Rattles and how to kill them

[schernov]

Preface:
I used to drive a 2003 Saab 9-3SS Aero. The car was great, but the amount of rattles it had was insane. Between my dealer and my own efforts we have eliminated all of them one by one by pretty much installing felt tape on any plastic surface that had a remote chance of touching another plastic surface....

Fast forward a year of ownership of 2002 Z3 Coupe. Overall quiet, but has couple of rattles here and there....did not bother me too much...until I got my IE rear sub frame bushings installed....car became just a bit stiffer and all the rattles started to come out.

Here is a guide on how to eliminate most of them. Mostly in a Coupe, but convertibles can also benefit.

Tools:
Felt tape (single side sticky)
Felt sheets (non sticky)
Double sided sticky foam tape
Electrical tape
Zip ties of various sizes
Assortment of screwdrivers, razor knife
Flashlight
A VERY PATIENT FRIEND/SPOUCE

Step 1: Easy stuff

Empty your trunk, glove box, center console, door pockets, remove everything. You just fixed about 15% of your rattles.
Make sure your battery is tied up well.
Make sure your spare tire (if you have one) is tied up well
Make sure your tools are not loose.
Open the hood and trace down water line that goes from the tank to the nozzles... you might discover broken clips.

Step 2: Test Drive
With your patient friend go out for a drive on a very shitty road...for best results - concrete with expansion joints.
When you hear a rattle try to isolate where it is coming from and then ask your friend to press on plastic parts in that area to see if pushing/puling on any of them will make the rattle go away. Note the locations.
Here is a list of areas that might come up.
1. Rear hatch plastic trim.
2. Glove box area
3. Both door cards
4. Sun roof trim
5. Center Console
6. Between the seats storage
7. Cargo divider
8. Seats
9. Rear view mirror
10. Cargo area side trim.

Step 3: Beer break.
During test drive acquire beer of choice.

Step 4: "F...ing clips"

1. Rear hatch plastic trim - Open the hatch. Look at the hatch trim. Most likely it will creak. Pry off the trim and install felt tape around it. Pull off the window plastic trim and do the same. If you windshield washer is leaky, now would be a good time to install a one way valve in the feeder line per BMW TSB.


2. Glove box area - remove glove box and felt all plastic parts.

3. Both door cards - Open the door and using small rubber hammer hit the car around the perimeter to make sure all clips are seated. You might have to remove the cards and felt them. Alternatively, if you see big gaps between door and card - just shove some foam tape in there, it will help.

4. Sun roof trim - check to see if the headliner is attached well. If not, use double sided foam tape.

5. Center Console - take off the cup holder, arm rest, etc. Make sure that the cell phone power harness is not rattling under the console, by the parking break. Wrap it in felt and shove it back.
Felt the area where armrest/cup holder mounts.

6. between the seats storage / Cargo divider/ Cargo area side trim.
Remove two side caps by prying them off. Each side has two nuts. Remove them. Lift the cargo cover.
Next, pry the subwoofer cover by prying off clips at the bottom...and rivets on top. Next, remove all screws, rivets that you see on top of the center divider. At this point you will see the guts of your sub. From the inside, move both seats as far to the front as they will go, and remove 3 screws holding center divider. You will need to remove plastic covers in the process, which you will destroy. Just get new ones. Remove 2 screws at the sides of the center console by 3 pack of switches. This will loosen center divider even more. Remove carpet trim piece from inside of the in-between seat storage. Remove 2 screws that you will see under it. Make sure to felt under the screws in that area.

Center divider is made of 3 pieces - tow on the sides and one big center piece. Separate pieces carefully. Remove 2 side pieces, leave center one in place. Install felt/foam tape on everything that touches together: plastic/plastic, metal/plastic, etc. Install large sheets of felt over the sub. Make sure sub and amp are mounted tight. Wrap all wire harnesses in felt. Secure with electrical tape.

Unscrew two plastic trim pieces that hold the cargo cover when it is extended by the hatch area. Pry out the side trim if it is loose. Felt/foam tape everything. Also notice that the bottom plastic sill of the hatch will have tabs on both sides. Most likely tabs are broken off. Either order a new piece or superglue it or just make sure it does not rattle and forget about it.

Reassemble center divider but make sure that after each piece is installed - you press on it and make sure there are no rattles or creaks. When it is time to bolt back the cargo cover install strips of foam tape on the underside as well as felt everything by where the bolts are sticking out.
Make sure two rubber pegs under the handle in the center of the cargo cover are still there. If not - order new ones.

8. Seats - most likely they are creaking because of worn out bushings. That is a separate project.

9. Rear view mirror - if you have big mirror that has the remote door unlock module in it - remove mirror, crack I open and felt both parts. Snap back together and reinstall.

