Where's that rattle?

My car has gotten a pretty good rattle coming from the front passengers area, but I can't find it. I push on every plastic part that I can reach while driving, nothing. I have taken everything out of the car (that is not attached) and from the glove box, still rattles. I'm going to get someone from work to drive around with me at lunch today to see if they can find it. Anyone else had this problem? It is pretty bad, like someone doing Morse code. Not fun in such a quiet car.

There is a leaf service too to find these as well as docs in the service manual on how to find. This could be an issue since the cars are so quiet.

EVDRIVER said:

There is a leaf service too to find these as well as docs in the service manual on how to find. This could be an issue since the cars are so quiet.

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Yep, they are supposed to have a microphone set-up with a set of headphones that they can use to pinpoint the location of the rattle. The manual also has a list of steps to take based on what is rattling to fix it. If you cannot determine it easily just take it to a dealer and have them help you out.

It wouldn't be a USB stick rattling, would it? That happened to me and I changed out my stick....

Randy said:

It wouldn't be a USB stick rattling, would it? That happened to me and I changed out my stick....

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No USB stick....I'll probably take it to the dealer if I can't figure it out today. My best guess right now is from the passenger door speaker area. The way the sound moves around the car it's pretty difficult to isolate.

My dealership put the front license plate bracket in the glove box. Could it be that?

Passenger seat belt hitting the door or side of the seat?
Happens in my current car all the time.

jcesare said:

Passenger seat belt hitting the door or side of the seat?
Happens in my current car all the time.

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Checked that and the glove box. Still going on. Taking it to dealer tomorrow.

jcesare said:

Passenger seat belt hitting the door or side of the seat?
Happens in my current car all the time.

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Had that happen today but sorted it quick. Belt was twisted so metal was tapping on the door pillar.

Also, make sure it's not your wristwatch. I was dumb enough to have this "rattle" bug me for a few days in a new car.

Some have reported a "noise" up in the fronr dash/speaker area apparently caused by the car communicating with CARWINGS.

Conjecture was EM noise getting into some speaker/audio system wires.

If you can get a CD of several low-frequency tones, or a sine wave sweep, it can sometimes help locate these vibrations.

You play it while the car is parked, and any loose/rattling hardware finds its favorite frequency and points itself out. While you're not driving, so you can hunt it down.

Is there an iPhone/Android/PC app "variable frequency generator" for audio output to the LEAF's AUX input?

garygid said:

Is there an iPhone/Android/PC app "variable frequency generator" for audio output to the LEAF's AUX input?

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Quite a few!

https://market.android.com/search?q=signal+generator

Hello,
Rattles are pretty directional and should be easy to locate UNLESS it is above your head, then it sounds like it is coming from everywhere/anywhere (caddy minor line mechanic experience). Yes, I WAS one of the generals men. :lol:

Also steering column rattles tend to be difficult to locate when driving but easy if you are not. The timbre of the rattle tells a lot about type of materials or location behind something else. It's all in the "sound" it makes.

Good Luck

I noticed a rattle in the front passenger area today. The small plastic door on the Aux audio input wasn't snapped down and was rattling. It can look closed, but it actually snaps down. That took care of it.

Richard

cardw said:

I noticed a rattle in the front passenger area today. The small plastic door on the Aux audio input wasn't snapped down and was rattling. It can look closed, but it actually snaps down. That took care of it.

Richard

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Thanks...but I think I found it. On the rear seatbelt on the driver's side. The latch was all the way on top where the seat belt pulls down from the roof area. I pulled it down and did not notice rattle when I took my daughter to swim practice on Sunday. So the comment about if it is above you, you can't tell where it's coming from was correct, because I would swear it was coming from the front passenger area.

Got my Leaf 2 weeks ago - rattle started in middle of dash X 3 days? When I put my hand on center dash and press rattle stops for a minute, then starts again. No glasses in holder, no other obvious reasons for rattle. Seems to come/go no reason. Going to dealer to see if they can fix. Sounds like a huge problem with Leafs. Darn! Love the car otherwise. Disappointed much? Yep.

Littlespeedy1 said:

Got my Leaf 2 weeks ago - rattle started in middle of dash X 3 days? When I put my hand on center dash and press rattle stops for a minute, then starts again. No glasses in holder, no other obvious reasons for rattle. Seems to come/go no reason. Going to dealer to see if they can fix. Sounds like a huge problem with Leafs. Darn! Love the car otherwise. Disappointed much? Yep.

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I had this in my SV. Rattle was coming from just behind the passenger airbag status light. It was so annoying I took the center bezel off to try to fix it myself. Dealer was ultimately able to track it down and fix it permanently.

Another common rattle comes from the sun visor(s) not being snapped back into their clips.