Chasing down rattles and squeaks

dan_b

A2OC Donor
Is there someone here who might describe themselves as an expert in tracking down, and fixing, interior squeaks and rattles?
I've got a growing collection of buzzes, rattles and squeaks in my car - it's like a veritable menagerie in there!
It's seemingly a trivial complaint, but they do make the car feel less well screwed together.
 
I've searched myself looking for a thread, with a guide showing how to tackle common rattles. My car has a few.

It seems there is no such thread.

Gotta be a long overdue addition to this site?!
 
My A2 goes through phases, dependent upon ambient temperature. When warm outside, only the rear panel of my OpenSky makes a rubbery squeak. When cold, there are a few rattles from the boot. I've also got an annoying rattle from the instrument cowling , though I know that to be from a broken clip.

I intend to solve all of them, though there always seem to be other priorities. As you say, it makes you feel as though your car is falling to bits, despite its otherwise superb condition.

I don't see how a one-size-fits-all guide can be made. After all, the method for tracking down and dealing with a rattle or creak is entirely dependent upon its location within the car.

Cheers,

Tom
 
Someone needs to set up a "Call-out emergency rattle fixing" service!

I've currently got:
1. a buzz that comes from the steering column area which sounds a bit like an angry wasps' nest, but only when you're at pulling away from traffic lights/urban crawling stop/start kind of revs. V annoying. I hear this a lot.
2. a rattle that comes from the driver's side door card at about 40mph.
3. a buzz that comes from the passenger's side B pillar trim when using the phone via the RNS-E.
4. a vibration from I think the front left of the dashboard when pushing the engine a bit at around 1700RPM.

All of which seems to make the car feel more geriatric than it really is!
 
I can see how a thread containing known common issues and proven fixes could exist.

For instance the grating squeaky noise I had over bumps was a worn ARB bush. People advised me of the likelihood of it being the cause, and they were right.

Alas I have not created a guide, but it wouldn't be hard to do so, time affording.

All of our A2s are pretty damn similar, so I can't see a situation where after 14 years of these cars being owned and driven a fault would only affect one person's car, and his/hers alone....

Maybe a 'sticky' in interior, and exterior sections of the forum would be a good starting point, if people have problem noises AND known fixes.
 
Maybe a 'sticky' in interior, and exterior sections of the forum would be a good starting point, if people have problem noises AND known fixes.

Thread 'stickied' - hopefully it gets loaded up with the information you need. A lot of this is probably kicking about the forum ( for example Sarge posted something about broken locating lugs on dashboards which are removed/replaced which can cause squeaking noises) I think this included photos too. Finding it all is the tough part ( unless your name is Spike who has a quality akin to alchemy when it comes to sourcing information on here!)
 
Good idea. My car is pretty rattly now and it's one of the younger ones.

Things I have fixed or at least understand

- loud rattle from footwell when going over broken surfaces, not over big bumps:- drop links

- loud ker-clonk when going over speed bumps:- anti-roll bar bushes

- chirp from under back seats when engine coldish:- could be exhaust silencer going, long thread on here somewhere

- groan or clonk from tailgate when going over speed bumps:- tailgate moving too much, adjust the rubber bump stops on either side of the tailgate. Not too much, or the tailgate will be hard to close

- squeak from around gearstick:- could be the plastic gearstick surround rubbing on the main centre console, (under ash tray). Wedge something between the two e.g. a credit card

- rattle from back seat backs, only when they're upright :- lube back seat catch. The catch has two parts, an inner metal rod and an outer plastic sheath which should spring into place and stop metal-on-metal between the rod and the body attachment. The sheath can get stuck hence the rattle. So lube your rod and sheath (fnarrr)

- door card rattles:- loads of these
- the inner door handle is shonky, the two parts creak where they rub together. Drop some super glue where they meet, mask it off with tape maybe?
- where the door card meets the metal door frame can creak, particularly at its rear edge. Pad it with something soft so the card doesn't touch the door
- the plastic clips which hold the door card to the door can break, they rattle like &*&&. You can get the clips off eBay, easy to pull the door card and replace. You might find the mounting point on the door card is broken too, in which case do without that clip, you don't need them all
- where the top of the door card wraps round and meets the window can creak. Pull the door card, put a couple of layers of black tape along the ridge which it hangs from
- there's a plastic grommet thing between the rear window winder and the door card, the clips on it break. A dab of glue fixes it (manual rear windows only)

All these rattles are way worse on a cold morning.

Things I haven't fixed:-

intermittent buzz from the hood over the instruments. a good jiggle fixes it sometimes
intermittent buzz from the centre console vent slats, a good whack on the top of the console sometimes fixes it
a boing like a spring moving from either the handbrake or the passenger seatbelt catch
a buzz from under the glove box when cold
a tick tick tick from near the driver wing mirror
a tap tap from my right ear, probably the seatbelt height adjuster
my new duh-duh-duh from the blower fan
etc
 
Good idea. My car is pretty rattly now and it's one of the younger ones.

