Originally posted by sauceman
You absolutely need to take a look at this thread, these are discussed in depth, and Gebbeth came up with a very credible theory, I have tested it and it works wonders for me:
Rattle solution

Originally posted by 35kcdn
Me too. I've got one word for you all: Dynamat

Originally posted by sauceman
You absolutely need to take a look at this thread, these are discussed in depth, and Gebbeth came up with a very credible theory, I have tested it and it works wonders for me:
Rattle solution

I experienced vibration/rattling noises from both passenger and driver's side front door almost as soon as I picked up the car. The noises came mostly in the morning, on the freeway commute to work and in the evening, on the freeway commute back home. The radio sets it off too. I sent the car to the dealer once to correct the problem, and they came back with "cannot duplicate" and advice to lower the boom on the bass and/or lower the volume (yeah, some solution...I wonder if BMW dealers tell their owners to lower their radio volume?????)

I was at my wits end, until I noticed something. When I roll up the windows, all the way up, the glass squeezes so tight up against the top of the door frame that the door panel deforms slightly. Usually, when there is such a tight fit, that's a good thing because it means the car is sealed tight against the elements and is a well-designed car. But when it seals that tightly and deforms the door panel, it creates a slight space between the glass and the rubber seal at the bottom of the widow, where the glass enters the door. The door panel plastic and rubber is of such a high quality (very stiff and solid), that when the car goes over freeway/tollway bumps, the seams on the pavement, or if there is a lot of bass in the music or radio, the rubber and/or plastic vibrates (it literally humms like when you blow into the mouthpiece of a trumpet). The vibrations get transmitted very efficiently and with little power loss from the speaker/air, through the door to the rubber seal between the door and window. The rubber seal and other plastic elements that may be in the door then begins to vibrate.

This is why the vibration is temperature sensative. When the car is sitting in the sun in the afternoon, the car heats up, the rubber and plastic soften and isn't rigid enough to vibrate, or at least vibrate with as much energy (also, the gap that is created when the window seals up tight is probably minimized because the heat would expand the rubber and plastic, closing the gap enough so that the vibration will cease).

Anyway, the solution is simple. Roll up the window all the way until it can't go up anymore and seals tight against the top of the door frame. Then tap the window control down for an instant, just enough so that the window does not seal so tightly. This should decrease the pressure on the window and door, preventing the deformity in the door panel, sealing the gap between the window and rubber seal and preventing the vibration.

Since all cars have slight variations in production, the level of deformity will be different when the windows are rolled tightly up. That is why some have vibration problems and some do not. Conversely, my solution may not be a solution for all, because the gap may exist even with the windows slightly unsealed. But the root cause may be the same. In the case where the gap is too large to undo with a slight rolldown of the windows, you're going to have to find some kind of seal to close that gap while still allowing the window to move up and down through the door (like radio soundproofing material).

Anyway, I hope everyone with this problem has the chance to try the solution out and provide some feedback. Going to the dealer is a pain and is a waste of time sometimes. I hope Honda/Acura notices this problem and provides a more suitable built-in solution (but word to the wise, my Acura dealer said that Honda does not look at forums like this at all...they only respond to customer complaints and even then, they take a long time....i.e., auto-transmission breakdowns on the old Accord and TL/CL).

Originally posted by TinkySD
links not working for me...tkae a look at it, i'm dying to see the solution!

Originally posted by Gebbeth
....the window rolls up too tight which causes the glass to squeeze up against the side of the door panel causing the door panel to deform causing some space to be created between the glass and door allowing internal and external elements of the door to have enough space to vibrate and rattle which only happens because the plastic and other components are of such high quality and rigidity that the vibrations from the tight suspension and pretty good radio can be transmitted directly to the door.

Originally posted by Nuclear
Briney319, the rattle that you're getting from the front right isn't coming from the panels. Try the tweeters. It's a tight plastic fit and that's what's causing the rattle. It's intermittent so you don't always hear it. Only under certain pavement and weather conditions. When you do hear it, have a passenger just apply a bit of pressure on the tweeter and you'll see what I'm talking about. The best thing to do is to pry it open with a screw driver (with electrical tape on the end so you don't scratch the plastic molding), then apply foam tape in the slacks that you find. Let me know how it works out. The only rattle that I can't figure out is coming from the back. It's like plastic against the window/winshield rattle. Don't know where it's really coming from. Just a tick sound that is also intermittent. Any ideas?

Originally posted by Nuclear
Briney319, the rattle that you're getting from the front right isn't coming from the panels. Try the tweeters. It's a tight plastic fit and that's what's causing the rattle. It's intermittent so you don't always hear it. Only under certain pavement and weather conditions. When you do hear it, have a passenger just apply a bit of pressure on the tweeter and you'll see what I'm talking about. The best thing to do is to pry it open with a screw driver (with electrical tape on the end so you don't scratch the plastic molding), then apply foam tape in the slacks that you find. Let me know how it works out. The only rattle that I can't figure out is coming from the back. It's like plastic against the window/winshield rattle. Don't know where it's really coming from. Just a tick sound that is also intermittent. Any ideas?