Interior Rattle Identified

[Zanardi]

The past few weeks I had a rather loud, very annoying interior rattle. It sounded like it was coming from the top of the dash. I thought it was likely the little coin/accessory tray on the dash or the defroster vent cover along the windshield. Those have come up often on the forum as a source of the dreaded rattle. I was ticked because it wouldn't go away and I'm not much for popping various panels off my new truck looking for a source.

Sound bounces around in a truck. My wife swore it was coming from the rear seat area somewhere. Long story short I finally figured out it was coming from each of my visors. When in the closed (not being used) position the hinged plastic vanity mirror covers were bouncing off the plastic frame around the mirror glass on each of the visors. I put a little stick on felt pad on the back side of each of the hinged on plastic mirror covers to help keep them from contacting the mirror frame and rattling like nuts. Problem solved!

Just wanted to share. If you think you have the dreaded dash rattle it might very well be the visors. It's a heck of a lot easier fix than pulling out trays and such searching for a ghost.

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[Rick - Saber]

Glad you got that sorted out.

 

[Formula Indy]

I have two rattles that have bothered me in the past. The first is the unused passenger seatbelt will rattle if it is not hanging straight. The other is my wife's sunglasses in the sunglass cubby by the mirror. If those two things are in order I can drive over most anything without a rattle. Very well built truck.

 

[UncleBob]

I have two rattles that have bothered me in the past. The first is the unused passenger seatbelt will rattle if it is not hanging straight. The other is my wife's sunglasses in the sunglass cubby by the mirror. If those two things are in order I can drive over most anything without a rattle. Very well built truck.

I can relate to the passenger seat belt rattle. I seemed like whenever a passenger exited the truck and the seat belt was allowed to just fall back out of the way, it would not positioned correctly and I would then hear it rattle. Then I would have to reach over and give it a slap to let it spin to position correctly. It is very annoying.

 

[KJRR]

Another for the seatbelt rattle. Originally thought is was something in the under seat storage and of coarse opening the passenger door to check the under seat storage always fixed it. Then heard it one day after dropping my wife at the grocery store and saw the seat belt. At least its an easy fix.

 

[Edd]

Me too for the seat belt rattle. I really though something was wrong for a minute before I found that!

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Me too for the seat belt rattle. I really though something was wrong for a minute before I found that!

Hi Ed,

Yeah...the past Ranger suffered this annoyance as well. When I inherited Ranger Vehicle Engineering, I started looking at Customer Complaints and decided to start a program to chip away at the ones that were systemic. Things such as skate/dart due to the motion ratio of the rear suspension with inboard shocks for example. Another one was the over the shoulder seat belts chaffing on the driver and front passenger's neck. This resulted in tweaking the mounting and having engineers, administrators, Secretaries evaluate the belts. We had seating bucks that were prior to proposed revision and those that were revised. The data showed the revisions would improve the belting. The downside was what you experience and we experienced with the belts with respect to this rattle on the prior generation of Ranger too. Life is sometimes tough and I made the trade off decision to revise the belts for comfort when belted in vs the rattle. What I found is most customers would figure this out. Was it my finest decision...no but I still feel I made the right call. My wife told me early on in our ownership of my 2007 Ranger that the belts were the best she had for her 5' 2" height. It is in my opinion to be customer focused. We had a narrow window of opportunity due to the fact the Ranger was already in production, but it shows this can be done. After the change about a year later, Seat belts were not on the top 10 anymore... Did I get a back pat for this...Nope...but my satisfaction was in the customer complaint reduction to being a non issue. Seat belt rattle...yep...bubbled up into the top 10, but I took that arrow and the customer won in my opinion.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Edd]

Hi Ed,

Yeah...the past Ranger suffered this annoyance as well. When I inherited Ranger Vehicle Engineering, I started looking at Customer Complaints and decided to start a program to chip away at the ones that were systemic. Things such as skate/dart due to the motion ratio of the rear suspension with inboard shocks for example. Another one was the over the shoulder seat belts chaffing on the driver and front passenger's neck. This resulted in tweaking the mounting and having engineers, administrators, Secretaries evaluate the belts. We had seating bucks that were prior to proposed revision and those that were revised. The data showed the revisions would improve the belting. The downside was what you experience and we experienced with the belts with respect to this rattle on the prior generation of Ranger too. Life is sometimes tough and I made the trade off decision to revise the belts for comfort when belted in vs the rattle. What I found is most customers would figure this out. Was it my finest decision...no but I still feel I made the right call. My wife told me early on in our ownership of my 2007 Ranger that the belts were the best she had for her 5' 2" height. It is in my opinion to be customer focused. We had a narrow window of opportunity due to the fact the Ranger was already in production, but it shows this can be done. After the change about a year later, Seat belts were not on the top 10 anymore... Did I get a back pat for this...Nope...but my satisfaction was in the customer complaint reduction to being a non issue. Seat belt rattle...yep...bubbled up into the top 10, but I took that arrow and the customer won in my opinion.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

If the only thing I have to complain about is having to move the seat belt to stop it from making noise, I think you did a good job, lol!

 

[Formula Indy]

If the only thing I have to complain about is having to move the seat belt to stop it from making noise, I think you did a good job, lol!

Haha. I agree. Just a little spouse training required

 

[kieefer]

No seat belt rattle but I do have a tinny rattle in my supercab. When sitting in the drivers seat, in the upper far right corner under the headliner. It is worst when cold, now and then I can hear it with the AC on. Not quite up to pulling the headliner but first need to let someone else drive it and sit back there and try to pin point it.

 

[EcoRanger]

I have a hollow plastic tapping noise off and on in the drivers side of the dash I haven't found it yet.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I have a hollow plastic tapping noise off and on in the drivers side of the dash I haven't found it yet.

Hi Doc,

Might this be the old defroster duct that was not fully seated which has been discussed in other threads? My first guess....

Best
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[SoCalT6]

Not sure if this solution has been posted before or not. To combat the passenger front seat belt rattle in my 2019 I spin the buckle/belt 180 degrees and insert the buckle tongue between the seat belt material and interior B pillar trim where it exits the inner body. Works like a charm until I give someone a ride and it gets pull out of the anti-rattle resting place.

I can post a photo later if needed to illustrate?

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Me too for the seat belt rattle. I really though something was wrong for a minute before I found that!

My 08 GTI driver's seat belt height adjuster would rattle. It wouldn't have bothered me if it wasn't 2.5 inches away from my left ear... It was a known issue on the MkV GTI's and something they never could fix. They replaced the belt twice but it would still rattle. VW finally stated there was nothing more they could do to fix it. So I took the B Pillar apart and found the problem. There was excessive play between the height adjuster locking mechanism and the rails. This would cause the slider to pivot in the rails causing it to rattle.

I fixed it by jamming a pair of toothpicks and some clear silicone sealant between the height adjuster/anchor and the mounting rail. Left it sit for a couple of days so the silicone to cure. Then using a curved pick separated the silicone from the inner side of the rail and applied a healthy dose of white lithium grease so the silicone would side against the steel. Rattle fixed and while stiff the height adjuster still worked.

 

[brockdog12]

I found the passenger seat belt rattle as well, but I have what sounds like a rattle coming from the bed area or like a loose spare? It happens going over railroad tracks or differences in the road surface at seams in the road. It is a clunk like something is loose or something rattling against something. Could it be shocks perhaps? Thanks!

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