Need Help to Find Rear Rattlling

Starting about a week ago, I began to hear a persistent rattle in the rear interior of my car and I can't identify where it's coming from. As I'm driving, it sounds like it's in the rear area over my left shoulder, but it's dangerous to be turning around while I'm driving to try to find it. It definitely sounds like it's over my left shoulder, but I don't know how far back it is. When I go for a drive, I start off slow and drive about 10 minutes until the coolant level gets to the 175 level. Then I get onto Rt.1 and begin to increase the RPMs and speed. That's when I begin to hear this rattle. It's like the sound you make with your tongue vibrating moderately fast against the roof of your mouth, or the sound you made as a kid when you secured a playing card to your wheel with a clothes line pin and the spokes would rub against it. Anyway, something like that. Not loud or super fast, but loud enough to hear. I noticed that it seems to start whenever the rpms begin to move from about 2500 to 3500, in either 3rd or 4th gear. I would downshift today, and it would lessen around 2500 rpms, then pick up as I accelerated and the rpms increased to the 3500 level. I examined the area of the trunk when I got home today and noticed a little storage box on the left side of the rear, a speaker grill built into the left side, and a black plastic cover that is built into the left rear trunk lid. For all I know, it's none of these things. If any of you experts have any idea what this problem is, I'd like to know so I can stop it. It's getting to be quite annoying.

There have been reports here of seat belt screws on the door piller being loose as well as the water/oil filler door being ajar that caused a similar noise.

Sante Fe The coolant/oil door is on the right rear side of my car and is definitely not ajar. How would I determine if the seat belt screws are the problem?? By the way, I turned in the rubber nubs clockwise on the rear hatch all the way in, but that didn't work. They were about 3/4 out before I tightened them down. Do you think I should turn them back out to their original 3/4 position?

Look in the Complaints forum for a couple of instances of the seat belt issue and the fix. Good luck. Those small un-identified noises can be a PIA. What you have described does not sound hatch related to me.

Finding Seat Belt Articles I went to the Complaints Forum, but couldn't find a way to do a search for Seat Belt issues or fixes. How do you do that once you're in the Complaints Forum?

Just use the search function and try several different terms (select the Compliants Forum as your choice) until you find them. Here is something of interest that I found. http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-complaints/16251-noise-rear-drivers-side-window.html#post197107

Hey Chaz, I've also got an 08 Meteor Gray and the exact same rattle. After searching the Complaints Forum, I believe it's the plastic box around the air filter that is causing the rattling. I've determined that mine rattles only when the throttle is applied, which leads me to believe that it is indeed connected with something in the engine compartment (the engine shifts slightly under load). I removed the engine cover and messed around with this box, but was unable to make the rattle go away. If you have any luck, let us know.

Direwolf Direwolf, Where is the air filter box you talked about? Do you think it would help to take it to the dealer and have them focus on this box? How did you determine that was where it was coming from?

I am gonna bet on the seat belt issue. Hopefully your dealer mechanic has good ears...

More Precise Description I drove the car today to get a more precise description of what is happening with respect to that noise (or rattle as I called it). Apparently, the noise is not related to the number of miles driven before it starts, but instead, to the speed I'm going. Whenever I begin driving, I drive very slowly in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears until the coolant level reaches 175, and then I will begin to increase the rpm's and the speed...........so that's why it takes time before the rattling starts. I took a short drive today to warm the car up, then stopped to get some coffee with a friend. When I got back in the car for some serious driving on Rt. 1, it took only 3 minues before the rattling began. I would say a better description of the sound is that it's like a fluttering vibration sound . This fluttering vibration begins in 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears when the rpm's are between 2200 and 3200. The peak for the noise, where it continues the longest without break is between 2800 rpm's and 3200 rpm's, especially in 3rd or 4th gears. At one point, I kept the car in 4th gear locked onto 2800 rpm's and the fluttering vibration stayed constant and never stopped until I brought the car down or up in rpm's. Once I exceed 3200 rpm's the rattling stops. But since I do so much driving in the 2200 to 3200 rpm range, I hear it quite a bit. I'm not sure if this helps in the diagnosis or not. I'm hoping this rings a bell with someone out there so I can give some guidance to the mechanic when I take it back to the dealer.

