[kjullion]

Hey guys,
I've been trying to troubleshoot a bad rattling noise that occurs in-cabin both when I start-up the car (2014 Focus ST) and while driving.

When driving, it's intermittent, in that at times the vibration noise is minimal or non-existent, but 80% of the time it's there. The noise will occur wheter I'm doing 30mph or 75mph it doesn't matter. It also happens every time I roll over the slightest of bumps in the roadway...e.g. the crosswalk paint, or the transition from tarmac to concrete, such as occurs on an overpass.

I've noticed lately that the noise seems to have gotten worse (NOTE: I did just accidentally bend one of my rims hitting a pot hole; and this is the second time that I've done that. The first time I think _could_ have been the start of my rattling noise troubles), and now I've noticed that my tall coffee mug in the drink holder is rattling back and forth as well.

When starting up the car, the rattling noise/vibration occurs but it only lasts for about half-a-second...I can live with that, but thought that it would be a different data point for diagonsis since the car is not in-motion and yet the same rattling noise occurs.

Can anyone suggest a set of possible diagnoses of things I should look into to try and get this resolved given the above info?

Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have,
KJ

 

[brian60]

Hey guys,
I've been trying to troubleshoot a bad rattling noise that occurs in-cabin both when I start-up the car (2014 Focus ST) and while driving.

When driving, it's intermittent, in that at times the vibration noise is minimal or non-existent, but 80% of the time it's there. The noise will occur wheter I'm doing 30mph or 75mph it doesn't matter. It also happens every time I roll over the slightest of bumps in the roadway...e.g. the crosswalk paint, or the transition from tarmac to concrete, such as occurs on an overpass.

I've noticed lately that the noise seems to have gotten worse (NOTE: I did just accidentally bend one of my rims hitting a pot hole; and this is the second time that I've done that. The first time I think _could_ have been the start of my rattling noise troubles), and now I've noticed that my tall coffee mug in the drink holder is rattling back and forth as well.

When starting up the car, the rattling noise/vibration occurs but it only lasts for about half-a-second...I can live with that, but thought that it would be a different data point for diagonsis since the car is not in-motion and yet the same rattling noise occurs.

Can anyone suggest a set of possible diagnoses of things I should look into to try and get this resolved given the above info?

Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have,
KJ

2014 ST3 here. Same thing but only when it's cold. It is common, and it's either the seat track...or the electronic device under the seat. I only say about the electronic device because when I flip my high beams on and it's really quiet I hear a control module or something under the seat make a noise...and it sounds like that's the same place. I've come to deal with it or just listen to music, but I don't believe there is a way to get rid of it yet other than to press really hard on your passenger seat from the driver's seat.

Edit: I know you live in Florida...but has it been chilly in the mornings by chance? I would definitely love to get to the bottom of the noise myself. I've asked here a time or two in the last few months to no avail.

 

[FourD]

Can you reproduce the rattling without driving/moving? Perhaps at a certain rpm. If so you can get someone to rev while you get a closer look/listen. Have you checked that all bolts are tight?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kjullion]

Unlikely that it's a cold thing. My car is garaged and so it's most likely 70 or 80 degrees, as I am in South Florida. Seat track or e device makes some sense. I've fiddled around under the seat a little and it did go away, but there is so little room under there I have no idea what I'm working with. I'm glad you mentioned "press really hard on your passenger seat from the driver's seat." because after months of listening to it I realized the noise goes away once I have a passenger in the seat, so I tried while driving to push down really hard on the left back quarter of the seat and sure enough the noise was dramatically reduced or eliminated entirely.

 

[kjullion]

I have checked the bolts and they seem tight. I feel like it's something hanging from under the seat, but it's so difficult to get under there with my arm/hand that I don't know what is there. I am going to see if I can get the dealership to remove the seat and shake it and see if the rattle can be reproduced outside of the car.

 

[brian60]

Unlikely that it's a cold thing. My car is garaged and so it's most likely 70 or 80 degrees, as I am in South Florida. Seat track or e device makes some sense. I've fiddled around under the seat a little and it did go away, but there is so little room under there I have no idea what I'm working with. I'm glad you mentioned "press really hard on your passenger seat from the driver's seat." because after months of listening to it I realized the noise goes away once I have a passenger in the seat, so I tried while driving to push down really hard on the left back quarter of the seat and sure enough the noise was dramatically reduced or eliminated entirely.

