rattle trap

Was just thinking the same thing about mine today!


iPad ? HD

 

Hmm, I live in sunny, warm Tucson, and mine only rattles when my wife puts her plastic cup in the cup holder with ice in it. Of course on the crappy roads we have in a lot of places here, the whole car bangs around like an Econo jet in turbulence, but mainly it does not have any isolated rattles and squeaks. I am partially deaf however, let me go ask my wife... hopefully she'll speak loud enough...

 

You need to get behind each plastic assembly and lubricate with silicon all contact points, plastic prongs and slots. Add to that, you don't want to get any silicon on the exposed areas or it will leave a mark (don't ask me how I know this!) Even then, it's not a permanent solution - especially if you live in a dry climate. Many rattles go away when it warms up.

 

I hate rattles but I just gave up on trying to stop them in my Prius. I'm getting used to them. Let them rattle. I'll trade it for a new Avalon one of these days. My Prius is not very comfortable for me. I just can't get the driver's seat positioned right.

 

I had the same issue with the fly bridge making noises- yesterday I shoved some heavy duty Velcro between the center console storage (pulled the cup holder out to gain access) and the mating surface of the fly bridge (just behind the small lidded storage compartment in the fly bridge) and as of this morning the noise from the fly bridge was gone! This morning it was in the 20f temp wise- so there certainly would have been noises from the fly bridge without the fix.

 

Seems like toyota may have used hard thin plastics everywhere. Thin carpet too. Adding a lot of sound deadening behind the panels would add more weight. I'm sure they could've made the interior more substantial but it may have added 100+ lbs to the curb weught...perhaps the difference between 49mpg and the magical 50mpg.

 

Agreed!
On the Prius- every ounce counts- and that's why we get hollow sounding doors, aluminum hood, thin hard plastic dash, etc..

 

I added about that much in weight to my car with all of the Dynamat padding in each door, under the carpet (floor), and in the cargo area. That small difference in MPG was worth it as I really notice the difference in sound-deadening when I ride in someone else's Prius.