You didn't mention if you searched or not so: 1. http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-complaints/9443-need-help-rattle.html 2. http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-complaints/14708-rattle-cabin.html 3. http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-complaints/12908-driver-side-rattle.html 4. http://www.planet-9.com/faq.php?faq=vb_board_usage#faq_vb_board_search Hopefully reading those will help if you have not yet done so.

Thanks Again! Santa Fe: Thanks again, as always. I'm glad you're always around to point me in the right direction.

After reading your revised description, I'm not so sure that we're experiencing the same rattle. If you take it in to the dealer, I wouldn't try to focus their attention on any one particular area. Instead I would describe the noise in as much detail as possible and then try to get a tech to ride along with you, so that you're sure that they hear it also.

Good Advice That's probably what I will do, Direwolf. Thanks

I just got my car back from the dealers for my 20k mile maintenance. I also had a problem with a chirping noise from behind the drivers seat that I asked them to fix. I'm not sure if it's the same problem as yours though. Anyhow, they fixed it after holding my car for 2 days. This is exactly what it says on the invoice from their work order covered under warranty: Noise coming from left rear side window, left trim pieces. Road test vehicle, verified chirping/squeak type noise eminating from left rear panel area behind drivers head. Remove/Install rubber seal on drivers door to facilitate repair. Remove/install trim cover for spring strut mount leftside. Remove/Install rear wall trim panel, remove/install oddments tra. Remove/instal c-pillar trim cover, remove install seat blet reel guide. Road test vehicle, noise diminished but still present. Adjust left rear side window, road test vehicle noise eliminated. Insulate removed trim pieces with felt tape. Reinstall all trim pieces and road test vehicle on same route. Noise gone. Ok... I hope that helps.

Sckat I will be forwarding this to my dealer, along with the other solutions. Hopefully, one of them will ring a bell. Thanks!

Hey guys, first post here. I have a rattle (with chirp) somewhere over the driver's side left shoulder. I've had it in for service twice now. After my last visit, the dealer admitted that they heard it coming from the quarter glass but couldn't tighted the quarter glass "to specs" to fix it. They've ordered me a new rear driver's side quarter glass to try to fix the problem. I hope that this info helps. BTW, it's an '07 Cayman S. Mike

Visit to Dealer I visited my dealer yesterday to see what they could do about the buzzing rattle over my left shoulder. While they didn't fix it, I was impressed with their efforts. I drove up to the dealership and the Porsche technician (apparently he has a classification that only 35 others have as a Porsche top technician) got in my car and rode with me for a good 15 minutes. He heard the rattle right away, but had trouble pinpointing where it was coming from. He finally guessed it was coming from the left side panel and decided to apply double edged tape and foam to dampen it. After that solution didn't work, and he drove with me again. But the rattling didn't cooperate this time, and he couldn't hear it. So he advised that I drive home and bring it back in the Spring, leave it there, and have it re-evaluated. He said that Porsche's are normally very solid and have few rattles and other signs of instability, and that sometimes rattles can suddenly vanish. Since I'm having surgery in two weeks and won't be driving again until March or April, I have no problem with his advice. I'll take it back in March or April and have him look at it again. By the way (off topic), I told him that the dealership has given me a certificate for a free oil change and asked him what he thought of the idea of me using it in March or April when I brought the car back. He asked me how long I've had the car and I told him I had it three months for 2200 miles now. It said that synthetic oils are really good and I didn't have to change it until August of 2008, but that if I wanted to, it would do no harm to change it in March or April. As he said, "It never does harm to change the oil." So that's what I'll do.....take it back for a re-examination, and have the oil changed in the Spring. I can't wait.