Step 5 - Beer Break 2

Step 6 - storage.
Install felt at the bottom of the door pockets, glove box, and center armrest. This will prevent your staff from rattling.

Step 7 - cleanup. Put away all tools, make sure you did not forget any screws, clips, etc. Vacuum the car.

Go for a ride on the same shitty road. Your car should be much quieter.

[tan6385]

thanks for the writeup,
I mostly need to get rid of that glovebox rattle. Its not sagging, but rough roads cause the plastic door to rub, causing a constant, frequent squeak. Where'd you happen to get the felt tape? I haven't looked for it before, so thought I'd get a heads up before I go out to look for it.

[schernov]

thanks for the writeup,
I mostly need to get rid of that glovebox rattle. Its not sagging, but rough roads cause the plastic door to rub, causing a constant, frequent squeak. Where'd you happen to get the felt tape? I haven't looked for it before, so thought I'd get a heads up before I go out to look for it.

Try Walmart - either in the craft section or in the office supply section. They sell letter sheets of one side sticky felt and thin rubber coated ones.

Big craft stores also have it. You can also get velcro and use the soft side for large surfaces.

[rtav]

Good stuff, and I've got one for anyone with Roadster hardtops that have experienced a "flexing" noise when going over speed bumps, incline turns or just any crappy roads. Not a rattle per se, but rather a flex squeak from the fiberglass hardtop. Check your hidden base plate screws. They get loose over time and it's impossible to notice due to the base plate covers.

You can do all the standard fitting adjustments as per the BMW document, but the adjustment outlined above should be checked over time. I neglected this one until recently, and it completely eliminated any flexing noise.

Turn your rear hardtop handles halfway open to allow some "give" for the front adjustments.

Remove the plastic base plate covers on the front left and right of the hardtop (by pushing them away from you) to expose the three torx screws. If the screws are secure, then you are most likely fine. I noticed play in several on each side, hence the adjustment.





Loosen the three torx screws on each side and then use good light or a flashlight to make certain your primary hardtop attachment screws are going straight into their housings - not at an angle. Move the base housings as necessary until the primary torx screws lock in without issue.

Screw the primary single screws on the left and right a few turns to get them fully seated. Then tighten the three torx screws on the plate assembly until very tight. You can also use a bit of loctite on one or more of the three screws as per BMW above, but I did not, as I might sell the top at some point and want the buyer to be able to adjust them as per his car.

Lock down the rear hardtop latches fully. Now tighten the two primary screws on each side, double-check the three torx screws and replace the base plate covers on each side.

No more hardtop "flex" noise...

[organic///M]

You should post the link to this thread here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...t=56864&page=6

[lllM_POWER_1688]

Very nice, I still remember when I spent the course of a few days carefully applying foam and felt over much of the car's interior panels. It was a fun project no doubt. I'll throw up some pics when I get a chance. Holla!

[tan6385]

Try Walmart - either in the craft section or in the office supply section. They sell letter sheets of one side sticky felt and thin rubber coated ones.

Big craft stores also have it. You can also get velcro and use the soft side for large surfaces.

thanks, schernov, I was thinking the same thing, and got some felt from walmart. Now I just need to find some time to mess around with the glovebox, but I don't think it should take more than an hours worth of fiddling.

Very nice, I still remember when I spent the course of a few days carefully applying foam and felt over much of the car's interior panels. It was a fun project no doubt. I'll throw up some pics when I get a chance. Holla!

any pics of what you did would be an excellent addition to this thread as well.

[maxz3]

I recently did the whole interior with foam and felt.....works a treat... its the inferior quality plastic in the Z3s that cause most of the rattles, thats obviously different in the 3.0s and the Ms because they have leather wrapped panels in them..
My main rattles were:

Instrument cluster covering (the half moon shaped plastic panel over the odometer. felted that.

Storage compartment between the roll bars.

The mounting of the softtop were loose. Tighten with a torx and a wrench.

Hardtop mount points were loose and the plastic piece surrounding the hardtop window creaked loudly when it came in contact with the hardtop real window at certain points.... felt pads in between those points...

glove box as with all Zs.

Seatbelt recievers squeaked quietly when i carried a passenger, silicone lubricant spray in the opening of both...

Replaced rear shock Mounts which eliminated a LOT of clunking in the rear....

Felt between door cards and door...

Gummi Phflege on all the window seals and rubber everywhere.

Seat bushing Fix from Doug Whalen....

Foam all cables floating in the center console and all stereo connections if you have an aftermarket stereo....

Thats it.....

One or two TINY noises left but otherwise a MAJOR improvement!

[Meisterschaften]

Great write up. Yes, beer break imperative.