Reducing Interior Rattling Noises

[cc333]

Hi,

I was wondering how I might reduce some of the rattling noises some of the plastic panels are making now that they're more than 8 years old.

It's not a big deal, but if I can do something quick and cheap, I'd like to give it a try.

c

[sideshowalan]

Here's what I do.

First step is to find exactly what is causing the rattle. Tap on the suspect area with your knuckle or fingertip, trying to recreate the noise. Most common reason for a rattle is two objects vibrating against each other, or something that's loose. Examples are where the dash meets the door, a loose change drawer.

Fix the problem by either tightening down the object/panel or sticking a soft wedge between them. Wedge can be a piece of carboard folded to the desired thickness, strip of fabric, foam tape. It all really depends on what is causing the rattle.

The last vibration I had to tackle was a plastic cowl that vibrated against the windshield of my malibu at highway speeds. The fix was to remove the cowl, put double sided foam tape on the back and then stick the cowl to the glass.

Hope this helps.

[cc333]

OK, I think the doors for the side compartments in the back cargo area are rattling a bit, so I'll start there.

After that, the paneling on the rear hatch is pretty bad looking, and because the clips have loosened and the plastic has stretched and deformed slightly with age, this is likely a major cause.

I just haven't known *how* to fix it, until now, thanks!

c

[crashbandit]

I have a 2007 Vibe with lots of rattles coming from the back hatch area. I have been trying to eliminate some of them but so far it is still driving me nuts! Can someone tell me how the two rubber pieces are supposed to fit together when the back hatch closes? One is attached to the hatch and one is screwed to the frame of the car. After looking at them I discovered that they were not even touching each other. I have looked at the rubber dampners on several other hatchbacks and they are all designed much better than the ones on this car. I think these are supposed to prevent the hatch from jarring and rattling. They are made from a very stiff rubber that doesn't have much give at all. I have also been experimenting with different rubber strips attached to the back window that flips up. It rattles when I hit bumps as well.