/creak and is most noticable when switching off the engine - the last couple of judders of the engine seem to make it happen. Its also sometimes noticeable when driving around generally and on a bumpy road. So maybe connected with engine movement.

I've isolated the brake pipes on the offside engine bay bulkhead, and also the alarm unit. The dealer has heard the noise but can't locate it - the car has been on the ramps for 30 mins as a freebie without resolving and Im not willing to pay for further investigation. I queried engine mounts but the mechanic didnt think they were the cause.

So . . . anyone had anything similar? Its a standard MY00 turbo. What else can I try to locate the cause of the noise?

 

Just a general thing, but have you thought it may be one of the heat sheilds on the front exhaust system, as, quite often, they produce more of a rattle when hot, after they have expanded...

 

Yeah - thanks for the idea SS - dealer allegedly checked this out, but I might have a further rummage myself!