Started up the car yesterday and I heard a rattle from under the hood.. car ran fine after that but it really freaked me out... I have an 03 6spd Performance model with about 47k miles... what could it be? I had the clutch all of the way in and have had no slipping at all. Car has had good power maybe its nothing but nothing doesn't make wierd noises like that.... thanks for any help I know its hard to diagnose off of that but I don't want to get raped if I take it into the shop... I have a 100k mile certified used power train warranty

 

probably the flywheel

 

I get that sometimes too. After not driving the car for a week or so and if its cold. It sounds like its comming from the flywheel/pressure plate area. I just firgured it was the flywheel as well. Seems it doesnt do it all the time, very seldom I just put it on the back burner for now. If you take your car in and find out exactly what it is making that noise let me know.

 

I have something similar but mine is from the engine. If aftermarket clutch installed is a garanteed ratle under the car.

 

That is your timing chain that is rattling until oil pressure builds up on the tensioners. A lot of Z's do that. I would take it to the dealer, and have them keep the car overnight and start it in the morning bone cold. If you refresh the entire timing assembly, and replace the intake cam gears, it should reduce or eliminate the issue...for a while.

 

my motor is built and i have the tt kit on. when i go into the nissan service dep they tell me to keep going out the other way.....

 

it doesn't happen all of the time... I have an aftermarket clutch but I dont know what kind. It was already there when I bought the car (from dealer) Don't know if there is an aftermarket flywheel or not. It was a pretty nasty sound happend again yesterday and I didn't feel any vibration in the clutch so maybe it is the timing chain but I really don't have the money to replace all of that....

 

Sharif is right. The rattle is from your timing chain and it is common on the VQ. I have never been able to get my dealer to take care of it, but maybe your dealer will help you. I don't think it's a big issue, but if you install a pre-oiler that pressurizes the system before starting, that will cure it easily. Amsoil sells them.
Will