Since the weather got a little colder recently, I noticed a very annoying crackling noise by the driver side door panel under certain road condition. I later discovered by placing my fingers over the switch panel trim, the noise would stop and it's repeatable. So I removed the switch panel assembly and found the problem. There are five screws that hold the switch assembly to the trim and all 5 of them were a little loose. Additionally, there seems to be noise coming from the door lock switch assembly and the housing.

So, I tightened the 5 screws for about 1/4 turn and installed insulating foam pieces in between the switch and housing. Just took it out for a test drive and no more noise.

Here are some pics...

Side and front screws





Insulating foam tapes

 

The mod king strikes again.

 

Man, that is awesome, JT! I have the same rattle/buzz. Is it tricky to get the switch assembly out, or just pry it out with a flathead?

 

It's not tricky to get the trim off. You need to pry from the rear where the narrow trim section meets the arm rest. Make sure to protect the screwdriver tip with tape to avoid scratches. It might be a good idea to warm up the area with a hairdryer first before prying. Once the rear trim is lifted slightly, just work around the bottom of the trim to release the latches and up it goes.

 

Thanks, that rattle's been driving me nuts.

 

Proof that you do not need a visit to the dealership to fix rattles.

 

Another suggestion:

You see that white clip? Take it off, but some clear silicone sealant of the inside of it, and put it back on. Coming from a WRX, where the entire windshield and other trim pieces are secured with those clips, I can tell you that they make all kinds of annoying rattles. Sealing them up with a little silicone sealant takes care of the problem.

 

serious thread revival but this sound has been annoying me as well..the other day I realized that it was coming from the driver side window switch assembly. I decided to just push down on it and the noise has stopped, I was thinking that something like this would help but never thought I'd find a thread on it! I thought mine was an isolated case..

 

Even more serious thread revival. Thank you for this. This has been driving me insane.
Will try this out this weekend.

Thanks!