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Rattles Everywhere!

7K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  IngotFoFo 
#1 ·
Hi there. I know rattles have been mentioned plenty on these forums, and I looked through some other threads, but most didn't seem to match my rattles.

The thing is, I can't even keep track of the rattles, so I don't know how to fix them all. I've definitely had the plastic speedometer and tachometer covers rattle. I asked for them to be fixed, but they've come back. Since then, I've had:

A weird almost crinkling noise coming from the left side of the dashboard under the windshield.

A rattle from the passenger side, which I can't narrow down at all because I'm on the wrong side.

A rattle somewhere behind and to my left (but less frequently).

I don't even know how to describe some of these to the dealer, considering I don't even know where all of them come from. I've also had a weird sort of grinding noise that seems to happen after I've been going highway speeds and I slow way down. It sounds like it's coming from the hood area near the bottom of the car, but who knows.

Does anyone have any experience with getting any of these fixed? I find myself turning up music to overcome the general noise in my car. I'm moderately annoyed by this, considering it makes the car come off as poorly manufactured. I like a lot about the Focus, but I find myself thinking/worrying about it too much. Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Hi concentrate_synonym,

When you took your vehicle in to the dealership, did you have the Service Tech ride along with you for a test drive? Sometimes showing them/letting them hear the sound is beneficial when they're trying to chase down mysterious noises and rattles. The next time you're ready to have the dealer check this out, give me a heads up and I'll be happy to escalate your case to your region's customer service manager. All I'll need is a PM from you with your VIN, dealer, mileage, daytime phone number, and full name; I'll do the rest.

Have a great day!
Crystal
 
#3 ·
Yeah... these little buggers are rattle traps. I have:

A rattle coming from the seat belt adjuster right next to my ear.
Multiple headliner rattles.
A rattle coming from the sun roof.
A rattle coming from the gauge pod.
A very strange sounding rattle coming from the steering column.
A rattle coming from the passenger seat.
Multiple rattles coming from various doors.
And... an annoying squeak coming from the rear (passenger) side.

Of course, based on temperature, speed, engine RPM, and the phase of the moon, they come and go, so tracking them down would be very difficult.
 
#7 ·
I have 9500 miles, 12/11 build. Intermittent rattles in the dash area which can usually be temporarily cured with a good punch. But I have a constant rattle above 45mph in the passenger area. Happens with or without passenger. Took it to the dealer recently and they replaced the interior A-pillar molding which they claimed was warped, hitting the windshield and therefore causing the rattle. Did not solve my rattle (no idea which rattle they think they solved). This weekend I plan to get underneath and check for anything loose.
 
#8 ·
Does it sound like it is coming from the engine bay? I have a 12/11 build and I had an intermittent rattle coming from the passenger side. After reading the forums I saw it was mentioned that the coolant reservoir tank would rattle. There is an AC line which runs directly under the coolant reservoir..Some members suggested folding a sponge and wedging it under the coolant reservoir on top of the AC line - What I did was get a section of pipe insulation and wrapped it around the AC line beneath the coolant reservoir and I have not heard a rattle from that area since.

Try it with the sponge and see if it works!
 
#10 ·
As someone else stated on this forum, the acoustics of this cabin play all sorts of games with you when searching for a rattle. I had one that I SWORE was coming from the passenger tweeter/a-pillar/glovebox area and I was going crazy. I told my passenger to press on things until it went away and she was like "It's coming from YOUR side!"

... [confused]

Turns out it was just my sunglasses in the overhead console area.
 
#13 ·
I visited this thread because there seemed to be a intermittent rattle on the right front and right side of the car. It was really noticeable one morning on a rough section of road and seemed to be coming from the passenger door. Now, I had a bunch of stuff in the console drink holder (chapstick, pen, alarm remote, and other loose stuff), I reached my hand in to see if the rattle was coming from there. Sure enough, the rattle stopped. To confirm that was the problem I placed a soft cloth in the holder, lining the drink holder, and the rattles stopped.

It seems that a rattle caused by stuff in the drink holder does an acoustic trick and sounds like the rattle is coming from the right side of the car. Check for loose stuff in the various plastic storage areas for loose stuff, pad it with a soft cloth or remove it to see if that stops your rattles.
 
#14 ·
...It seems that a rattle caused by stuff in the drink holder does an acoustic trick and sounds like the rattle is coming from the right side of the car. Check for loose stuff in the various plastic storage areas for loose stuff, pad it with a soft cloth or remove it to see if that stops your rattles.
Great catch, gzrfun! I’m sure a lot will find this tip handy. [thumb]

Cory
 
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