Help me locate this dash rattle in my Golf R. $100 prize for correct diagnosis

[wai]

There are two areas between the strut towers and the firewall that are notorious for collecting leaves. A pebble might have been caught here and is rattling away. Normally they should drop through the drain hole, but if they are too big or the drain is blocked, they will stay there.

[Lucas_R]

So you are going to slowly disassemble your car until you find the rattle?

Seems that way

Sorry may have already been suggested or checked but have you checked the structure bourne speaker mount??

Noise in your video sounds different but your description of noise location says it could be

Structure bourne speaker mount? Please elaborate?

There are two areas between the strut towers and the firewall that are notorious for collecting leaves. A pebble might have been caught here and is rattling away. Normally they should drop through the drain hole, but if they are too big or the drain is blocked, they will stay there.

Its clean as a whistle in there (see pics on previous page). There were a few leaves in there but the vacuum took care of that. No pebbles or anything else in there.

[piper26]

Aplogies golf r doesnt appear to have this fitted after looking further into it.

It is basically a speaker that creates resonance through the body to make the vehicle sound sportier inside the cabin. The mounts for these are in the plenum chamber and are prone to rattles.

[tonymy01]

Soundaktor is definitely fitted to the R.
But sounds more like something in the internal air con duct, or vent vanes rattling.

[Lucas_R]

^ yep Soundaktor WAS fitted to both my R and GTI but has been removed. Both are now sitting in my garage.

[Cavill]

The gunk holding the windscreen in has dried up and causing the rattle

[Lucas_R]

The gunk holding the windscreen in has dried up and causing the rattle

This has crossed my mind (even though the car has only done 24,000km and is hardly ever parked in the sun to pre-maturely age the glue etc) and i have pushed on the windscreen while driving but the rattle still persists.

[tigger73]

The other possibility is that you've got a weld where a bit slag has come off between 2 panels and is rattling around

If you can't get it out, you could possibly fix it by attaching a magnet to the location.

[RolfGolf]

^ yep Soundaktor WAS fitted to both my R and GTI but has been removed. Both are now sitting in my garage.

Are they socketed connections to the Soundaktor? No loose wiring?

Edit: I understand it's no longer there, but just checking no potential for shorting or arcing between connectors.

[magellan]

Have you tried pressing on the knee air bag when driving? I had a rattle from the knee air bag under the dash which I fixed by wedging a piece a cardboard between the air bag and the dashboard. It took me years to find the source as I was convinced the noise was from the instrument cluster or steering column.

[Lucas_R]

The other possibility is that you've got a weld where a bit slag has come off between 2 panels and is rattling around

If you can't get it out, you could possibly fix it by attaching a magnet to the location.

Funnily enough both these ideas were going through my head a few weeks ago as there is a large alloy tube that runs along the width of the car under the dash - and i was thinking that there could be a piece of metal vibrating around inside that tube.

Are they socketed connections to the Soundaktor? No loose wiring?

Edit: I understand it's no longer there, but just checking no potential for shorting or arcing between connectors.

The little wiring loom for the soundactor has been cable tied to another larger loom near it so that it cannot move.

Have you tried pressing on the knee air bag when driving? I had a rattle from the knee air bag under the dash which I fixed by wedging a piece a cardboard between the air bag and the dashboard. It took me years to find the source as I was convinced the noise was from the instrument cluster or steering column.

I haven't tried wedging anything it between the knee airbag and the dash but i have contemplated trying to remove the airbag as a possible source of the noise. I have also tapped and banged it many times. Hmmmmmmmmm im off to the garage i think - thanks for the info.

[tigger73]

Funnily enough both these ideas were going through my head a few weeks ago as there is a large alloy tube that runs along the width of the car under the dash - and i was thinking that there could be a piece of metal vibrating around inside that tube.

I haven't tried wedging anything it between the knee airbag and the dash but i have contemplated trying to remove the airbag as a possible source of the noise. I have also tapped and banged it many times. Hmmmmmmmmm im off to the garage i think - thanks for the info.

Given that you already had the ideas does that mean we're not eligible for the prize??? [emoji6]



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[Guest001]

Heres one thats different Had a rattle ,more a scraping sound in the front of the Polo, couldnt find the usual. It did it when cornering reasonably hard.

Result Removed insulation under the bonnet and removed the metal grip off a piece of that nylon strapping material.
It was sliding from side to side when changing direction.

Maybe worth $100 maybe nothing LOL

WHy that would be there beats me Maybe had attached itself to felt bit

[Lucas_R]

On the contrary - i will happily pay up as per my promise if someone suggests a fix that works, regardless of whether i had already thought of it or not.

Ive just come back from removing and replacing my knee airbag as per the suggestion posted above. When i loosened the 4x nuts holding the airbag in place and tapped it with my hand it made a VERY similar noise (metal on metal tapping sound) to what i have been hearing. So i removed it, put some foam tape stuff i have on just about every centimetre of metal area and put it back together. Now when i tap on it, it sounds much more secure. I'll take the car for a drive later to see if it was the culprit. Fingers crossed.

Given that you already had the ideas does that mean we're not eligible for the prize??? [emoji6]

[niall]

And????