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Strange Rattle Help

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by GasSaver1, Nov 7, 2012.

  1. GasSaver1

    GasSaver1 Member

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    Hello All!
    I strange "tinny" rattle has started and I cannot seem to find the cause.
    The location seems to be on the driver side some place in front of the gas panel door and someplace behind the rear door. It seems to be coming from something inside the main body of the car! If I slam the rear door I hear it for a few seconds.

    This happens with:
    the gas door opened or closed
    the rear seat down or up
    the side triangle compartment in the trunk empty
    The rear shock plastic cover on or off

    It is coming from up high about in line with the gas door just maybe a foot in front of it. Nevertheless I still checked the mud flaps and sound nothing.

    The sound is "tinny" the best way I can describe it is if you take a wire or something "light weight" and rasp it against the body of the car. When I slam the door I hear it tic-tic-tic-tic in a quick burst but when I am driving over something bumpy it is nonstop. It is not coming from the actual door either and not traveling up from the license plate or hatch.

    Any ideas????? :(
     
    #1 GasSaver1, Nov 7, 2012
  2. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Except for the noise when closing the door, I had a noise on the right hand side of the car when going over bumpy roads.
     
    #2 El Dobro, Nov 9, 2012
  3. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    Get a friend to drive your car while you sit in the rear seat behind the driver. The noise could be from a ceiling support beam (I found this problem in my car) that is not properly tacked to the roof. Unfortunately, this beam is above the headliner. Another possibility is the hatch door spacers abrading causing a sound like a loose tool left inside the body somewhere. Here's a simple test for that: get 2 small rags and then open your hatch door. Place each rag just below where those spacers land in the rain track (sides) and close the hatch on top of the rags. Now drive around and if the sounds are gone, that is the problem. Report back here for that solution, if that is the cause. Good luck.
     
    #3 phoenixgreg, Nov 10, 2012
  4. Q-ball

    Q-ball Junior Member

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    Do you have a metal frame around your rear liscence plate? If you do, the bottom portion of it may be rattling up against the rear hatch.
     
    #4 Q-ball, Nov 10, 2012
  5. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    I am interested in your solution forvthe rattle of the hatch door. I have the same problem, and indeed when i put rags between the spacers, the rattle dissapears. My local dealer in the Netherlands has no solution.
     
    #5 Martholland, Nov 10, 2012
  6. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    #6 phoenixgreg, Nov 10, 2012
  7. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    I forced some grease in the hatch strut pivot mounted on the body and used some WD40 on the RH hatch hinge. So far, the noise is gone.
     
    #7 El Dobro, Nov 10, 2012
  8. GasSaver1

    GasSaver1 Member

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    I dont think this is coming from the rear hatch though, it seems to be something in the body a few inches back from where the rear door closes and in line with the gas hatch. I notices too that when the door is closed if I press in the area hard enough to rock the car a little I hear it but if the rear door (as in rear seat not hatch) is opened I cannot reproduce the sound by rocking the car.

    I am tempted to pull away the trunk interior and see whats in there.... I think this is right around where the rear seat latches but again it is something rapping against the interior body on the sheet metal- it isnt like the seat wasnt latched correctly
     
    #8 GasSaver1, Nov 10, 2012
  9. GasSaver1

    GasSaver1 Member

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    I removed the trunk access panel and the plastic tray under it exposing the spare tire. I was able to slip my hand a way up in under the trim on that side. I could not go that far in but I know there are some wires or hoses or something running under those interior pieces against the frame. I think something related to that is staking back and forth and rattling against the body. I have to take a ratchet and get the bolts off where the forward tie down is to try and pull away the interior further in hopes of getting to the bottom of this.
     
    #9 GasSaver1, Nov 10, 2012
  10. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    When I firmly pull at the right seatbelt of the back seat, the rattle stopped. So I think that the rattle comes from that area.
     
    #10 Martholland, Nov 11, 2012
  11. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    #11 Martholland, Nov 11, 2012
  12. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    I tried that by buckling the seatbelt and driving around, but the noise was still there.
     
    #12 El Dobro, Nov 11, 2012
  13. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    Buckling is not enough. You need strength, pull firmly and the noise is away.
     
    #13 Martholland, Nov 11, 2012
  14. EthanC

    EthanC Junior Member

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    There is small metal ball thingy in the seatbelt retraction system. It will have the sound you described. But I doubt it is the root cause, I took out the seatbelt assembly and I still can hear it. May be it was from the other side ( passenger), but I was too tire to chase it down.
     
    #14 EthanC, Dec 19, 2012
  15. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    Now it is colder (5 degrees Celsius) the rattle is less. I also greased the hinges and hatch strut pivot, it is almost gone. No idea if it is the temperature or the grease.
     
    #15 Martholland, Dec 19, 2012
  16. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Could it be the gas cover release cable ?
     
    #16 kithmo, Dec 19, 2012
  17. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    I don't think so, because the rattle is mainly on the right side and thencover is on the left side, or am I wrong?
     
    #17 Martholland, Dec 21, 2012
  18. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    If by putting rags between the spacers stopped the rattle, why not pursue my solution (link in post #6 here)? All it takes is some sticky backed felt (probably in a crafts store in the Netherlands) and a 10mm socket wrench.
     
    #18 phoenixgreg, Dec 21, 2012
  19. Martholland

    Martholland Junior Member

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    It is quiet now, and I tried your solution with felt on top, but the rattle was still there. I'll studied your picture again and saw that you packed the whole pivot, also the back. I' ll try it that way. Thanks, from a rainy Christmas in the Netherlands.
     
    #19 Martholland, Dec 22, 2012
  20. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

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    And a happy Christmas to you too! Yes, the trick is to remove the upper spacer(s) and en-wrap them with the sticky felt all the way around it so the overlapping seams are on the backside of the spacer(s). Leave a hole in the front so you can pass the 10 mm bolt thru it and re-tighten them. This way, the "seams" in back are locked against the hatch door. Even if a felted spacer gets wet from your rains, it should still stop the abrading noise.
     
    #20 phoenixgreg, Dec 22, 2012
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