What was rattling in my s14 and how I fixed it (well, most of it)

[Socalgal]

Hi people,

So I got my s14 a few months back and I've had to search pretty hard to find each individual noise so I figured I'd write them all up for other new anal owners. Of corse as I fix each one I hear a new one that I couldn't hear over the previous. There's still a few more and I'll update is I find more. So far it hasn't cost me anything.

The loudest was from the trunk area. It was three different things

First and loudest was the metal rod spring things for the trunk lid.

Take a face cloth and fold it over a few times in one direction. Then slide it in-between the two rods. I then wire tied each end. Done

Next was the lid itself by the latch. I found right away that that a face cloth folded the same way as the last ghetto fix placed in-between the latch and the outside of the trunk does the trick. I tried cutting little squares of cardboard and tapping them on each of the outside edges where the rubber things make contact with the body but that didn't work. When I get some cash I'm gonna buy a set of bicycle gripes and replace the pieces of cardboard with squares of soft rubber but for now the ghetto cloth is doing the trick.

Next was the interior deck lid . I popped it up and padded all the contact spots between the lid and the metal under it. I just used folded squares of paper towel. Done

This has taken care of the trunk area.

The headliner was the next to piss me off enough to fix it.

I found a fsm page posted somewhere on how to remove the thing and used that just to drop just the rear of the thing. This involved removing the dome light, top seatbelt mounts, and I think maybe there was bolts on the top of the interior panels but I never took the panels off so I don't know if I needed to do that or not. I'm small so I only had to drop the back (near the rear window) like 4 or 5". I has some old padding stuff that had a egg crate like pattern. I cut it into a few like 4" wide strips in various lengths and put them in-between the headliner and the metal above it. Fixed!

After this I noticed the windows rattling. Easy, just take off the interior panels and look for the window guides. Theres three or for bolts on the outside of the top of the door holding sliding metal things that are covered in felt touching the window. I had the window up a bit, loosened them, used a small flat head to put a bit more tension on it and re tightened it. I ended up redoing this a few times because to much tension the window actually slows down and that didn't seem good and too little and it rattles again. Is great now, goes a normal Speed and doesn't rattle at any height. Done!!

Next was a little rattle coming from the drivers side interior door trim around the window and lock trim. It was missing the screw in the bottom of the handle. I found a guy on craigslist that had a z32 maf and a trim piece for sale and talked him down to 40 bucks delivered in person for both so the trim was free as far as I'm concerned. I also used this time to open my switch thing and bend in a little pen spring to fix the drivers window switch. It was getting stuck in the auto down position and that was annoying. Fixes two thing!!!

Now the defroster vent started with me. This was really brittle and broke into three long sections when I was removing it. Also broke a few little fins. Little things bother me so I'm not happy about that one bit. Anyway I padded the two outside ends with little squares of folded paper (really little so they don't show) and laid my now really sad trim piece back in there. I took some more handy dandy wire ties and bent them so I could feed them through the vents at the cross pieces in the dash. This sucked and took a few tries but is quite now. Done.

Now I could hear some metal on metal noises coming from under the hood. Again it was a few thing. All easy. First I fixed was the fmic hot pipe where it went through the hole in the metal to get into the bumper area. I used my awesome roll of custom paper towel, folded one, and slide that bitch in there. Done
Next I noticed that my grommet for the hood prop up thingy was in sad shape and missing like half of itself. I tried every local part store looking for something universal but no luck. I took a roll of electrical tape and rapped where the grommet was to the thickness of the inside of the grommet. The rod now wedges in-between it's little plastic holder and a plastic ridge that runs around my s15 headlight and doesn't make a sound.
The next was from the hood itself. I noticed it wasn't lined up perfectly with the fenders so I was adjusting the height with the rubber things on the outside corners of the hood. The just screw in to lower the hood or out to raise it. The hood was low so I raised it so it looked perfect and this fixed the rattle. Yeah.
The next few are coming from the undercarriage and until I find some local friends with a lift or a floor jack and jack stands there isn't much I can do. I moved across the country and couldn't bring most of my tools and I'm still hurting.
While it was on a lift at a tire place I looked around one found that a exhaust hanger that's mounted to the transmission crossmember was broken. Is rubber with metal attached just to rubber. It had separated except for a thin enough just to hold the metal on but still let it bounce on and off the actual
exhaust. The bolt that keeps that piece of metal attached to the exhaust is missing and there would be no point replacing just the bolt with the rubber that messed up. I looked down and there was wire tie on the ground. Can you say custom exhaust? Yeah boy!
I'm more focused on making the car go faster right now so I trip to the dealer doesn't seem
Like fun. I'm sure the tie is melted and gone by now and I'll fix it for real soon.

I know, I know. These are ghetto fixes but hey, my cars getting quieter and I'm getting happier. I'll update more as I find them.

Later

[Datenshi]

Sounds like your car started off ghetto to begin with, I guess these fixes are fitting.

[Socalgal]

Actually not at all, it's a very nice car. It's just 15 years old, on stiff coilovers and lo pro tires. Also 190k on the chassis. My last car was a 2000 BMW 540 with low miles and I had to do the same in that. I notice little things. This was just the best I could do without spending a cent and going to junkyards. Thanks though.

