Help Diagnosing Engine Rattle

ryedaddy said:

I haven't gotten into yet no. But basically, I've been told that it has to have a "substantial defect" and have spent a lot of time in the shop because of said defect.

If this noise is coming from inside the same transaxle that has a federal investigation happening...that to me is a substantial defect...

But as I and others have stated here, it can be hard to hear the sound. And the car drives normally.

I have an appointment with our local dealer Feb 2nd to see if they can shed light on the noise.

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I'm not in CA but from what I'm reading used vehicles still need to be under the factory warranty. You need to say yes to all 4 of the first part and at least 1 on the second part.

The Lemon Law Presumption applies if all the following are true:

• The problems your car is having are covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.
• The problem first occurred within 18 months of delivery, or within 18,000 miles, whichever came first. (For major defects after this time frame, talk to an attorney.)
• The problem reduces the use, value or safety of the vehicle to you, and the problems were not caused by abuse.
• If the warranty or owner’s manual requires it, you have notified the manufacturer about the problems. (It’s best to have this in writing).

And if any one of the following is also true:

1. You’ve taken the car in for repairs four or more times for the same problem and it’s still not fixed.
2. You’ve taken the car in for repairs two or more times for a problem that is severe enough to cause death or serious bodily injury and it’s still not fixed.
3. The vehicle has been in the shop for more than 30 days (not necessarily in a row) for repair of any problem covered by the warranty.

If your vehicle meets these criteria, the Lemon Law presumes a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made and you may be entitled to a replacement or a refund

ryedaddy said:

the service department at CarMax Santa Rosa is still saying they can't hear any rattle in the clip!!!

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To be fair, it is hard to pick out what is a normal noise and a potentially abnormal noise from that recording. To properly diagnose a noise is something that a technician would have to hear in person. Often times a stethoscope or other listening equipment like a Chassis Ear (google that tool) is required to pinpoint a noise. When I worked in a shop, and people tried to play a recording, 9 times out of 10 it was not helpful to the final diagnosis. Having the customer and the vehicle and the technician there at the same time to be sure you are all hearing the same thing is critical.

ryedaddy said:

If this noise is coming from inside the same transaxle

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I think you are speculating quite a bit here as to the source of the noise, and whether an electrical failure (according to what information we have now) inside the transmission is related to this noise. I wouldn't get my hopes up that the two are somehow related. Stranger things have happened of course, but I don't see how these are related.

ryedaddy said:

They are obviously delaying what they know is a costly repair...and putting my families well being in jeopardy by doing so.

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How so? Nobody even knows what the noise is. It could be something completely minor, or totally unrelated to a safety issue. I think you need to let an authorized Chrysler dealer work on this vehicle. Not sure Carmax is an authorized dealer, but I was under the impression they are not, or maybe that is regional. Either way, if Carmax can't find the problem, you should visit another Chrysler dealer or maybe even an independent shop who can listen to the noise and give an opinion as to the cause, even if they aren't going to be the ones fixing it. That $100 of diagnosis time at an independent shop should give you some peace of mind.