Rattles and Other Noise

I am enjoying my C4S, but am a little irritated by some of the noises it makes. I had the tire pressure checked recently, but I think the noise of the ride might have something to do with the Continental tires it came with. However, unless the road surface is ultra-smooth the most persistent noise or rattling comes from the rear seats, which I believe is due to the locking mechanism of those seats. Has anyone noticed anything similar to this? Also, when I have the sunroof completely open, it makes some creaking noises as well. Is this just part of the experience? My previous 993 made no such noise. Austin

996's do make alot of rattles and squeaks - annoying to me too...

Well, at least I am not the only one. But in all reality, this car is so awesome that it more than makes up for it. Part of what I attribute it to is the suspension of the C4S. It's a rough ride period. However, most of the difficulty I am having is due to my transition from owning a previous generation Pcar. That's not to say I would go back. There's no chance of that.

I had a 2000 C4 and it too had a rattle from the rear seat latches. It only happened when the seatbacks were folded flat. Then I discovered that if I just pushed the latch down against the seat, it would seat more securely and stop rattling. Now I have a GT3 - no rear seats, no sunroof, problem solved. Ok, there's a small rattle in the door. Well it's a 996, right? What do we expect from $100k ?

I had the same noise from my car, and thought it was the back seat latches. It turned out to be a loose plastic piece on the left and right side of the back deck. I just pushed on it very hard and it went back into place, problem solved. My anti theft blinking light on the dash squeeks over bumps, no solution for that one yet... Good luck!

Thanks everyone. I will take a closer look this afternoon to see if I can solve it. I'll keep you posted... Austin

DCFLAT6, What plastic pieces are you referring to exactly on the back deck? I took a look at the back deck and on the left and right mid-way to the rear window there are two rectangular cuts covered by carpet. Is this what you are talking about? What are they for? Are they for removing the back deck? I pushed them in a little bit, but I was afraid if I really pushed them in then I could possibly break them. I wanted to double-check this with you before doing anything else. The rattles weren't as bad today, so I think the weather can compound such noises. Thanks again.

AustinL, My 03 996 coupe had (has) a number of annoying rattles and creaks. these included a very loud clutch squeek, a creak from teh driver's side rear quarter window and a rattle from somewhere in the dash on the passenger side. One trip to the dealer has solved the rear creak and the clutch squeek (although now the clutch pedal operation feels somewhat gritty, so I'll have to get that looked at too). Dashboard rattle is still there and I'm bringing it in next week to give them a shot at fixing that. Obviously this is silly for a $85k car, but since they seem to be getting it done, I'm rolling with it. Note - there are TSBs for the dealer service people for these problems so do not let them tell you it's unique to your car. My dealer knew exactly what this stuff was right away and was not surprised about it. He was confident that within one or two tries we'd get rid of these sounds. I'd get it looked at if I were you and it bothered me (which it does!) ER

I too have the dash rattle. thanks for the tip

Austin, Not sure what they are for. They are almost triangular and are plastic. I had one loose and one not. I haven't been motivated enough yet to get back there and try to pull back the carpet and see how to stop the squeek once and for all. The good thing is I know exactly where the noise is coming from. Hope this helps. ~Taeo

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by GrantG: <strong>996's do make alot of rattles and squeaks - annoying to me too...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Most of the 996's that I've sat in (including my own) were very quiet. Porsche went through a major quality upgrade in moving from the 993 to the 996, and the majority of the squeaks, rattles and other ambient noises that plagued earlier models were addressed. The only noice that I find is sometimes noticeable is when the tire tread wears down to less than 70%. At that point, you get a more pronounced echo coming from the wheelwells. Austing, if you are experiencing noises that can be traced to the rear seats, I would check to see if moving the seats around in a manner similar to what SpeedGeek did has any impact. Regards.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Vik: Porsche went through a major quality upgrade in moving from the 993 to the 996, and the majority of the squeaks, rattles and other ambient noises that plagued earlier models were addressed.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica"><img border="0" alt="[soapbox]" title="" src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" /> Porsche went through a major quality downgrade in an attempt to lower production costs and increase volume, maximizing profit. For every action, Dr Wiedeking... Used 996; anyone?

