Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => Topic started by: nikp on March 20, 2006, 11:57:13 AM

Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 20, 2006, 11:57:13 AM
Since i have had my FD, the back area has rattled something chronic. It\'s now doing my head in, so yesterday I rmoved the rear seat and all the plastic cladding on the inside, and will drive that around for a couple of days to see if i can find the culprit for the rattles. It\'s really annoying, and I want something that\'s nice a quiet - except for the exhaust! :p

The back of my RX now looks very odd indeed! Just wiring loom, seat belt assembly, and speakers! Very funny looking!

Does anyone else have rattly rex\'s?
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: Jovic82 on March 20, 2006, 12:07:00 PM
oh yes yes yes. every single one i have had has rattled like a bitch from the back!

tried to find the cuprit once but just wasted hours tearing all the panels off.

cheap nasty plastic is probably one of the culprits
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: AshRX on March 20, 2006, 12:09:04 PM
Tailgate boot lining? Its the rubber seals around the tailgate losing their stiffness. Mate put some washers behind them, and it stopped the noise straight away.
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: chrisBoid on March 20, 2006, 12:13:34 PM
I had a hidden rattle for some time.  Then when doing a thorough vacuum I discovered a pack of smints under the drivers seat...

My boot lid lining is rattling, due to a broken plastic mount.  I wonder if the mounts can be sourced from anywhere?
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 20, 2006, 12:13:59 PM
Well, i\'m going to drive round for a bit without any boot lining and interior plastic panels. Hopefully it will either stop rattling (Therefore the panels being the culprit) or it will still rattle and it\'ll still rattle and I will be able to spot the culprit then!
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: K1HKS arse on March 20, 2006, 01:44:28 PM
Very common tailgate lock i would imagine.The bootlid rattles in the locking mech.

Open the boot,put some insulation tape around boot lock hoop(bottom edge) on tailgate,not to much as it will not shut properly.This should cure it.

Gary
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 20, 2006, 01:47:07 PM
Cheers - i\'ll check it out.
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: peterwolds on March 20, 2006, 01:47:32 PM
useful tips to try as mine rattles wondered if was rear parcel shelf took it out wasnt
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: stu0x on March 20, 2006, 05:42:26 PM
Yep mine rattles/squeaks, thought at first it was coming from my rear left suspension so will be very happy if it turns out to be something far more mundane. I\'ll try the rear hatch lock.
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: gmogle on March 20, 2006, 05:46:44 PM
Yeah mine too, has ever since I have had the car, will try the tape round the hoop, knowing my luck I\'ll end up jamming it in and then it wont open lol

Gareth
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: clive on March 20, 2006, 05:47:29 PM
Try the heat shield over the rear silencer, took me ages years ago to find mine had fractured through one of its mounting bolt holes.
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 20, 2006, 11:05:29 PM
Thanks Clive, will take a look when i can get her jacked up.

Meanwhile, the rear is completely stripped out, as can be seen in this photo here:
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 20, 2006, 11:10:41 PM
So, I\'ve been driving around with her tonight all stripped out. I must say, the exhaust is really abnoxiously loud without any interior trim panels! Sounds great with a decat and hitting that second turbo! :D

Anyway, found one of the loudest things that rattles, as shown in these two piccies. It\'s a nut in the middle of the suspension strut, that seems to be clamping a round hard rubber, or metel disc in place. This nut had become loose, and was allowing the metal/rubber disc to rotate and rattle. However, when i tried doing it up, the stub that it fixes on to just rotates as well, which is quite frustrating as it\'s only going to get loose again. Can anyone tell me what it is, and how to tighten it? I\'m confused? Am i going to have to remove the shocks and springs to do it?
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 21, 2006, 10:20:24 AM
Bump, bump!
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: M@r]{ on March 21, 2006, 11:19:04 AM
Bit of a cowboy method but what about putting a small amount of superglue around it?  It should hold it enought to stop it rattling / untightening but still allow you to crack it when you want to undo it?  

 
Quote from: nikpSo, I\'ve been driving around with her tonight all stripped out. I must say, the exhaust is really abnoxiously loud without any interior trim panels! Sounds great with a decat and hitting that second turbo! :D

Anyway, found one of the loudest things that rattles, as shown in these two piccies. It\'s a nut in the middle of the suspension strut, that seems to be clamping a round hard rubber, or metel disc in place. This nut had become loose, and was allowing the metal/rubber disc to rotate and rattle. However, when i tried doing it up, the stub that it fixes on to just rotates as well, which is quite frustrating as it\'s only going to get loose again. Can anyone tell me what it is, and how to tighten it? I\'m confused? Am i going to have to remove the shocks and springs to do it?
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 21, 2006, 11:23:12 AM
That\'s worth a try i guess. Like you say, bit of a cowboy method, but should work!

I was thinking of just stuffing enough loo roll down though to stop it from rattling! But that\'s a bit of a lousy method. Would, ideally like to sort it the proper way.
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: nikp on March 21, 2006, 09:53:15 PM
Right!

I have made progress. Well, progress to the point where virtually all the rattles have dissappeared. I get a couple. The odd one or two when going over a big bump, but thats it!

I managed to tighten the nut up i was talking about, and removed all the trim from around the boot lid - resulting in no trim whatsoever in the rear of the car. I then systematically went round every bit of wiring loom, and anything else that looked like a might rattle and cable tied it down, or taped it together. The result is a much quieter ride, even without any trim panels!

So, now all i need to do, is replace any shoddy trim clips, and get new ones for those that are missing, and carefully re-introduce all the trim back so that that also does not rattle. Then, hopefully, i shall have a nice quiet ride.....except for the exhaust!!

So, if anyone else out there has similar issues (and by the sounds of it, there are!) I suggest removing all trim panels, and repeating the procedure i explained! Well worth it, and the trim panels are not that hard to remove really. Go on, do it, you know you wanna!
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: Rixio on March 24, 2006, 01:42:20 AM
Iv had my dash out for the last few days and found that it doesnt make a sound with it out, as soon as i put it back in this morning it started again. I had tried the boot panels etc, but its all stuck down so not sure there, the boot lid panels half the poppets? are missing so need some new ones...where & how much? I did go to Mazda and ask for the rubber stopper thingys but they said £30 odd each so i though fcuk that!


What i did find was that most of the screws that hold the dash and other various bits in the car, were all loose. As soon as these were tight they did reduce alot of the noise. With most jap cars the interior panels have been previously removed, so its always best to check them to see if any panels are loose...

The other thing im missing is some of the clip thingys that secure the gear dash part down

P.S All FD\'s rattle though :p
Hope that helps
Title: FD Rattles! Annoying
Post by: peterwolds on March 24, 2006, 06:37:13 AM
so the easy solution is turn the ICE up full blast then !
if a decent day saturday will start looking at the back panels