Another forum I saw mentioned it being "probably" the seat track...but I still feel like it could be related to whatever electronic do-hickey is under there. Seat tracks are well lubed last I looked, so realistically I don't know how one could prevent it if it were the seat track.

 

[kjullion]

I feel like the sound is more like a bit of plastic that is vibrating rather than metal...is that how you would describe your vibration noise?

 

[GronkDaSlayer]

Don't they All Do That?
I have a stiffer RMM on mine and it rattles worse than a pissed off crotalus...

 

[kjullion]

LOL...pissed off crotalus...I don't know what that means..but I'm LOLing anyway.

 

[GronkDaSlayer]

LOL...pissed off crotalus...I don't know what that means..but I'm LOLing anyway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus

Basically a Crotalus is a rattlesnake

 

[ocbaud]

I sometimes have a slight issue with noise from the front pass seat on my '14 also.
Doesn't sound as bad as yours, but it comes from the fact that when moving the seat forward or back on the track, the far right side track doesn't seem to always 'lock' in place.

If I hit the back of the seat with my hand/arm, it will snap in and is fixed until someone adjusts the seat position again.

Just something to look at on yours.

 

[TNcoupe]

If they are Recaros the S550 Mustang guys (me included) had an issue with them creaking/ rattling with them sitting all the way down on the floor. Jacked it up as little as possible and it quit.

 

[kjullion]

thanks ocbaud I will see if moving the seat forward will help, I assume you mean until it clicks in place...? but either way I'll move it around see if it makes a difference.

 

[kjullion]

TNCoupe, yes, I have recaros, but I don't know if I have that ability to jack up the seat, I do know I can hardly get my hand underneath the seat, so it's probably at it's lowest "height" setting right now...I just tried sitting in the passenger seat, and there seems to be only two adjustments fwd/backward with the metal bar that is in the front of the seat, and then tilt position of the upright part of the seat using the plastic release lever on the right of the seat at the bottom of the B pillar.

 

[kjullion]

Some new ideas and evidence. I sat in the passenger seat and then lifted my weight up and down to see if the noise could be made to occur and I think it's the same noise...it's not as rapid because the road vibration is much more frequent than I can do by myself, but I'm pretty sure it's coming from the same are, which is the back-left quadrant of the passenger seat.

So, I then moved the seat all the way forward and sat in the back to feel around under that back-left quadrant of the seat and their I found what I think is a plastic wiring conduit that may be zip tied and has some "air" between it and above that "air" space is some hard plastic. So, could it be that this counduit is acting like a rubber band and "snapping" on road vibrations and hitting the underside of the seat which is hard plastic???? I've always considered the sound to be that of plastic. And with a passenger's wait sitting on the seat perhaps the amount of "air" is eliminated and thus the noise doesn't occur....?

So, I've now stuffed a folded up piece of paper towel into that "air" space and will take it on a test drive later to see if this could be the "eureka" moment.

Thanks for all the suggestions/idea guys!

 

[brian60]

I feel like the sound is more like a bit of plastic that is vibrating rather than metal...is that how you would describe your vibration noise?

Mine makes almost an electric relay type of "clicking" noise. Bumps, vibrations from road, etc make it happen.

 

[kjullion]

eureka!!! Just went for a test drive and no more seat rattling noise. Stuffing a bit of paper towel between the plastic conduit that has presumably the electronic seat occupied sensor and the bottom of the seat has done the trick for me. Now, I'll have to fabricate something a little better, perhaps some soft foam insulation will be a better, more permanent fix.

 

[ddfred]

eureka!!! Just went for a test drive and no more seat rattling noise. Stuffing a bit of paper towel between the plastic conduit that has presumably the electronic seat occupied sensor and the bottom of the seat has done the trick for me. Now, I'll have to fabricate something a little better, perhaps some soft foam insulation will be a better, more permanent fix.

Maybe wire tie the offending piece in place snugly.

 

[brian60]

Well I know what I'll be looking at when I get home

 

[kjullion]

yeah, I may wire tie it snugly as you suggest, but I'm actually thinking some cushioning to both prevent the rattling and muffle the noise if it does rattle.