Things I have fixed or at least understand

- loud rattle from footwell when going over broken surfaces, not over big bumps:- drop links

- loud ker-clonk when going over speed bumps:- anti-roll bar bushes

- chirp from under back seats when engine coldish:- could be exhaust silencer going, long thread on here somewhere

- groan or clonk from tailgate when going over speed bumps:- tailgate moving too much, adjust the rubber bump stops on either side of the tailgate. Not too much, or the tailgate will be hard to close

- squeak from around gearstick:- could be the plastic gearstick surround rubbing on the main centre console, (under ash tray). Wedge something between the two e.g. a credit card

- rattle from back seat backs, only when they're upright :- lube back seat catch. The catch has two parts, an inner metal rod and an outer plastic sheath which should spring into place and stop metal-on-metal between the rod and the body attachment. The sheath can get stuck hence the rattle. So lube your rod and sheath (fnarrr)

- door card rattles:- loads of these
- the inner door handle is shonky, the two parts creak where they rub together. Drop some super glue where they meet, mask it off with tape maybe?
- where the door card meets the metal door frame can creak, particularly at its rear edge. Pad it with something soft so the card doesn't touch the door
- the plastic clips which hold the door card to the door can break, they rattle like &*&&. You can get the clips off eBay, easy to pull the door card and replace. You might find the mounting point on the door card is broken too, in which case do without that clip, you don't need them all
- where the top of the door card wraps round and meets the window can creak. Pull the door card, put a couple of layers of black tape along the ridge which it hangs from
- there's a plastic grommet thing between the rear window winder and the door card, the clips on it break. A dab of glue fixes it (manual rear windows only)

All these rattles are way worse on a cold morning.

Things I haven't fixed:-

intermittent buzz from the hood over the instruments. a good jiggle fixes it sometimes
intermittent buzz from the centre console vent slats, a good whack on the top of the console sometimes fixes it
a boing like a spring moving from either the handbrake or the passenger seatbelt catch
a buzz from under the glove box when cold
a tick tick tick from near the driver wing mirror
a tap tap from my right ear, probably the seatbelt height adjuster
my new duh-duh-duh from the blower fan
etc

Now you're talking!!!
 
I really think there is a business here, a mobile de-rattler. I would pay good ££££ for someone really clever to do this stuff. He could come round on a cold winter morning with his team of oiks, sit one in each seat with a roll of tape, silicone spray, superglue, whatever. Drive about and de-rattle. Maybe have a trained chimp or something to sit under the dashboard and one in the boot.
 
I really think there is a business here, a mobile de-rattler. I would pay good ££££ for someone really clever to do this stuff. He could come round on a cold winter morning with his team of oiks, sit one in each seat with a roll of tape, silicone spray, superglue, whatever. Drive about and de-rattle. Maybe have a trained chimp or something to sit under the dashboard and one in the boot.

If I was a Dragon, and that was your business plan...






I'D BE IN.
 
little tip, been using this stuff for years, great for trims, leather ,door rubbers ect, only downside is the smell. used it on the dashboard (sparingly) and expelled a lot of the noises. great for cleaning/feeding leather too.


https://www.ballistolstore.co.uk/


I did warn you about the smell ;)
 
I would pay someone quite handsomely to come and de-rattle my car at the moment. Anyone?!

I really think there is a business here, a mobile de-rattler. I would pay good ££££ for someone really clever to do this stuff. He could come round on a cold winter morning with his team of oiks, sit one in each seat with a roll of tape, silicone spray, superglue, whatever. Drive about and de-rattle. Maybe have a trained chimp or something to sit under the dashboard and one in the boot.
 
Not sure if this will help anyone but worth a shot, with the engine running press on the corners of the bonnet to ensure its seated correctly, mine was slightly loose or out of line, and by taking the bonnet off, found 2 threaded rubber grommets, located centrally and not on the edges, which I simply undone then screwed back equally on both sides.

now the car idles silently apart from the engine noise,

P.S, my dad always advised me to turn the radio on to solve any rattles... good luck, john.
 
I've had a rattle/knock return after an absence of... let's say 6 months. It appears to be inside the car and having driven around sans rear seats and false floor, I think that it's something to do with the tailgate. When I saw post #8 I rushed to adjust the bump stops on said tailgate but this made it worse -- more frequent knocking. It's not a clunk and is somewhat metallic, definitely annoying!
Any ideas what it may be or could someone tell me how to remove the tailgate trim in order to have a look and a play?
Many thanks,
Tom.
 
Something else to cross off you're check list - I had a rattle from the rear of the car and it turned out to be a broken back spring. Half a coil had snapped off the bottom of the spring but it was not easy to spot due to the amount of muck which collects in the bottom spring pans.

Cheers Spike
 
The jack and the other junk under the "real" floor can rattle. Also the exhaust heat shield or exhaust itself. The A2 seems very good at conducting sound up through that rear floor from external sources. I think the floor is just wafer thin aluminium.
 
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