After years of vehicle use and increased mileage, it’s not unusual to notice signs of wear and tear. One of these could be loud rattling or squeaking noises coming from your vehicle’s cabin, especially when you pass a bump or drive over uneven ground. However, you shouldn’t have to tolerate them forever. Here are four ways you can fix or dampen interior rattling.
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Find the Source of the Noise
First, you need to know where the noise is coming from. You’ll want to carefully inspect the door panels, kick panels, footwell, and the trunk. If you own a truck or SUV, search the tailgate area for any strange sounds. You might find that the problem lies with loose screws or clips, and all they need is a bit of tightening or replacing. However, the sound could be coming from a spare tire mount or a loose toolbox in the trunk, so probe around until you pinpoint the source of the rattling.
Replace Missing Components
If you notice any missing screws or damaged fasteners, you’ll want to replace them with new ones. Likewise, check the console doors and glove compartment panels for any absent rubber bumpers. We know tailgate rattling can be loud and frustrating every time you hit a bump in the road, but you can help cut the sound with rubber stops. Simply replace your worn ones with a new pair to keep the latch secure.
Remove the Interior Panels
Removing interior panels around the door, dashboard, or other areas of your vehicle isn’t the easiest of tasks. It requires patience and due focus, though it’s necessary if you think the sounds are coming from behind the panels where metal and plastic components meet. In this case, you’ll have to take out any screws, clips, or fasteners securing the panels using special tools and then wedge the panel out. If you’re working on door panels, remember to replace the paper or plastic liner. Otherwise, this could lead to water and air leaks.
Add Soundproofing Insulation
After you’ve taken out the panels, it’s time to add the sound-deadening material. There are various types of insulation you can use for this task, including dense foam rubber padding, foam weatherstrip tape, or self-adhesive felt tape, that you can fit in between seams. If you can’t find the exact source of the problem, it’s not a bad idea to insulate more than one area. The more soundproofing insulation you add to the cabin, the quieter it will be.
This doesn’t just minimize rattling, though. If the noises are coming from the kick panels where your audio system speaker resides, adding insulation to these areas will reduce vibration and give you better sound quality.
If you’re tired of hearing annoying squeaks and rattles in your cabin when you go for a drive, maybe it’s high time for a bit of preventive maintenance. Follow this guide to help eliminate pesky noises and get back to enjoying those quiet rides you’ve been longing for.
This photo, “2012 Kia Rio5” by theKCB used under CC BY 2.o. “2012 Kia Rio5” is licensed under CC BY 2.0 by Gay Family Kia.
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