Rear View mirror fell off and caused truck to stop running!!!

[1project2many]

Funny. I have to diagnose stuff like this more often than I want to.

Guy came in with a truck under warranty, "Sounds like a bunch of aluminum can rattling around the back." I drive it around on smooth roads. Nothing. I drive it in and out of a few parking lots. Nothing. There's only one bumpy road in town and it's a one block section where the asphalt's been dug up and hasn't been repaved yet. I hit it slowly. Nothing. Faster. Slight noise. Fast enough to attract attention... yep! Sounds just like a bunch of aluminum cans. +1 to the customer for accurately describing the noise. But what is it??? I hit it again, again, again, again. I can't guess why it's there but at least I can repeat the noise to confirm it's gone later. I've lost about 40 mins of payable time now because Chevrolet's not likely to cover driving around listening for the noise. But customer satisfaction is the goal, right? I put the truck on the lift. Everything seems tight. There's a small rattle in an exhaust shield but that's not it. I tighten it anyway. Whoo-hoo. I just earned 12 minutes of pay out of the hour I'm down. It's got an aluminum driveshaft so maybe??? I take it out and check the U-joints, check for cracks or fractures, nothing. Down about 1.6 hrs now, including in the shield. Let the truck down and decide to look at the fiberglass cap. Maybe something wierd with the clamps??? Or it's moving on the bed??? I'm really grasping at straws now. Open the cap and sitting in the bed is a bag full of aluminum cans!!! GRRRRRR!!! I go get the customer, pretty steamed about this whole issue. "Oh, gawshdarnit, my wife must have thrown those in the back and didn't tell me. Sorry about that. But thanks for looking!"

Yeah, sure. Have a nice day.

Glad you guys figured it out. :)