rattle from front center
 

Hey everyone,

I have a 98 Mazda Protege (ES, automatic) - 80K miles. Its given me a decent amount of trouble over the last year and a half, as late as this page January I think.

Well recently I started hearing a rattle coming from the center, usually when I hit the gas. Something like this happened once before, and it was the catalytic converter that rusted out and was just flapping side to side. At the time I got basically the whole exhaust system replaced. Manifold, CC, muffler, gaskets, etc.

Well I peaked under after work today and I found that there's some part, in front of the catalytic converter (which is about under the shifter, right?) which is now rusted out and loose. I could see about the bottom half of a cylinder - not sure if there's a top half. When I tapped on it bounces up and down. Theres also a nice little hole in it.

Does anyone know what part this is? Typically the exhaust system in the manifold, pipe, CC, pipe, muffler, tailpipe - as far as I can find out (I'm not a car guy :) ). So what is this other piece up front? It doesnt look like the multi-piped beast that manifold is, unless its just the very end.

I figure I'm best off asking on here because it may not be a piece that's on every car. And a few car knowledgeable friends weren't sure by descriptoin.



As a follow-up, what's the story with underside rust? My car was outside near the snow belt in upstate NY for 5 years. The last year I was using a very step, mostly unpaved driveway which would bottom out reasonably often.

When I look under my car, I see a fair deal of rust undernearth. The CC converter before, this now (and the CC is again rusted (*that* was hot ;) ), as is parts of the exhaust pipe). But its not just the exhaust sytem, most of the underside of the car looks pretty rusty.

Is this something that may be typical for an older car in those environments, or am I best off replacing it before it falls apart?

Oh, and a couple months ago a suspension bolt broke (guy had never heard of that). The other were more routine, but still expensive - I've needed a water pump, timing belt, serpentine belt (these 3 at 60K), A/C compressor, new brakes including capilers (one seized, later one leaked). And probably more since August 2004.


Thanks so much,

Fred

In case anyone ever looks at this, the thing up front was the catalytic converter. The thing in the middle is just a reasonator or some such.

And what cracked was actually only the heat shield, so they just took it off. And took of my snowtires while they were at it :)