15 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHRattle help!
Leading reported evidence
Tighten those down while pushing
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I went beneath the dashboard, removed a cover and the air vent tube to access the 2 bolts that held the airbag unit to a cross member (13mm bolts IIRC), tightened those down while pushing on the airbag cover and that removed the rattle.
Leading evidence: 'Tighten those down while pushing' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace plastic piece in' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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1
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Suggestion
I solved it by replacing the plastic piece in that corner that was missing…a 10 minute job if you have the part.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
I've contemplated pulling them and wrapping them with leather material off of ebay to try to tighten any gaps.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Suggestion
I am going to pull it all apart and try to use some leather conditioner on the leather of the dash behind the binnacle and see if that does anything for the world.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I went beneath the dashboard, removed a cover and the air vent tube to access the 2 bolts that held the airbag unit to a cross member (13mm bolts IIRC), tightened those down while pushing on the airbag cover and that removed the rattle.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I am going to pull it all apart and try to use some leather conditioner on the leather of the dash behind the binnacle and see if that does anything for the world.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
15 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T000231Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
So I drive a well loved, high mileage, 23 year old convertible. I know rattles are expected. But that won't stop me from trying to get rid of as many as I can!
What have you all done, either DIY or products used to cut down on rattles?
And where have you found most of your rattles?
I plan to:
take my interior panels off and add some rope caulk around the mounting points plus felt tape around the edges of the panels.
Maybe add some foam to the back sides of panels?
My worst rattles so far come from:
Passenger air bag cover
Passenger seat bottom
Door panels.
What other thoughts / ideas do you all have?
I had a rattle from the passenger air bag cover when going over bumps. When I would hold the air bag cover, the rattle would stop. I went beneath the dashboard, removed a cover and the air vent tube to access the 2 bolts that held the airbag unit to a cross member (13mm bolts IIRC), tightened those down while pushing on the airbag cover and that removed the rattle. The hardest part of the job was removing the air vent tube and being in the position you have to be in to get beneath the dash.
I dont mean to Hijack the thread, but i am chasing a "rattle" that is more of a leather/plastic creak / pop in the binnacle area. Its almost like the binnacle is rubbing against the leather of the dash and ever so slightly makes a noise every time it moves. I am considering pulling the dash apart and putting some felt tape around the contact points, but any other ideas are very well received.
I dont think its loose. The screws are very snug in the dash. It almost sounds like it is nearly tight enough that the friction between the binnacle and the dash leather is allowing the "Squeak" or "Creak"
Super annoying! I am going to pull it all apart and try to use some leather conditioner on the leather of the dash behind the binnacle and see if that does anything for the world.
I have a rattly/clunk where the convertible top meets the windshield header, very near the corner. The top closes snuggly, and is latching into place. And it feels very tight, but going over slow bumpy roads and turns it clunks and chatters like it's loose. It's very annoying, cause I don't know how to tighten that all down!
I have a new rattle that has started that seems to be coming from the binnacle as well.
When I hold the left edge, the rattle stops.
It's going to go on my "take a look at it when you get a chance" list.
Not sure what it's called, but the dash wrap-around pieces that are up against the windshield rattle in mine if the road is not perfectly smooth. It's getting to be annoying, but not sure how to fix it. I've contemplated pulling them and wrapping them with leather material off of ebay to try to tighten any gaps.
quote:
I have a rattly/clunk where the convertible top meets the windshield header, very near the corner. The top closes snuggly, and is latching into place. And it feels very tight, but going over slow bumpy roads and turns it clunks and chatters like it's loose. It's very annoying, cause I don't know how to tighten that all down!
I had that rattle too. I solved it by replacing the plastic piece in that corner that was missing…a 10 minute job if you have the part. I don’t know the part number but it should be readily available in an exploded view of the cab top.
Good luck, ben8 jam
+1 to the binnacle rattle. When I took mine off to put on new gauge faces, I lined the entire bottom of the binnacle with thick felt in the (unfulfilled) hope that it would resolve the rattle. (Maybe it's more of a creak than a rattle. Annoying, nonetheless.)
Mine seems like a plastic-on-plastic creak/rattle. I may go the janky route and fold over some more felt and just stuff it under the rear right corner of the binnacle because when I lift up the right rear just slightly, the noise seems to go away. I think I can stuff a wad of felt under there and tuck it in with a plastic trim tool so it's not visible. Will try this weekend and report back if successful.
To the spirit of OP's thread, I acknowledge that a 20+ year old car will have groans and rattles - especially for a cabrio (which I don't have). But to the extent we can help each other chase these annoyances away, I'm sure it will make for happier driving for us all.
A lot of my convertible squeaks and creaks were solved by putting some silicone lube on all the weather stripping. Doors. Top. Clam shell. Good and hatch.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
