Annoying Rattle Driving Me Mad!

Hi,


I have a rattle in my Discovery 2 which is driving me insane. It occurs only at idle and disappears immediately when the engine is revved. It seems to be coming from the passenger footwell. I have been trying to trace it for months and so far have removed the sound insulation from the bonnet underside which was touching the engine slightly and the plastic acoustic cover in case that was rattling.


I have just discovered that when the bonnet release cable is tugged hard inside the car (without tugging enough to open the bonnet) the rattle stops immediately but comes back as soon as you stop pulling the cable. Holding the cable does nothing- it still rattles. The cable has become separated from the pull handle so now you have to pull the 't' piece rather than the handle but the rattle was present before this happened.


Why would pulling the bonnet release cable hard stop the rattle?! I have fiddled with the rubber bung where the cable goes through the bulkhead, moved the cable around in the engine space a little... everything! I have also tried tightening the bonnet hinges as I wondered whether pulling the cable was pulling the bonnet down and stopping it possibly vibrating but wouldn't pulling the cable do the opposite (even though I'm not pulling it enough to open the bonnet? I am unsure of how the cables work.


Please help!! I still love the D2 but I can't stand the noise any more!!!


Thank you!

Possibly cable outer loose and touching something, when cable pulled taught pulling away from a surface preventing rattle only thing I can think from description

Before I read about the cable I thought of exhaust heat shield or clutch release bearing.

Thanks everyone! It turned out to be the air intake vent rattling against the wing!! The bonnet flap cable stopped it moving when I pulled it to open the bonnet. Vent flap stuck back down, all good!