I had the rear end noise service bulletin performed on Monday which included the new factory trunk clunk fix and addressing a number of areas prone to rattling like the center rear light and the wire that runs on the inside of the hatch on the passenger side. So far so good. It's great hearing the suspension when going over a highway joint rather than the rear hatch. All the buzzing in the rear end from plastic on metal contact is gone too. The invoice on the trunk clunk says: Replaced Counterweights for rear hatch - shim weight with rubber rings to correct noise over bumps. On the other noises: Repaired third brake light and secured light. Installed felt strips on rear hatch liner. Adjusted hatch tightness. Also had the clutch recall performed at that time.

EJPhoto You mentioned that you "had the rear end noise service bulletin performed on Monday which included the new factory trunk clunk fix and addressing a number of areas prone to rattling like the center rear light and the wire that runs on the inside of the hatch on the passenger side." Could you give me the number of that Service Bulletin? When I took my car to the dealer on Monday, I asked if there were any Service Bulletins related to this issue and he said he didn't know of any. So giving me the specifics would really help when I go back. You also mentioned that "all the buzzing in the rear end from plastic on metal contact is gone too." Was that issue also covered in the Service Bulletin you mentioned above? How did you determine that the buzzing was coming from plastic on metal contact? Maybe that's what is causing my buzzing vibration that I hear. Did your buzzing and vibration sound like it was coming from over your left shoulder in the rear? Could you make it come and go by pressing on the accelerator? I'm interested in your reply.

Hi Chaz, Here is the thread on the SB for rear end noises: http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-complaints/16675-trunk-clunk-porsche-service-bulletin.html The rattling noises were from the rear center and rear passenger side. In reading these forums for a while I knew that two areas of weakness were the wire that runs inside the hatch liner on the rear passenger side and the center brake light. Sure enough that is where they found the rattles. Left ear buzzing is usually the seat belt real mounting right behind the left ear. Most expereinced dealers will fix this in about 5 minutes or alternately there is a thread on this forum about how to fix it yourself.

EJ Thanks! EJ, I'll take this information to the dealer when I go back in the Spring. I hope that's the cause. It sure sounds like it's further back then right behind me. To help pinpoint it, I removed Christmas wrapping from around a cardboard tube and had a friend ride in the car with me, putting one end of the tube to his ear, and the other at various points in the back. He could hear the vibration, but said that the whole area seemed to be having the vibrating buzzing, not any one area in particular. I had him listen to the side light in the rear left paneling, the stereo grill, etc. He felt, if anything, it came from the hump area near the grill and light. Could that still be the seat belt issue? The seat belt area is immediately behind me on the rear left, and the sound seems to be coming from an area further back.

It ios probably either the hatch liner or something in the hatch liner itself or possibly the center brake light then. Having a buzzing like you describe on the passenger rear is more common as there is a wire bundle that runs up there and the clip that manages the wires needs felt put under it. But I don't recall anything like that on the drivers side so it might be a liner clip or the center light and the way the sound is traveling just makes you think like it's in the left ear.

I turned the rubber stops "counter clockwise" so that things would be very tight when the both Front and Read hatches were closed. You may have given the hatch more room to vibrate. Try "tightening" them. Johnny

This sounds very much like what we are experiencing too.

I had a buzzing coming from the rear of the car that I could duplicate in the driveway by engaging the clutch or by revvign the engine a little. I managed to contort myself enough to reach the various pieces of the rear hatch area while revving the engine. Turned out to be mostly the 3rd center brake light. Was getting wheels/tires balanced at dealer and had them put some felt back there. Next time you have a passenger with you, just give them that same tube and instead of listening for noise just have them poke and prod at the various plastic pieces till the noise goes away. My guess is it's your brake light. Not to thread jack but I have a noise that appears to be coming from the front right vent by the windshield. All I have to do is yank on that vent a little and the noise goes away for a couple of days and then comes back. Dealer attemped to fix it and I give them an A+ for effort but it's still there. I'm an expert at fixing these noises so I think I'll have a go at it myself. Coming from an M Coupe, this thing is silent

Here is a pic of how I have wedged a wad of black sock between the seat back and the carpet cover of the left B pillar as a temporary measure.