When I shut off the engine and get out of my car, as I'm walking by I hear a sound that sounds like the ball of a spray paint can dropping coming from the engine. It sounds exactly like when you shake a can of spray paint except it only makes the sound once, but this happens each time I shut the car off. Any ideas as to what it could be?

 

Could be the AC compressor clutch releasing.

 

Hmmm possibly...especially since I have a grinding type of sound that sounds like its coming from right around that area too at certain times when the engine is running.

 

Just an update, yeah it ended up just being the AC compressor clutch pulley. Easy fix. Thanks for the help.

 

My parent's '99 did the same thing this summer.