We can fix the rattles!

[nopropslaw]

So this is my idea...Several people have posted on hear about where they found shakes or rattles, and how to fix them. I thought I would start a thread so that people could just list where the rattles were coming from, and the fix. I think this would help everyone, including myself since i am not too handy. Also it would be great to post picks too so that we know exactly the area that is being talked about. I know the dealerships can fix it, but most of the time they say "can't duplicate". This way we can all have a quiet ride as it was intedended by tightening down all the parts that they overlooked at the plant. Then maybe we could make and excel document listing the area and the fixes. What does everybody think?

[Jeostang]

I put foam under my dash around the the light sensor thing by the windsheild.

[UncleP]

can you please elaborate on the "light sensor thing". i'm not comprehending very well right now.......long work week

[CoachBoone]

I s-s-s-s-second that motion!

[Jeostang]

In the center of my Dash it a little bulb plastic looking thing that is either the light sensor or outside temp. My dash was rattling in that area.

[jaysonstuart]

if you don't have automaitc lights when it gets dark you won't have a little bulb on your dash.

[pciley]

1) Jet Tech found some loose bolts on the side of the dash under the plastic trim cover pieces (small round things that pop off) and a dash rattle went away by tightening those. You will see the round covers when you open the driver's door. Remove them and torque the bolts to spec if they are loose to cure that rattle.

2) I had a squeak/rattle on rough roads coming from the guage cluster, I removed the surrounding cover for the guages and found that shimming the support points that you will see behind it and removing/reinstalling the cover on the dash that goes over the cluster, the squeak stopped.

3) Also had a squeaking / creaking suspension in the rear. The leafs seemed to be rubbing or something. I used marine grease to lube as best I could between the leafs and got to the rest with a bit of wd-40 (the wd-40 doesn't seem to be effective for very long, so you will have to re-do this as the noise comes back every couple of months or so). Another user found that by loosening the shackles and ... kind of realigning the leafs near the ends (while truck is not under load, on jack stands) and then retightening the shackles, that the squeak was much less noticable

4) I also had another rattle/squeak from the rear of the cab, near the floor of my KC. I removed the jack and tools, then unbolted the bracket that holds the jack in place. I put thin flat nylon washers on the bolt under the bracket and reinstalled... a bit tighter. Anyone else have that squeak?

[UncleP]

Originally Posted by pciley

2) I had a squeak/rattle on rough roads coming from the guage cluster, I removed the guage cluster and found that shimming the support points that you will see behind it and removing/reinstalling the cover on the dash that goes over the cluster, the squeak stopped.

How did you remove the gauge cluster. I've had the same rattling noise and it's very irritating. When the dealership changed out my radio (and yes, it works great!), whatever they did fixed the gauge rattle, though they knew nothing about it because they reported on the service ticket that they couldn't "reproduce" the noise. Well, one week later and the noise was back. I want to just go ahead and fix it myself, but I also don't want to tear anything up. For now, I just do a temporary fix, I grab the arched piece just above the gauge cluster window and I pull it out just a bit. Is this what you were referencing to regarding the shims, because I think this would work?

[pciley]

I edited the post. It was misleading, sorry. You don't remove the actual guages, just the cover.

At your feet there will be two phillips head screws, one on each side of the lower dash cover. Remove the screws, pull the cover staright out and off. You can leave it dangling by the switch wires, no problem. Put your key in and turn to "on" position, but you don't need to start it, now you can move the column shifter out of the way (skip if you have gated shifter on center console instead of the column shifter). Then just grasp the arch piece of the guage cover and pull straight out. it is held in by snap clips. The top dash cover is the same way, just pull straight up and forward. Adjust/shim/lube the areas you feel the squeak is coming from.

[jdm]

I had the squeak coming from the jack area (I have the king cab). I took the jack & bracket completely out but still had the sqeak.
I took it in and the dealership got it fixed. I talked to the Tech that fixed it & he said there is a bolt coming up from the bottom of the truck that goes into the seat bracket or cab bracket or something. But anyway he tightened it & it went away.
He told me to lay on the ground, scoot under the truck & look up about where the jack is mounted & you will see the bolt. I haven't done it because it squeaks no more!!

For the leaf spring squeaks that were mentioned earlier;; I had that problem on my 96 chevy that I just traded in. I had to spray regularly with wd -40 to keep them quite. I then tried some of that "White lithium" spray grease. It lasts a long time before it quits working. Auto zone stocks it.

[Tom Roper]

Rattle coming from passenger power captains chair inside track rail. Could duplicate by fist pounding on outside backrest hinge. Seat was all the way to rear. Moved seat forward 1/4 inch...rattle gone.

[kbutton]

My Titan has a dashboard rattle in the center radio compartment. Sounds like it originates near the center chanel speaker.

I also have one coming from passenger side of dash as well.

Dealer installed foam kit on 2 occasions. Rattles went away for a day or two, then came back.

My Titan is at the dealer for its final repair attempt (today is day 64 of the Lemon Law period). Hopefully they can fix the rattles and the long list of other items...

[Gig'em]

At the risk of sounding dumb, what kind of foam does everyone use to put in their dash? I have some 1/8" thick sheets I used for a display board awhile back. Is this the same stuff you are using? Do you glue the foam down? Thanks in advance.

[Jeostang]

My foam was a about a 1/4 inch thick, I didn't even glue it down. Just press the dash on to the foam. it made a nice tight fit.

I'm using packing foam BTW.

[Steventa]

Had a rattle coming from underneath on accelleration. Broken weld on exhaust heat shield. It required replacement of exhaust pipe and other parts. The dealer broke or warped something during repair so now I'm waiting for parts and driving a new rental Silverado curtesy of the Nissan dealership until my Titan is fixed.