Rattle Theories

evilweasel · November 30, 2006

Hello All,

I've been following the forums ever since my purchase of an IS220d back in July - in particular the stories of rattles from the dash area (and other places!) of the car.

Until now I thought I was one of the lucky ones, but over the past few weeks my car has developed the rattle that comes from the dash against the window, when driving over uneven surfaces. I guess it's due to the cold weather.

As I said I have been following the forums and at no point (correct me if I'm wrong) has anyone actually come up with specifics as to the root cause of the rattles, and exactly how they're fixed. Something like 'the mounting bracket behind the seatbelt's upper fastening needs padding' etc...

I have had a quick look and have a theory about the dash rattle (in my case anyway). There is a little play on the upper part of the dash at the contact point between it and the windscreen. Lexus have thoughtfully adhered black foam rubber strip along the upper edge of the dash to make a seal between the two components. There appears to be no adhiesive on the windscreen side.

I have been able to flex the dash against the windscreen and replicate the 'rattle' - it seems to be caused when the foam rubber breaks friction with the windscreen side - making an audible 'crack'. Try pulling your finger along a piece of paper while pushing down and you get the same effect. (best analogy I could think of...!)

I wonder if anyone else has been able to diagnose the same specific issue. I know someone has had a new windscreen fitted and that seemed to fix their 'rattle'. Perhaps the new windscreen had dust on the area mating with the strip and that's 'lubricating' the contact point, preventing friction between the foam and glass. Other theories - perhaps the cold weather changes the rubber characteristics (goes harder), making it more likely to bind up with the glass. In warm weather the rubber may become softer than orginal spec and have the same effect.

How to fix it - maybe a small amount of lubricant between the glass and rubber. Maybe a black cloth tape squeezed between the glass and rubber. It has to be easier than the 'dash out' job some people have had, which hasn't fixed everyone's issues.

I also have a rattle eminating from the fuel filler cap/boot open switch area when the engine slightly labours at around 2k rpm. If you touch the area around the switch the rattle stops. I have had the switch panel off and there are loose plastics galore - you know, clips that dont mate really well. I'd appreciate anybody else's experience with rattles eminating from that area.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Nick The Greek · November 30, 2006

WD40?

Man's best friend!

Seriously, if it is what you think it might be, then that would be an excellent lubricant to test it out with.

If not, use a few drops of good old "3-in1" :D

Northern Boys Luv Gravy · November 30, 2006

Hello All,
I've been following the forums ever since my purchase of an IS220d back in July - in particular the stories of rattles from the dash area (and other places!) of the car.

Until now I thought I was one of the lucky ones, but over the past few weeks my car has developed the rattle that comes from the dash against the window, when driving over uneven surfaces. I guess it's due to the cold weather.

As I said I have been following the forums and at no point (correct me if I'm wrong) has anyone actually come up with specifics as to the root cause of the rattles, and exactly how they're fixed. Something like 'the mounting bracket behind the seatbelt's upper fastening needs padding' etc...

I have had a quick look and have a theory about the dash rattle (in my case anyway). There is a little play on the upper part of the dash at the contact point between it and the windscreen. Lexus have thoughtfully adhered black foam rubber strip along the upper edge of the dash to make a seal between the two components. There appears to be no adhiesive on the windscreen side.

I have been able to flex the dash against the windscreen and replicate the 'rattle' - it seems to be caused when the foam rubber breaks friction with the windscreen side - making an audible 'crack'. Try pulling your finger along a piece of paper while pushing down and you get the same effect. (best analogy I could think of...!)

I wonder if anyone else has been able to diagnose the same specific issue. I know someone has had a new windscreen fitted and that seemed to fix their 'rattle'. Perhaps the new windscreen had dust on the area mating with the strip and that's 'lubricating' the contact point, preventing friction between the foam and glass. Other theories - perhaps the cold weather changes the rubber characteristics (goes harder), making it more likely to bind up with the glass. In warm weather the rubber may become softer than orginal spec and have the same effect.

How to fix it - maybe a small amount of lubricant between the glass and rubber. Maybe a black cloth tape squeezed between the glass and rubber. It has to be easier than the 'dash out' job some people have had, which hasn't fixed everyone's issues.

I also have a rattle eminating from the fuel filler cap/boot open switch area when the engine slightly labours at around 2k rpm. If you touch the area around the switch the rattle stops. I have had the switch panel off and there are loose plastics galore - you know, clips that dont mate really well. I'd appreciate anybody else's experience with rattles eminating from that area.

Any thoughts, anyone?

There are a number of Toyota Service Bulletins dealing with the rattles in the dash. Here's one, for example:

http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Lexus/115683480...3-06/index.html

evilweasel · December 1, 2006

Thanks NBLG.. Great info on that site - it's frightening to see how invasive the dash rattle fix is...

BTW How is it back home? I used to live in Gosforth and sometimes shopped at that safeways near the Lexus garage on Benton Road...

Anyway - Bugger - just disproved my theory this morning.

I put some thin card along the length of the screen and the rattles were still there. It looks like an effing dash out job.. I'm so dissapointed - Once the dealer does a big job like that I'm sure the car will never be the same again - little scratches everywhere, snapped clips in the dash area, mucky handprints etc... Maybe its a lack of trust with garages - I've been burnt before by them.

I'll have to think long and hard about asking them to do it. Maybe I'll just live with it...

Northern Boys Luv Gravy · December 1, 2006

Thanks NBLG.. Great info on that site - it's frightening to see how invasive the dash rattle fix is...
BTW How is it back home? I used to live in Gosforth and sometimes shopped at that safeways near the Lexus garage on Benton Road...

