Possible Rear Rattle Remedy...

So what you are saying is the reason for this post is your wife made you post saying how you were wrong and she was right?

But thanks for the info. Or should we be thanking your wife?

 

I have that rattle and one that sounds to be coming from the left speaker on the dashboard

 

David, I think my rattle may fit your description. I'm going to try this the second I get out of work. If it works, you are [strikeout] your wife and you are my hero! This rattle bothers me so much!!

 

Rather than start a new thread with the same topic, I hope I'm OK to add to this old thread.... Mods, let me know otherwise.

So I had 2 rattles from the rear hatch, one was more of a thump only heard when going over larger bump, the other rattle was a more high pitched squeak that was far more frequent, heard going over minor irregularities (cracks in the asphalt, and the smallest bump), and by far the more annoying of the two. Before I tell you my solution, let me say it's amazing how much more luxurious/expensive the car feels when you eliminate these rattles. If you've made sure the spare tire and jack accessories are well tied down and not the source of the rattles, please check the fixes I did.

Fix for the Thump rattle issue: This turned out to be the rear spoiler, only heard going over sharp larger bumps or closing the rear hatch. I found placing an upward force on the spoiler while inserting shims (I used pieces of popsicle sticks, stacked 3 thick, under the left and right sides of the spoiler. Then Open/Close the hatch again to verify the thump noise has gone. If not, just an extra shim may be needed.

Fix for the squeak issue: First I noticed, one of the rubber boots on the bottom inner left corner of the door was missing, so rather than go to the toyota stealership, I fabricated a boot and mounted it to the car body instead of the door in such a way as occupy the same location as the boot. I drilled a hole in the boot and using a longer screw was able to fasten it after removing the shorter screw at that location. The screw I used had the same thickness and pitch but was 1 inch longer. For good measure I also placed foam tape at all the 4 "bumper stop" locations on the body frame where the hatch door rests against when closed. I also put a bit of grease on the parts of the lock that interface, actually the squeak I heard was probably because the lock interface was without grease due to the excessive movement that displaced the grease.

Anyway my car sounds closer to Lexus now, than an old VW Beetle (I remember my uncle's Beetle squeaked all round) Now it's only the smaller squeaks/rattle I notice, more so when it's colder, due to the plastic interior, maybe there is a few strategic places that I can inject expanding foam, however with all the airbags and stuff that may be a risky venture. The other place I'm looking into, is the rear floor cover in the rear hatch area. Hopefully strategically located foam tape can help here. Also emptying out the "glove" box of any loose items and greasing strategic metal interfaces on the seats, front and back, and a quick check to see all screws on door handles, etc. are tight, I'm sure will help to restore that expensive feel.

 

Can you take a picture of the rubber boot that yo have done.

 

Actually, the boot I put in was made from a round wood brush handle (about 1 inch diameter) . I cut about a 1 inch cylindrical section and drilled a hold through its center. The hole being barely wider than the screw thread. I know a photo would show this much better. I may get one to show this more clearly.

To add I eliminated most of the other rattles in the car as well. The plastic covering the area behind the steering wheel is quite loose so I stopped that from rattling. This was the next loudest rattle in terms of annoyance. Again a photo could show how I did this, better than a thousand words. A few other pieces of foam tape in the glove box area, the center console, the visors, the handles above the doors, and the buckle stops on the safety belts, ironed out some of the other rattles. There are still one or two other minor rattles (likely plastic panel related) that become apparent when you've eliminated the major ones. As I've said before each rattle or squeak one eliminates really helps make the car feel more solid or upscale. Now I think the tire noise depending on surface it the major source of noise, and a good set of tires rated with a combination of quietness and low rolling resistance in CR ratings, may be just the ticket when I eventually replace the tires.

 

As long as the wood doesn't get wet, it should do fine. Rubber might be a better material.