Need ideas to fix rattle in headliner

[RSW]

Need to draw on the wisdom of the community about a rattle in my FE2, V6 manual, sport suspension car. At lower speeds on a bumpy road, I have a rattle that seems to be in the headliner substrate at the top right corner area of the fixed glass in the rear cabin. It's on the driver's side. I had posted previously, when I thought the rattle was coming from the trim at the base of the fixed glass, but I've determined it's in the headliner just above the top right corner of the fixed glass. The headliner is noticeably a bit "looser" on the driver's side, where I'm hearing the rattle, than in the same spot on the passenger side. (I don't know if there might be some sort of "clip" mechanism in the headliner substate that might not be affixed on the driver's side, but is on the passenger side.) My friend riding along to help diagnose the rattle location only had to apply a small amount of finger pressure on the headliner spot to make it stop rattling. I'm just looking for ideas of how to possibly address it myself, and if I had to take it to a dealership (1.5 hours away), how badly would they tear up my car (sort of scared they'd create more problems/rattles than they'd fix). When I push on the headliner spot, it feels like there is something solid behind it (I don't know what is underneath the Alcantara fabric, whether the fabric is on some sort of headliner substrate which I'm able to push against something solid like the roof frame of the car itself, or what). One harebrained idea I had was to somehow punch a small hole through the Alcantara (and hopefully whatever is behind it holding the fabric itself), just big enough to perhaps insert a syringe containing some adhesive, and hopefully spread enough of the adhesive around to then push down on the spot for a bit and have it hold. The small hole should not be very noticeable, and perhaps I could touch it up. Any thoughts or suggestions? And, if I went to a dealership to fix it (and assuming they didn't like the injection of adhesive idea), how badly would they tear up my car in trying to fix it (e.g., have to pull back or remove the Alcantara fabric, etc.)? Thanks!

 

[crestima]

Need to draw on the wisdom of the community about a rattle in my FE2, V6 manual, sport suspension car. At lower speeds on a bumpy road, I have a rattle that seems to be in the headliner substrate at the top right corner area of the fixed glass in the rear cabin. It's on the driver's side. I had posted previously, when I thought the rattle was coming from the trim at the base of the fixed glass, but I've determined it's in the headliner just above the top right corner of the fixed glass. The headliner is noticeably a bit "looser" on the driver's side, where I'm hearing the rattle, than in the same spot on the passenger side. (I don't know if there might be some sort of "clip" mechanism in the headliner substate that might not be affixed on the driver's side, but is on the passenger side.) My friend riding along to help diagnose the rattle location only had to apply a small amount of finger pressure on the headliner spot to make it stop rattling. I'm just looking for ideas of how to possibly address it myself, and if I had to take it to a dealership (1.5 hours away), how badly would they tear up my car (sort of scared they'd create more problems/rattles than they'd fix). When I push on the headliner spot, it feels like there is something solid behind it (I don't know what is underneath the Alcantara fabric, whether the fabric is on some sort of headliner substrate which I'm able to push against something solid like the roof frame of the car itself, or what). One harebrained idea I had was to somehow punch a small hole through the Alcantara (and hopefully whatever is behind it holding the fabric itself), just big enough to perhaps insert a syringe containing some adhesive, and hopefully spread enough of the adhesive around to then push down on the spot for a bit and have it hold. The small hole should not be very noticeable, and perhaps I could touch it up. Any thoughts or suggestions? And, if I went to a dealership to fix it (and assuming they didn't like the injection of adhesive idea), how badly would they tear up my car in trying to fix it (e.g., have to pull back or remove the Alcantara fabric, etc.)? Thanks!

This may be a long shot, but if the loosened screw/metal clip trapped in-between the liner and the roof is ferromagnetic, perhaps you can try move it with a magnet to a spot where it would no longer rattle, or to an edge section of the liner where you can extract it with minimal liner lifting. Just a thought.

 

[scc.131.fe]

@RSW any resolution on your end?

I have something loose in my headliner area (sounds like two or three little pieces of 'something' that shift left or right when cornering) and noticed that the Emira Service Manual doesn't have an instruction for headliner removal. I'd bring it to my dealer but I don't want the 3-4 software updates since my car works perfectly.

Anyone else have experience dropping the whole headliner or at least the front edge?

There are mentions on some other forum threads (removal of ugly sticker and radar power cable installation) that mention lowering of headliner, but nothing step-by-step. Is it as simple as removing visors/mirror and other stuff in the way followed by "just pull down"?

 

[RSW]

I was able to "rig" mine by using a few small, black furniture leg bumpers (with peel back adhesive on the bottom) to wedge in-between the gap where the two panels join (to the side of the rear glass window). This increased "tension" or tightness seemed to do the trick in stopping the rattling noise when I go over bumpy roads. It's perhaps not a permanent fix, but the little bumpers aren't very noticeable (given the location) and it's substantially doing the job right now. So, I never had to further explore getting into the headliner, etc. But the type of rattle I was experiencing seems much different than the one you are encountering. I'll still probably ask a dealer about my situation whenever I otherwise have to take the car in for service. Hope you figure it out.

 

[Medic518]

I have noticed a "rattle" as well - sounded more like rain drops hitting a convertible soft top, to be specific. I went around the trim surrounding the rear window, pushing it in all the way around, and it went away. Then I took it in for service, traveling on a rough road, and on the way home I noticed the "rattle" was back. Repeated the "pushing process", gone again. Now, I just need a way to keep that surround steady..

Sounds like rubber furniture bumpers worked?

 

[RSW]

I do think the trim that immediately surrounds the fixed glass is a source of (potential) rattles. At first, I thought that was my issue. I tried the pushing it in around the perimeter approach, putting in a few pieces in certain locations of right-sized weather-stripping foam, etc. But that was not my (main) issue. The rubber bumpers I used have worked for me, but I placed them where the side panel and the roof panel join, which is off to the side of the fixed glass a few inches, and really doesn't have anything directly to do with the trim surrounding the glass (though all or part of my rattle noise might be from the trim around the glass "bouncing"). So, maybe check the location that I'm talking about, and check both sides of the rear compartment to see if they look or feel any different (the relative size of the gaps between the two panels, the relative tightness, etc.). In my case, it's like the entire side in back (behind the driver seat) wasn't very stable or tight, and the resulting shaking over bumps made the noise (and the sound itself "might" be the glass trim surround "bouncing" and hitting what's below it). If the juncture of your side and roof panels in back are secure, and you don't think that's your issue, then using right-sized weather stripping around all or parts of the glass trim surround might solve it. But, maybe using the bumpers in the location I did will also solve your issue.