Question: Odd noises on a start up

[Denny Gant]

My new Stingray 7-speed manual is fantastic. But there's a funny bunch of pops and snaps when I drive a cold car. These noises disappear once the car is warmed up, about 4 or 5 minutes. The dealer suggested it may be the exhaust pipes? The noises seem to emanate from the dash area. I live in Florida so I'm not talking about a really cold car. Anyone else have this experience?
Denny

 

[Antz81]

Congratulations on the C7 wish I had that kind of money lying around.
Sounds odd to me.
How loud are these noises?
Do they start as soon as the engine starts or does it take a small amount of time?
Do you hear them when idling while cold or only when driving?

 

[Hib Halverson]

Funny that a dealer would tell you that noises you hear coming from the dashboard when the car is cold is actually coming from the exhaust.

My old 01 Camaro, always made a scratchy itiching sort of noise when the interior was really cold. It always came from where the plastic A-pillar trim emerged from the dash cover. As soon as the sun would get on those parts, in a few minutes the noise would stop. I always termed this a plastic itch.

 

[LLC5]

My new Stingray 7-speed manual is fantastic. But there's a funny bunch of pops and snaps when I drive a cold car. These noises disappear once the car is warmed up, about 4 or 5 minutes. The dealer suggested it may be the exhaust pipes? The noises seem to emanate from the dash area. I live in Florida so I'm not talking about a really cold car. Anyone else have this experience?
Denny

Has the dealer verified the noise? If not, leave the vehicle over night with your dealer and the next morning have someone drive you down to the dealership and go for a test drive with a technician (not an advisor) after a cold start up. Make sure that you start the car dead cold and take him for a test drive and show the tech the noises you are talking about, he can then contact his technical support service and see if there are any known issues with this noise. It could be normal dissimilar metals heating up at different rates, or exhaust heat shields, but it would be in your best interest to get the issue on file with GM. Good luck with it.

 

[catbert]

I've not heard the noise you've described, but exhaust doesn't seem plausible. The only exhaust pipe noise I've heard is a tink, tink as the pipe cools. It's easily identified as metallic.

 

[Denny Gant]

Congratulations on the C7 wish I had that kind of money lying around.
Sounds odd to me.
How loud are these noises?
Do they start as soon as the engine starts or does it take a small amount of time?
Do you hear them when idling while cold or only when driving?

The noises are loud enough to here over the radio. No noise when starting or idling, just while in gear and moving.

 

[Denny Gant]

The noises are loud enough to here over the radio. No noise when starting or idling, just while in gear and moving.

(Sorry, noises are loud enough to HEAR)

 

[Denny Gant]

Has the dealer verified the noise? If not, leave the vehicle over night with your dealer and the next morning have someone drive you down to the dealership and go for a test drive with a technician (not an advisor) after a cold start up. Make sure that you start the car dead cold and take him for a test drive and show the tech the noises you are talking about, he can then contact his technical support service and see if there are any known issues with this noise. It could be normal dissimilar metals heating up at different rates, or exhaust heat shields, but it would be in your best interest to get the issue on file with GM. Good luck with it.

Thanks very much for the advice. I'll do as you suggest.

 

[Antz81]

Thanks very much for the advice. I'll do as you suggest.

Definitely do as suggested. That doesn't sound like any normal noise to me.