[jspaeth]

Actually not at all, it's a very nice car. It's just 15 years old, on stiff coilovers and lo pro tires. Also 190k on the chassis. My last car was a 2000 BMW 540 with low miles and I had to do the same in that. I notice little things. This was just the best I could do without spending a cent and going to junkyards. Thanks though.


I like your style!

My FMIC hotpipe has a coupler right where it passes throught the "battery tray" (but on the driver side)...

Anyway, the couple for a while was making contact with it and eventually rubbed a hole through.

How did I solve this?

I took an old rag, folded it over on itself like 2 or 3 times, and shoved it down there between the pipe and the metal.

Boom, done.

[projectRDM]

Instead of rigging the deck lid with shit, why not just adjust the striker? That's why it has an adjustment, to tighten it down after the rubber bumpers wear and compress.

Or, replace the bumpers with new ones. Seems a hell of a lot more appropriate than wedging chunks of cardboard in there. You can also buy a new hood prop grommet instead of wrapping it in tape.

But it's your car, your jank fixes.

[Datenshi]

lol ^

That's why I chose to buy my 240 completely stock when I got it... with no mods done, cause people like him who are too ghetto to fix something properly, let alone install something properly. Rags, paper towel and cardboard.. sounds like proper mechanics to me. I'd love to buy your super silent car, filled with random shit so you don't hear problems with your car. Why not just invest in that foam shit they used to fill in cracks in your house, you could just spray it everywhere.. I hear that keeps stuff SUPER silent.

[klits562]

Cool info, i'll have to go through my car and fix some things. Most of the noises from my car only come at certain rpms though so that just makes it harder.

[jspaeth]

Instead of rigging the deck lid with shit, why not just adjust the striker? That's why it has an adjustment, to tighten it down after the rubber bumpers wear and compress.

Or, replace the bumpers with new ones. Seems a hell of a lot more appropriate than wedging chunks of cardboard in there. You can also buy a new hood prop grommet instead of wrapping it in tape.

But it's your car, your jank fixes.


This is what I did as well....for a while, every time I hit a bump, the trunk would rattle....so damn annoying.

Like Russ said, you can lower the catch point on the latch inside the trunk so that when it gets locked in there, it is further down and actually being pulled down tight.

[Socalgal]

Instead of rigging the deck lid with shit, why not just adjust the striker? That's why it has an adjustment, to tighten it down after the rubber bumpers wear and compress.

Or, replace the bumpers with new ones. Seems a hell of a lot more appropriate than wedging chunks of cardboard in there. You can also buy a new hood prop grommet instead of wrapping it in tape.

But it's your car, your jank fixes.

Car has new bumpers and the striker is all the way down. I said the cardboard didn't work and was promptly removed. I should mention that I run two jl audio 10" w6's on a 2000 watt Memphis amp. As I said, I checked every local part store for a gromit and no one had anything. I haven't had a chance to hit up a dealer yet.

Yank? Fuck off. Like you have any idea who you're talking to.

[97nismo]

Yank? Fuck off. Like you have any idea who you're talking to.

If your so important why do you have a 240 and not a porsche???

[Socalgal]

lol ^

That's why I chose to buy my 240 completely stock when I got it... with no mods done, cause people like him who are too ghetto to fix something properly, let alone install something properly. Rags, paper towel and cardboard.. sounds like proper mechanics to me. I'd love to buy your super silent car, filled with random shit so you don't hear problems with your car. Why not just invest in that foam shit they used to fill in cracks in your house, you could just spray it everywhere.. I hear that keeps stuff SUPER silent.

Putting foam in-between a piece of interior trim does not effect a car mechanically. It's sound deadining, that's it. There is no "hacked' mechanical parts of my car what so ever. This stuff was don while I was out of money after changing all, that means all the fluids in the car and having every mechanical part of the car gone through. I guess next time I'll spend my cash on less important things like sound deadining and forget the mechanical shit. That sounds much better.

Ps, people do fill every bit of there car with that foam during builds. I've seen it quite a few times. I just padded some shit. I also got all the info online.

Lastly..., socalgal seems like a funny name for a he, maybe you should read before making assumptions.

This is for people that are annoyed by the stuff that rattles in the 12-15 year old cars and wants to fix it.

If you don't have that problem or don't like the free fixes, MOVE THE FUCK ON. I'm sure your church misses all your preaching.

[Socalgal]

If your so important why do you have a 240 and not a porsche???

Shit!!! My bad. I guess I forgot that what kind of car you have determines what kind of person you are. I'm so stupid!!

Yank is a term for the revolutionary war, really only still used by people trying to stereotype Americans. Didn't really see how it applies to a complete stranger but hey, that's the fun of the Internet huh?

[projectRDM]

Car has new bumpers and the striker is all the way down. I said the cardboard didn't work and was promptly removed. I should mention that I run two jl audio 10" w6's on a 2000 watt Memphis amp. As I said, I checked every local part store for a gromit and no one had anything. I haven't had a chance to hit up a dealer yet.