It's Sainsbury's now - we've gone posh. I'm sure things elsewhere haven't changed much - though you'll be amazed to hear that Newcastle United have still won nowt.... :duh:

Infinity · December 2, 2006

Thanks NBLG.. Great info on that site - it's frightening to see how invasive the dash rattle fix is...

BTW How is it back home? I used to live in Gosforth and sometimes shopped at that safeways near the Lexus garage on Benton Road...

It's Sainsbury's now - we've gone posh. I'm sure things elsewhere haven't changed much - though you'll be amazed to hear that Newcastle United have still won nowt.... :duh:

Aye like i said the posh end, now't like the Co-op down wor end, watch you don't fall over that doctor.

My missus used to be produce manager in that Safeway several years ago.

evilweasel · December 2, 2006

I used to work there too - around 15 years ago in the bakery department.... Happy days... Went to school up the road at Heaton Manor - they've knocked it down now I believe. Nice 35yr PFI school now at the Jesmond site.

Matus · December 2, 2006

I have had a quick look and have a theory about the dash rattle (in my case anyway). There is a little play on the upper part of the dash at the contact point between it and the windscreen. Lexus have thoughtfully adhered black foam rubber strip along the upper edge of the dash to make a seal between the two components. There appears to be no adhiesive on the windscreen side.
I have been able to flex the dash against the windscreen and replicate the 'rattle' - it seems to be caused when the foam rubber breaks friction with the windscreen side - making an audible 'crack'. Try pulling your finger along a piece of paper while pushing down and you get the same effect. (best analogy I could think of...!)

Hi Evilweasel,

thanks for your post, because it looks that I suffered the same problem.

That sound I used to have, was the same as yours - the paper description is perfect.

In my case, it occured only on specific moments - only on specific jumps, or when braking a bit harder. That sound was in my case so silent, that most of the time only I could hear that, none of other passengers heard it.

Also specific was, that when it was raining, it wasn't doing that sound at all, it was completely silent. But next day the sound was back. I sprayed the silicone oil spray under the window, but it didn't help.

Anyway, thank you and Northern Boys Luv Gravy, who posted the link, I checked the points of the contact dashboard with windscreen and I put a cloth there.

See the pics:

This was only "trial" version :) but IT WORKS!!! The sound is still there, but much much much more silent. It's hearable only when braking harder and I have to focus on it. There is no sound at all on the jumps. During normal driving I can't hear nothing.

I cut the cloth and it's almost invisible now. I have to get a black cloth and it will be perfect. Or the best would be to get the original lexus foam, but I don't know where and how. After reading some posts, I don't want to put my lexie to garage, to remove the dashboard, specially when this is my only and small problem and I succesfully cured it.

So thank you again, and I hope that my post will help you too.

alpappy · December 3, 2006

I have had a quick look and have a theory about the dash rattle (in my case anyway). There is a little play on the upper part of the dash at the contact point between it and the windscreen. Lexus have thoughtfully adhered black foam rubber strip along the upper edge of the dash to make a seal between the two components. There appears to be no adhiesive on the windscreen side.

I have been able to flex the dash against the windscreen and replicate the 'rattle' - it seems to be caused when the foam rubber breaks friction with the windscreen side - making an audible 'crack'. Try pulling your finger along a piece of paper while pushing down and you get the same effect. (best analogy I could think of...!)

Hi Evilweasel,

thanks for your post, because it looks that I suffered the same problem.

That sound I used to have, was the same as yours - the paper description is perfect.

In my case, it occured only on specific moments - only on specific jumps, or when braking a bit harder. That sound was in my case so silent, that most of the time only I could hear that, none of other passengers heard it.

Also specific was, that when it was raining, it wasn't doing that sound at all, it was completely silent. But next day the sound was back. I sprayed the silicone oil spray under the window, but it didn't help.

Anyway, thank you and Northern Boys Luv Gravy, who posted the link, I checked the points of the contact dashboard with windscreen and I put a cloth there.

See the pics:

This was only "trial" version :) but IT WORKS!!! The sound is still there, but much much much more silent. It's hearable only when braking harder and I have to focus on it. There is no sound at all on the jumps. During normal driving I can't hear nothing.

I cut the cloth and it's almost invisible now. I have to get a black cloth and it will be perfect. Or the best would be to get the original lexus foam, but I don't know where and how. After reading some posts, I don't want to put my lexie to garage, to remove the dashboard, specially when this is my only and small problem and I succesfully cured it.

So thank you again, and I hope that my post will help you too.

So this is what its come to!! Spend 25K plus and use rags to stop the rattles Lexus should be ashamed to see this..Last time I did something like that was when I used to build kit cars!!

ALan

evilweasel · December 3, 2006

Yes, it would be interesting too see a comment from Lexus on this - people just don't want their 32k car pulled apart to fix a rattle - they would rather do it themselves in a less invasive way.

If Lexus put their cars together properly in the first place we wouldn't be in this situation. The civilised world has been building cars for over 100 years now and even then, major manufacturers seem to get the basics wrong.

I think the 'rag' solution is somehow too agricultural for me though... I'm still thinking hard about whether to let the spanner monkeys loose on my dash. I'll have to unmod my DVD for a start, and I really can't be @rsed with the hassle.

Matus · December 4, 2006

evilweasel> If I had any rattle now, or once if I will have, I will go straight to the dealer to fix it (remove the dash etc). But this was my only little problem, and even if it's fixed in such an extraordinary way, I don't care. I think it is better to leave it this way.

To the point: after two days of labouring I think that with the rag I didn't cure the problem, but the rag stops the cracking sound to go out from the dashboard...