I actually don't think it is the rear seats after trying some things suggested here. Instead, like it was also suggested, I think it is the carpeted deck area behind the rear seats were there are two covered latches, so to say, on the left and right sides of the deck. It's not a big deal. I just wanted to see if other owners has experienced similar noises--it's a psychological thing. I've got nearly 2,700 miles on the car, since it was delivered in mid-January, and I think a lot of the noise can be attributed to this: the ride of the C4S is very harsh. It seems to me, that unless you are on the perfect road noise is going to be generated. I have to keep reminding myself of this. It's a Pcar not a Mercedes. However, the 993 I drove before this car didn't make as much noise, but I think this can be attributed to the tires (Continentals) and the suspension. Once the rear tires are worn out (I am assuming the rears will wear out first even on a C4S), I am planning to replace all four with either Bridgestone SO3s or Michellins. How long do the tires normally last on a C4S? I mostly do city driving, which inclused a nearly daily trek on I-30 to Fort Worth. The roads here aren't that great, and I think it would be a more enjoyable experience if they were. However, if I wanted a soft ride, I would just get a Mercedes. I'm not really sure how to respond to the issue of build quality--I think this car is put together quite well. I would say that the overall quality is not as masterful as my previous '95 993, but I still think it is well put together. I have noticed that in the mornings when it is cold, the car does make more noise for the first minute or two of my drive--as I back out of our driveway, which is rather steep, there are always a few creaking noises coming from the front end of the car (just makes one or two sounds and then that is it), and sometimes when I drive with the sunroof open that makes noise too! However, I really can't make a fair comparison. My '993 was a convertible and not a hardtop. Do 993 sunroofs make noise? I would be surprised if they didn't. All in all--I am happy with my trade. I have a car that is superior in every way: more interior room, faster, updated technology, a good stereo (my 993 speakers were worn out and never that great to begin with), all wheel drive, turbo brakes, a better suspension, and probably a plethora of other things I am forgetting to mention. And like I have seen other say, both on the 993 board and this board, you just have to drive the car. It is kind of horrifying driving it on the highway everyday--chances are that you will get stone chips on the hood and it is only a matter of time until you pull just a little too close to a parking curb when parking. However, it is definitely worth it and it is a lot of fun to. I'm planning to just make a list of things to have my dealer check when I take the car in sometime this summer. You might think I'm a little too obsessive notices all these things, but hey, we're driving Pcars, and for any of us enthusiasts to be doing that, we must certainly take the experience seriously.

The noise from the open or partially sun roof is part of the design--the inner headliner is sprung relative to the metal lid. Try pushing up on it closed, then tip it open (center button) and try again. Sometimes bumps make a sound, but it is not problem to be fixed. The rear seatbelt buckles (on the belts) might also be bouncing against the sides over bumps if the rear seats are flat, mine sometimes do. When my car was new there was a problem with the way the rear windows were mounted that was fixed on all of them, could possibly be that. Are those latches back there baby seat anchors?

I hope that I won't offend anyone, but I've looked at and driven several 996s, and the quality is clearly inferior to that of my 993 (IMHO). This is evident in many areas, not least materials quality. Why, in a 996, is there a significant gap between the top of the center console and the bottom of the dash, and a significant and uneven gap between the bottom of that console and the center tunnel??? My '95 993, at 50,000 miles, makes not a single squeak or rattle. For that matter, my '81 911SC, at 67K, makes not a single squeak or rattle and it's 23 years old. The new cars should be at least as well built, but sadly, they just don't seem to be. Austin, I think it is significant that your 993 Cabriolet made fewer unwanted noises than your 996 Coupe.

I think so too...