Yank? Fuck off. Like you have any idea who you're talking to.

Awesome reading skills. I should have known some dumbass who stuffs cardboard into every corner of their car wouldn't be able to read.

I never used the word 'yank' anywhere in my post. The word is 'jank', as in shitty, halfass, worthless, cutting corners like hell. IE, your car. Poor thing, at least when it was rattling it was semi OEM, now it sounds more like a dumpster than a car with all the trash you've crammed into it. But again, your car, you can do what you want. I personally put my trash in the garbage can though, not in my car.

[hellaslows13]

I stopped reading as soon as I saw face cloth... I knew this was a cheap alternative, but I didn't know it was THAT cheap..

[klits562]

I really dont see what the big deal is and how this could of broken out into an arguement.
She used household items that were readily available to fix problems she had with her car, i bet most of her solutions arent even visible, so why does it have to bother someone, on a forum, who would probably never see the car in person anyway?

So why dont we get this topic back on track, and instead of argueing with what someone did to their car, why not just offer your opinion on the way you would rather do it. Thats how grown ups discuss things.
This thread can gather alot of noise related problems and solutions.

[Socalgal]

Instead of rigging the deck lid with shit, why not just adjust the striker? That's why it has an adjustment, to tighten it down after the rubber bumpers wear and compress.

Or, replace the bumpers with new ones. Seems a hell of a lot more appropriate than wedging chunks of cardboard in there. You can also buy a new hood prop grommet instead of wrapping it in tape.

But it's your car, your jank fixes.

"jank" is not the same as junk. So while you sit there and make fun of my reading ability maybe you should check your own work. It's my bad for assuming it said yank and I apologize but yank is closer to what you actually wrote then junk is. What ev, I apologize and want to point out that I have not once made fun of anyone or there cars and I'd like to think I would get the same respect.

My car is running some serious bass, way more then oem things can handle. It will literally take under 30 seconds to take these things out once I take my subs out and it will sound just like a 15 year old car with 190,000 miles again. As for now, it's dead quite even with the subs bumpin.

[Socalgal]

I really dont see what the big deal is and how this could of broken out into an arguement.
She used household items that were readily available to fix problems she had with her car, i bet most of her solutions arent even visible, so why does it have to bother someone, on a forum, who would probably never see the car in person anyway?

So why dont we get this topic back on track, and instead of argueing with what someone did to their car, why not just offer your opinion on the way you would rather do it. Thats how grown ups discuss things.
This thread can gather alot of noise related problems and solutions.

^^
Thank you, I'm glad someone understands. I made this whole post on an iPhone and it was a pain in the ass. I did it because I thought it may help people and I'm hoping to find better, permenant solutions. I'm very open to ideas and more so how others have dealt with the same problems. I'm not open to childish shit like ragging on other peoples cars.

[klits562]

Well i know my car makes alot of different noises, so i think it would be a good idea if everyone got together and posted noises they had from there car and how they fixed it. Its definatly something i know i need to do, and im sure theres more people out there that would benefit from the info.

[Datenshi]

Lastly..., socalgal seems like a funny name for a he, maybe you should read before making assumptions.

This is for people that are annoyed by the stuff that rattles in the 12-15 year old cars and wants to fix it.

lol. No wonder, it all makes sense now. Only a chick would care about their s-chassis rattling and seemingly simple logic are thrown out the window. Again, toilet paper, paper towel and cardboard stuffed into your car to prevent it from making noises it shouldn't be making in the first place sounds like a lost cause to me. Good luck with your 'build' lol. Hope it doesn't rain on your sound proofing, you might have to spend another 50 cents on 'materials'. Hahahaha

As for this post helping Zilvians, no, it probably doesn't. Most of us care about cornerning.. or drifting, or horsepower.. turbos.. ya'kno? Something actually MECHANICAL to enhance our cars.. not "Now my trunk doesn't rattle when I'm thumpin my BASS YO!"

[Mister.E]

I like your style!

My FMIC hotpipe has a coupler right where it passes throught the "battery tray" (but on the driver side)...

Anyway, the couple for a while was making contact with it and eventually rubbed a hole through.

How did I solve this?

I took an old rag, folded it over on itself like 2 or 3 times, and shoved it down there between the pipe and the metal.

Boom, done.

i just took a section of vacuum line and cut through it all the way down the length of the line. you can then slip it over the sharp edge and wrap it all the way around the circumference of the cutout. Mine never rubbed through the entire time i had the car.

[projectRDM]

"jank" is not the same as junk. So while you sit there and make fun of my reading ability maybe you should check your own work. It's my bad for assuming it said yank and I apologize but yank is closer to what you actually wrote then junk is. What ev, I apologize and want to point out that I have not once made fun of anyone or there cars and I'd like to think I would get the same respect.


Urban Dictionary: jank (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jank)

Jank is a word I've heard and used for over 25 years. While it does closely relate to junk, it's not the same word.

Respect is earned, not given. And stuffing trash into your car won't earn any respect from me, nor will trying to attack without even comprehending what I wrote.