Salt shaker noise
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque, NM
Salt shaker noise Sorry guys, I know you all are sticklers when it comes to reposts. I've read a lot of threads covering LS1 noises but I have yet to find one that accurately describes what I am hearing 
I'm hearing what sounds like a salt shaker or a maraca from under the driver's side of the engine. It has a sh-sh-shhh sh-sh-shh sh-sh-shhh rhythm to it at idle and speeds up to just a constant salt shaker noise when cruising. Pretty loud; I can hear the sound with the window down when I drive near curbs or walls. I first noticed it about a year and a half ago but it went away after a day or two. Now it seems like it's there almost every other day. Car is completely stock, about 128k miles. Had an oil change last weekend, 5w30. Still pulls hard and has no detectable power loss or surging over the last two years that I've owned it.
Any ideas what the noise is?
I'm hearing what sounds like a salt shaker or a maraca from under the driver's side of the engine. It has a sh-sh-shhh sh-sh-shh sh-sh-shhh rhythm to it at idle and speeds up to just a constant salt shaker noise when cruising. Pretty loud; I can hear the sound with the window down when I drive near curbs or walls. I first noticed it about a year and a half ago but it went away after a day or two. Now it seems like it's there almost every other day. Car is completely stock, about 128k miles. Had an oil change last weekend, 5w30. Still pulls hard and has no detectable power loss or surging over the last two years that I've owned it.
Any ideas what the noise is?
sounds like it could be an exhaust leak, or almost like a vacuum hose could be loose making a hissing sound. gotta get under there with a bright light and maybe a stethoscope and pin point that.
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
definitely say exhaust leak, mine has one and while i wouldnt have picked salt shaker to describe the sound, it actually fits pretty close lol.
mine is at the connection from the headers to the y pipe, i know you said yours is all stock but the end of your manifolds may be a good place to start at least, or around the cats
def smoke test it
mine is at the connection from the headers to the y pipe, i know you said yours is all stock but the end of your manifolds may be a good place to start at least, or around the cats
def smoke test it
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Ya I agree with z28drifter348 id contact the oil place also. If its not a rotating assembly problem its probably the three bearings in the exhaust when u change ur motor oil they use ur old oil to lube ur bearings in the exhaust
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque, NM
Thanks for all the replies, fellas. Haven't had a chance to get back until now so I'll try to address the replies here.
I'm not sure what the oil shop would be able to do. I heard the noise about a year and a half ago but it went away after two or three days and hadn't heard it again until about three weeks ago - before the oil change and after, no discernible difference. I'm not a gear head by any means, but if I actually had a hole in the block with a rod coming out wouldn't there be a huge noticible problem other than the salt shaker noise? Like a dead motor or a noticible decrease in performance??
I am hoping it's an exhaust leak. From what you other guys are saying, it definitely sounds like it. I also had my pops take a gander at it and he thinks it's an exhaust leak, as well. I haven't had the opportunity to get under the car yet (I'm a big guy and these bastards are LOOOOW) but I did happen to notice a pretty good dent in the I-pipe...battle wounds from encounters with speed bumps, I'm guessing. Would a good bang from bottoming out on a speed bump possibly cause a crack in the pipe/headers?
On a side note: The sound goes away after the car completely warms up. Not when the thermo reads warmed up, mind you, but maybe five or six minutes after the engine temps are up to where they need to be. Could this also indicate that it's related to the exhaust? I think I read somewhere that when all the exhaust parts are warmed up the metal expands and essentially seals off the leak if it's a small gap between the manifold and the header...does that sound like a reasonable assumption?
I'm not sure what the oil shop would be able to do. I heard the noise about a year and a half ago but it went away after two or three days and hadn't heard it again until about three weeks ago - before the oil change and after, no discernible difference. I'm not a gear head by any means, but if I actually had a hole in the block with a rod coming out wouldn't there be a huge noticible problem other than the salt shaker noise? Like a dead motor or a noticible decrease in performance??
I am hoping it's an exhaust leak. From what you other guys are saying, it definitely sounds like it. I also had my pops take a gander at it and he thinks it's an exhaust leak, as well. I haven't had the opportunity to get under the car yet (I'm a big guy and these bastards are LOOOOW) but I did happen to notice a pretty good dent in the I-pipe...battle wounds from encounters with speed bumps, I'm guessing. Would a good bang from bottoming out on a speed bump possibly cause a crack in the pipe/headers?
On a side note: The sound goes away after the car completely warms up. Not when the thermo reads warmed up, mind you, but maybe five or six minutes after the engine temps are up to where they need to be. Could this also indicate that it's related to the exhaust? I think I read somewhere that when all the exhaust parts are warmed up the metal expands and essentially seals off the leak if it's a small gap between the manifold and the header...does that sound like a reasonable assumption?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque, NM
Update for those who have had a similar problem to mine.
It WAS an exhaust leak. Where? I dunno... I just replaced the stock exhaust with some long tubes and an ORY and the sound is gone. Also had some backfire issues and other weird bogging issues that have all disappeared with the new exhaust. I must have had one beast of a leak if it was causing all those issues... I'm guessing the leak was right around the manifold/cat if it was causing the backfire and bog issues since that's where the o2 sensors were.
It WAS an exhaust leak. Where? I dunno... I just replaced the stock exhaust with some long tubes and an ORY and the sound is gone. Also had some backfire issues and other weird bogging issues that have all disappeared with the new exhaust. I must have had one beast of a leak if it was causing all those issues... I'm guessing the leak was right around the manifold/cat if it was causing the backfire and bog issues since that's where the o2 sensors were.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,074
Likes: 2
LMAO 
