wstevens

Yet ANOTHER rattle thread.


I just started getting a rattle from the right (passenger) side of the dash.

At first I thought it was behind the glovebox, so I took out the glovebox and the cover behind the glovebox (exposing the cabin filter compartment) and made sure everyrhing back there was nice and tight. The rattle persists.

It now sounds like it's really coming from near the windshield. Perhaps around the small speaker, although pushing on the speaker grill does not solve the problem.

Any ideas?

nednj36

I had same rattle on left side of dash.

Remove heater vent and push plastic heat tunnel down approx. 1/4" so it doesn't rattle against dash cover over dips & bumps. The rattle sounds like it's coming from between the tweeter and heater vent. LOL

wstevens

Thanks for the idea. I tried it, and unfortunately I had no luck.

The rattle is wierd - it starts bout 10 minutes after I begin driving. It happens mostly when I accelerate and sound like a clicking noise.

Definitely not the glovebox (which has been remvoed). Could be the heat vent, but jostling the vent duct didn't appear to help. It sounds like its coming from the corner of the dash where the dash,windshield, and pillar meet.

CFIMIKE

I would complain to the dealer. If it's happening to you it has happened to others and they probably have a ready fix for it. Let us know what you find out.

PhilB

I'm afraid I can't help solve the problem, but I can relate to your problem. I've got the left dash rattle on my '05. It's been to the dealer 3 times and the fourth is scheduled for this Wednesday. They've tried putting sound tape at the point where the dash and windshield/A-pillar meet and pulling out the vent and insulating around it. Each time they try the sound goes away for a day or two and then comes back. I'me beginning to think mine is the VIN plate rattling. The problem only occurs during cool (below 60 degrees) weather.

-phil

nednj36

I have same rattle since new. Thought I fixed it by bending heat tunnel behind vent (left side), but it returned after 2 days. Sounds like it's between tweeter and heat vent. I'm going in Thursday to have them look at it.

hp1kw

I've had my car in for this same rattle. I went for a drive with the Tech and he heard the noise and said "It's the A-Pillar, its very common". He said he would fix the A-Pillar rattle and that was that. I got the car back and it seemed to be fixed, but maybe two days later it reappeared. It makes the car feel so cheap, which is really a shame.

sebounet2005

Can you explain how to remove air vent where to put a screwdriver and put some pressure ?

Ron A

Instructions are in this thread.

nednj36

vent pulls right out. no need to remove dash.

nednj36

I came to the conclusion it's not the heater vent, it's the tweeter. If you hear the rattle, you can eliminate it by pressing on the tweeter assembly and the rattle stops. The tweeter housing has play and rattles over certain types of road cracks. I am going in Thursday to have it repaired.

wstevens

I'm actually fairly certain that my rattle is coming from inside my A-pillar where it meets the dash. I'm gonna take the cover off this weekend and see what's doin'.

If there is anything good about this, it's that I'm slowly learning how to take apart my car. First removing the glovebox, then the cover underneath the glovebox (which gave me the opportunity to replace my cabin filter)...soon the entire car will be taken apart like Fonzi's motorcycle in the episode where he was temporarily blinded.

KJSmitty

You sure you're only 32....?

jshap11

I originally had the rattle on the left side...took it to the dealer and it was the Driver side Sun Visor! Go figure. Now I hear more noises...for sure from the right...very frustrating. Also, this just happened yesterday....The plastic piece that covers the door lock on the outside door handle fell off! Anybody have that one yet?

PhilB

I removed the tweeter and drove for 2 days without it in the car. Still had the rattle.

According to the tech working on my car, acura has gone to almost entirely using clips instead of screws. This makes for a much less rigid card and many more squeaks. He said the legends were tanks. When he gets one to look at he has to pull out the shop manual to pull anything apart because there are so many hidden screws.

-phil

DarkWraith33

I have a friend that does mobile phone/pc/tv installs in cars and the like and he says that damn near EVERYTHING is just "clipped" together nowadays... On a typical install they break at least one here or there... SOmetimes it doesn't matter, sometimes they need to improvise, sometimes they need to get new clips. My other friend hysr ripped apart his 04 Celica to Dynamat the whole thing and the entire inside, front and back, were clips. He only brokes 1 or 2 and got replacements for them at Toyota who had bins full of them.

Personally, I live with the little rattle here or there. I don't want those guys tearing up my car unless the absolutely have to.

PhilB

I wonder if Honda keeps track of the number of repairs that are done due to inadequate fastening. I've had may car in four times for the same rattle. All under warrante which means that Honda's already lost at least $200 of what they got from the sale of my car based on the amount of tech time. Is the money they saved in manufacture time and materials worth that?

I know that not everyone takes their car in for fixes, but what percentage of warrantee repairs would be high enough for Honda to decide to add two simple screws to each piece of plastic and metal in the cabin? My 1994 Civic never had these problems and it had every large piece of plastic screwed down to some extent.

nednj36

IS IT FIXED? IS THE RATTLE GONE?

PhilB

Not yet, It's in the shop today (fourth time). Usually it takes a day or two to come back after being in the shop. My theory is that getting in there and tightening things up by adding tape, etc. puts enough pressure to stop the rattle until the next bump.

-phil

nednj36

Amazing what kind of noises you can get as standard equipment in a $31K car. It's really unfortunate because the car is quite nice otherwise

wstevens

Okay, for all interested:

After taking apart my glovebox, removing the cover behind the glovebox (exposing the cabin filter box), and remvoing my a-pillar cover on the passenger side, I FINALLY found the rattle.

It's the freaking windshield!!! the foam where the winshield meets the a-pillar down near the corner of the dash must be loose. The rattle is really a continuous sticking/unsticking of the foam. I'm trying to devise a good way to fix this.

One thing I learned: If you take your car into the dealer or Jiffy lube to replace your cabin filter, they WILL break at least one of the clips holding the cover behind the glovebox onto the dash. It's REALLY hard to get off. I took off mine very, very carefully once I realized how easy it was to break a clip.