For a while we were getting occasional weird noises - a loud, ringing KLONG noise now and then from bumps in the road. Finally it got to the point where just shutting the door would make it go DONG.

I found the cause, and the solution is very simple. There's a shiny heatshield that sits above the exhaust. It's made of very thin metal and is held on by eight M6 nuts onto threaded posts. Try hitting it and see if it rings. If so then it's loose.

The nuts are those that have a washer built in. Only 3 out of 8 were actually holding (just) - on the rest, the metal had vanished from under the nut. I can only assume some kind of reaction had occurred, as there was no rust but a clean hole neatly cut out where the nut was pressing.

I bought a pack of repair washers from B&Q for £1.98 and put one under each nut. Works a treat, good as new. These are actually zinc plated, which should last as long as the car. Stainless ones may be better if you can find them.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9708657&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB&fh_search=repair+washer&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_refview=search&isSearch=true

EAN: 5020789859199

These are actually M8 washers, as I had them already. M6 ones are also available. However, the little bit of slack was a benefit, as these only just fit and it's useful to be able to waggle around the neighbouring raised parts. There's no risk of the wide nuts popping through the 8mm hole.

So I fixed the front heat shield as described. Then today when looking at the back of the car I saw a shiny lump hanging out. The rear heat shield (which covers the bottom of the spare wheel recess) had fallen off, and was resting on the exhaust.

Similar fixing procedure, except I had to grind a couple of the repair washers down as it's a bit more confined.

Has nobody else has bother with these? If not then have a look under and waggle them to see how many nuts are actually holding it. It doesn't need jacking up to check.

There are three of them - front, middle and back. I've now re-fixed the front and back ones. These are both little more than thick foil (not much more than supermarket pie tins). The middle one is the important one - it covers the fuel tank. Thankfully, it is much more substantial (but is still held on by a few rusty M6 bolts). This one seems pretty solid at the moment, but I'll keep an eye on it.

Oh, and I did see the embossed "GM" logo on it today, so it's their fault again. I can't understand how they get away with selling so many Vectras.

mine has dropped and when i tried refitting it the threads have corroded and snapped off !! and ideas what i can do. there are three of them i believe. the heatshield goes nowhere as it sits on the exhaust, but it dos rattle about.

Yes, I lost a couple while refitting mine. Fortunately they were at different sides and not together. I got it plenty tight enough with the remaining ones.

All I could suggest is to soak the old nuts in WD40 for an hour before undoing them.

I'd guess the bolt head is somewhere very inaccessible, so replacing them would probably involve welding or drilling/tapping.

I wouldn't leave it donking about though.

Completely different question but relates to the heat shield so wondered if you could help... My heat shield (the one underneath the car that runs pretty much along the length) came really loose and ended up dragging on the floor so i've just taken it off.

Got another one ordered and having it fitted this weekend but need to drive for a couple of hours in the meantime - just want to know if i'm I going to do any damage to the car other than heating the floor?

I've read that heat shields aren't essential but then someone on here worried me by saying if it was the shield under the car then to be concerned driving...

Thank you )

It depends which piece you removed. I wouldn't want to be in mine, without a heat shield, when it was going through a regen!!

The DPF Regeneration process (assuming your car is diesel of course) generates enough heat to set grass on fire. I'd limit your use of the car butkeep an eye on the instantaneous MPG readout; if the car starts doing a regen, turn it off ASAP and restart (unless you're doing 50MPH+ for the next 10 minutes or so in which case there should be enough cooling airflow to keep local temperatures down).

If the heat shield wasn't needed it wouldn't be fitted - it acts as a heatsink as well, the size of it gives a clue to how much heat it has to get rid of

should probably also point out that i'm a girl so without being a stereotype everything you just said about regens and keeping an eye on my instantaneous MPG read out (?!) was completely lost on me...

Car's not diesel though I know that much!

I still have the bit so in theory i guess i could just wiggle it back over when i drive it tomorrow, its been pretty much balancing there the past few weeks anyway but far as i can see the exhaust isn't touching anything and i'll be on motorways for the most part so there'll be a lot of air flying through it if that would make a difference?

You lot are so handy

Well if it's not diesel then relax and thrash it as much as you want, no need to worry. Just get it fixed when convenient

Glad to be of service

My rear heat shield is hanging down resting on the rear exhaust and both studs have broken off, how are others fixing this commom fault? Gaffer Tape ? Cant really put some self tappers in as the steel wheel well will only be about .9mm thick steel. Many thx - David

How about penny washers and pop rivets as a temporary measure? Or drill through, put a bolt in from the top and nut at the bottom if you have access from the top? Hope this helps.

Some of mine were missing but luckily there were plenty left to support it.

You should be OK with the back ones by doing as DoI says. I wouldn't have a clue how to access some of the others though. I'll probably drill/tap mine out to M8 (currently M6) if/when more dissolve, then use stainless thread and a nut squeezed against the underside.

I did the 2 easy ones on/in the wheel well, even after soaking with WD40 both studs broke off when I tried to undo the nuts, so I drilled them out and put new bolts, nuts and washers through the well into the boot spare wheel well.

Question is, has anyone got the rear seat out and re-done the others as all of mine are unattached, but they are all inaccessable to drill out from the underside, even when the car is up on the ramps. From inside the car there was no trace of the bolt head for the 2 I did, so I guess the others are the same. There's also 1 above the exhaust back box. Thx David

My rear heat shield came off finaly on the 2000km trip to Greece and back. Snapped off 2 saw a total of 4 will have to go with drilling and securing.

Sorry to resurrect a old thread, but I noticed my heatshield was loose yesterday. Again not having a ramp I'll let the local garage do it they will have better access and can get some het on the nuts so less chance of stripping them.


Robert G8RPI.

they wont strip, just put on windy gun and press once, nut is gonna fly off

flisko said:

they wont strip, just put on windy gun and press once, nut is gonna fly off

Click to expand...

Like your sump plug ?

g8rpi said:

Like your sump plug

?

Click to expand...

huheuhehehe