what the title says.

I've been hearing a rattling coming from under my hood ever since I installed my new headlights. I assumed it was just the ballasts so I didn't really think about it very much.

Well yesterday I figured I had some spare time so I'd do something about the rattle. I double checked the ballasts and they were both secure, so I thought to myself "where is that noise coming from then?"

I took the car out for a drive around the block and sure enough when I would accellerate the rattle would come back.

I parked it and popped the hood and proceeded to check over the engine looking for lose parts or something that would rattle.

I checked the fender last because I had to go find a light to see down there and I was thinking theres no way it's the filter.

Well, thats what the problem was. My air filter had slipped off the end of my intake and had been laying in my fender for at least a month by this point.

I'm a little worried about my engine now. I am going to change the oil ASAP and I've put a new filter on already since the old one was crusted with dirt and rust from sitting in the wet cold fender for a month.

Any one have any suggestions on what I could check to make sure my car is still ok??

 

Take your intake off and check the inside of the throttle body. If the throttle body is loaded up with junk then I'd be worried about your motor. If your throttle body is clean and the top part of the intake pipe is clean then I wouldn't worry about it to much.

 

Check compression. If any abrassive materials got in there and cause damage it would wear the cylinder walls first causing a loss of compression.
The engine oil really has nothing to do with dirt comming in trough the intake.

 

I've removed my air filter a couple of times at the track, unless you get something abrasive up there like a good amount of sand, you hsould be okay

 

The TB was still shiney and clean... I dunno, I just don't want my motor to blow up.

Thanks.

Doesn't your oil absorb a certain amount of grime during operation though?

I'm sure running a car without an air filter for this long can cause some kind of premature wear...

correct me if I'm wrong please.

 

intake air should never get to your oil unless there are other MAJOR problems. It would be abrasives above your cylinders that could get into your rings and valves. Eventually it could wear and work past your rings but then you have MAJOR issues

 

This happened to me once. Solution = 1 screw after the hose clamp