Dashboard Rattle - Solved!
11-19-2011, 07:59 PM
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Dashboard Rattle - Solved!
Ever since we got our 2011 S4 (November 2, 2011), we've had a minor, albeit annoying, buzzing sort of rattle on the driver's side. It seemed to come from the vicinity of the B&O speaker on the driver's door, and would occur whenever we drove over small bumps, or other pavement imperfections.
Oddly, the noise seemed to be almost imperceptible during warm weather, but would return (like squealing brakes LOL) once the weather turned colder. I was going to have the dealer have a look at the 5000 mile service, but forgot to ask. The car now has 10K miles and the rattle is still there, no worse that when I first noticed it, but no better either.
Because it seemed to be coming from the forward portion of the door, I envisioned having to take the door panel off to locate the problem. But then, on a whim, I removed the fuse panel cover and noticed that the emergency sunroof crank tool is attached to the fuse panel cover with two metal clips. While the clip are strong enough to securely hold the tool in place, it seemed that the tool was just loose enough in the clips to rattle.
I decided to take some cloth-webbed adhesive tape (available from ECS tuning - http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Tape/ES10764/) and put a wrap on the tool under each clip, and then a few turns where there was a gap between the tool and the cover. Standard electrical or masking tape would work equally well for this. I also took a section of soft, compressible foam (window insulation) and placed it between the upper and lower clips on the fuse panel cover, just to be certain there was no chance for the sunroof tool to rattle, and replaced the cover.
After ~150 miles of driving, I no longer have the rattle. I wish I had checked this out a year ago! Here are a couple of pics that illustrate the placement of the tool inside the fuse panel cover, and the fix I employed:
The foam is quite soft, so doesn't impede the clips from securing the cover in place. Neatness doesn't count, quietness does!
If you've been frustrated by an elusive driver side dash rattle in your S4, check to see if your sunroof crank handle might be the offender.
Now if I can move on to figuring out why the sensors on the trunk intermittently indicate that the trunk is not fully closed! The only solution seems to be opening the trunk and then closing the lid rather forcibly, i.e., slam it shut. If the sensors don't sense the trunk is fully closed, you can't set the alarm, nor can you get the digital speed readout. I may pull the carpeting in the sides of the trunk to check the sensor connections (there's one on each side). I'm thinking it's a bad magnetic switch. I suppose I can always try bypassing one switch, then the other, to determine which one is defective. Yeah, it should be under warranty, but I'd like to figure it out on my own first.
Oddly, the noise seemed to be almost imperceptible during warm weather, but would return (like squealing brakes LOL) once the weather turned colder. I was going to have the dealer have a look at the 5000 mile service, but forgot to ask. The car now has 10K miles and the rattle is still there, no worse that when I first noticed it, but no better either.
Because it seemed to be coming from the forward portion of the door, I envisioned having to take the door panel off to locate the problem. But then, on a whim, I removed the fuse panel cover and noticed that the emergency sunroof crank tool is attached to the fuse panel cover with two metal clips. While the clip are strong enough to securely hold the tool in place, it seemed that the tool was just loose enough in the clips to rattle.
I decided to take some cloth-webbed adhesive tape (available from ECS tuning - http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Tape/ES10764/) and put a wrap on the tool under each clip, and then a few turns where there was a gap between the tool and the cover. Standard electrical or masking tape would work equally well for this. I also took a section of soft, compressible foam (window insulation) and placed it between the upper and lower clips on the fuse panel cover, just to be certain there was no chance for the sunroof tool to rattle, and replaced the cover.
After ~150 miles of driving, I no longer have the rattle. I wish I had checked this out a year ago! Here are a couple of pics that illustrate the placement of the tool inside the fuse panel cover, and the fix I employed:
The foam is quite soft, so doesn't impede the clips from securing the cover in place. Neatness doesn't count, quietness does!
If you've been frustrated by an elusive driver side dash rattle in your S4, check to see if your sunroof crank handle might be the offender.
Now if I can move on to figuring out why the sensors on the trunk intermittently indicate that the trunk is not fully closed! The only solution seems to be opening the trunk and then closing the lid rather forcibly, i.e., slam it shut. If the sensors don't sense the trunk is fully closed, you can't set the alarm, nor can you get the digital speed readout. I may pull the carpeting in the sides of the trunk to check the sensor connections (there's one on each side). I'm thinking it's a bad magnetic switch. I suppose I can always try bypassing one switch, then the other, to determine which one is defective. Yeah, it should be under warranty, but I'd like to figure it out on my own first.
11-21-2011, 07:19 AM
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My dealer thinks it is the instrument pod. I have an appointment for them to pull it out and insulate. It's funny, not noticable when the cabin is cold but once you're in the 60's it's really getting annoying. In the interim, I'll check on the sunroof tool. I hadn't thought to look there. Thanks!
11-22-2011, 04:19 PM
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For a quick test, just take the sunroof tool out, take a test drive over some typically rough roads, and see if the noise has stopped. Good luck!
01-06-2012, 07:19 PM
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Just wanted to say THANKS for helping me solve the noise problem in my car.
The only disconcerting part is that there is no sunroof tool in my car. Do these come standard on all models? I have a 2012 Premium+.
The only disconcerting part is that there is no sunroof tool in my car. Do these come standard on all models? I have a 2012 Premium+.
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01-07-2012, 09:37 AM
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01-08-2012, 06:10 AM
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One of the toughest jobs that a mechanic has is to isolate the cause of a rattle because they are typically intermitten and hard to isolate. Great job in detective work, and thanks for sharing.