Adding to the list of problems, my car is now making an incredibly loud noise, almost sounding like an exhaust leak, after I had to drive over a "loose stone" road. I could feel rocks and stuff jumping up into my car and engine bay but didn't know anything would happen. It felt like 1 big thud and suddenly there was that noise that sounds like it's coming from under the engine beside the left wheel, I haven't been able to pinpoint where it's coming from though, any ideas? It gets louder as RPM's go up. I don't think I've lost any power, but I was taking it very easy after all that.

if you have hubcaps, thats an obvious fix (stone in the wheel).

do you have an auto trans? i got some wierd clunking in my trans cable one time.

Nope, no hubcaps. It's an AT. It's a lot louder than a stone in a hubcap would be. I guess if I had to describe it, it sounds like a lawnmower would if it was about an inch from your ear.

like a consistant sound? when my trans cable was loose i searched for days looking for a rock, it was a very inconsistant sound at idle like something was loose or being tumbled around.

edit: WAIT.....from your "left" side (passengers side)? check the belts immediatly. something may be stuck in there.

Well when I think left, I think driver's side. But still, I'm a 4g64 so my belts are on the driver's side, so those were the first things checked and they're all fine. Yep it's consistent. Again I'll compare it to a very loud lawnmower. It actually goes to the rythm of the engine, it matches the pattern of the noise coming out of the exhaust.

If it sounds like the exhaust, it probably is the exhaust.

Turn your car on, pop the hood and stick your head under it. If that fails keep the car on and stick your head under the car. Repeat until leak is found... Running your hand alongside (NOT TOUCHING) the pipe will also tell you if, and where you have a leak.

Yep, it's a leak. The front exhaust pipe broke and came loose from
the end of the manifold. Guy wants to charge me $121 for a weld job
or $400 for new piping.

where are you? if you are in central, or better yet, EAST central Illinois, I can patch that for free for you.... Welding is easy as hell.

I'm actually in Upstate South Carolina.