Several squeaks and rattles resolved!
 

Hi All,

Despite havng only 40,000 miles, my 2005 C2 has been plagued with squeaks and rattles. Based on input from the forum regarding the infamous "instrument cluster" rattle, I decided to do battle with that one this weekend - and boy am I glad I did! After I had removed the instrument cluster and jammed about 60 metric tons of felt and adhesive backed foam tape all around it, I crammed that sucker back in there. What happened next was amazing..... Driving over rough pavement that never failed to produce a symphony of squeaks, creaks and rattles, what I heard was....... Nothing! In fact, rattles that I had previously ascribed to other parts of the car now seem to be resolved as well. I think I must have fallen prey to the "ventriloquist" tendencies of car sounds, which sometimes are found to emanate from places scarcely imaginable before.

So, the moral of the story is.... Pull that damn instrument cluster and wedge it full of felt if you have any pesky rattles, even if they don't seem to be comng from there!

Now, a question! One area I haven't been able to tackle yet - the carpeted trim right under the end of the rear windscreen. I think it's held on with "clips" of some sort. Anyone have an idea about how to take it off safely? I think I can just put a tool undr it and pull it out, but I am not sure. My plan is to wedge some more felt or foam around and possibly over the clips, then jam e damn thing back on. I think this is the source of the "Morse code" tap-tap-tap-tap sounds I sometimes hear from back there. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Pete

I know that sound you are talking about. It's like a plasticky "tick -- tick -- tick" and it happens with a second or two gap.

I was considering pulling the same plastic panel off, but then I thought I'd try putting a small felt piece in the joint where the roof arc trim pieces meet (along the head-liner, *above* the front seat-belt anchor point on the B-pillar).

Like your previous experience, the sound *seemed* like it was coming from the interior plastic panel below the rear side window. After adding the felt between the roof arc joints, the sound stopped. (Now, I do hear another very occasional "tick" sound, but I think I've found the main culprit).

Out of curiosity, if you lightly press on the rear plastic mesh speaker covers, do you hear that plasticky "tick" sound? (In my car, I do, and I am thinking about investigating that as the source of the remaining occasional sound).

Thanks for the tip! I am going to try your trick and see if it resolves the ticking. As to the speakers, yes, that was one of my first "mods" LOL! I pulled the speakers and folded pieces of adhesive felt right over the male clips themselves, then jammed the speaker covers back in - voila! One problem area solved.

Thanks! Good info.

Would it be possible to have a picture of the exact location on where to put insulating material? I have the same annoying tick...tick...tick sound and would love to get rid of it. Surprisingly, it feel like the sound is coming from the driver door or window. Very difficult to locate.

And yes, I do have the rattle in the dashboard too.... :( Porsche knows how to make an issue repeated ad nauseum.....

Yves

The little brown circle underneath the coat hook trim piece (top/center of this picture) is a round felt "sticky" I placed to test the solution. So far it has worked, and I'll put something "nicer" and unobtrusive there later.

(Note, this picture is of the passenger side of the vehicle).

I believe there's a way to remove the hook (just pull it up?) and, I imagine, line the contact surfaces with strips of adhesive felt in a way that would make it invisible. I am convinced that if one stuffs enough felt into these cars, they will be quiet and we can then enjoy the melodic sounds of our flat sixes! :)

Can you post a link to directions on how to pull the gauges?

I seem to get a lot of rattling from around the ignition as well.

Great post! I have the annoying speaker mesh noise, how does one take it out? Would appreciate photos please or additional notes..

Secret Asian Man, explicit instructions are available on Rennlist and Renntech, and they might be available here as well if you do a seach for "997 instrument cluster removal." Here's a description: Put the steering wheel in it's lowest and most extended position and lock it in place. In the center, under the cluster itself, will be a bow-shaped piece of trim attached to a leather flap that is attached to the steering wheel "stump." Pull straight back on this piece of trim. You might have to pull hard and it'll groan...you'll think you are going to break it, but you won't. Once you get it out, you'll see two torx head screws exposed, holding the cluster in. I think it's a T20 torx driver you need, and I'd recommend a magnetized one so the screws don't fall out and get lost behind the steering column somewhere. Once the srews are out, you'll have to put your fingers under and around the cluster and wiggle/pull the cluster out, straight back. It takes considerable force, and once again you'll think you are going to break the thing. Once it's out, there's no need to disconnect the cables in the back. Just tape it up liberally in your choice of felt or foam and cram it back in there, reattach the screws and trim, and enjoy!

W211, the speaker covers in back can easily be removed with a simple plastic prying tool. I used a cheap plastic knife, and just stuck it between the cover and trim and pried around the edges until the cover popped off. It's pretty flexible, but don't pry too far on one side for fear of breaking it. Once it's out, you'll see it's held in by 5 or 6 male prongs which engage in corresponding female receptors inside the trim. What I did was to wrap each male prong with a small strip of adhesive felt - it doesn't take much - before re-installing it. It creates a snug fit and "floats" the speaker cover from the trim on the felt, thus reducing or eliminating the rattle. I did the speaker covers on the dashboard similarly, and in summary the addition of the felt has cut down considerably on buzzes (at certain troublesome RPM ranges) and rattles over rough pavement.

I think the simple fact is that these cars are extremely stiff, with taught suspensions and low-profile tires, and vibrations and impacts which might be mitigated with compliant suspension or body flex in other cars (my experience is with the BMW M5 and Audi RS4...all very quiet and fast cars, but not true "sports" cars like a 911) are transmitted through trim and other fittings. I don't ascribe the problem to poor construction - I think they could have prioritized NVH control a bit more and put more "flexible" material in the trim joints to reduce impact "wiggles," but they didn't - the emphasis is on ultimate performance and handling, and I think that's all for the better. I just don't want to be distracted by all these squeaks and rattles because it detracts from the joy of driving. My car is now soooooooo much quieter since I've stuffed felt everywhere, and consequently I enjoy being in it that much more.

Of course, one can just get a set of muffler bypass pipes and forget the whole damn thing! :)

Thanks,

Pete

Pete, that rear carpet piece is held in with 4 or 5 steel clips on the underside, and its held on very strong. Would suggest an interior removal tool set, I think a carbon vendor on here sells one. Slips over and you pull, we had ours out and pulled from the right side working along. Putting it back in required some solid pressure as well.

I removed the plastic speaker cover on the right rear side. I left it off, and went for a drive. I could still hear the annoying (to me) sound when I went over bumps. So, even though the speaker cover is surprisingly noisy when I touch it, I do not think it is the source of the noise. (I really really hope it is not the side panel; I think that will be impossible to remove and put back!)

We've had the interior rear panels all off, its not that bad, but there is a sequence to it and some tabs to avoid breaking by pulling up then off. I chased down a rattling rear seat belt, the tightening device inside the coil had to be replaced. If you are going to tackle it I will dig up the instructions which we sourced on here a few years back.

Hoen- thanks a bunch for that advice. I'll get a set of trim tools and, if I can muster the courage, get that carpeted panel off and find a way to insulate it.

PSPorsche - keep going! I may try to get those interior quarter panels off too...maybe put some Dynamat down there, dunno.

Lissa - true, so true! But at least they are consistent! :)

Thanks for taking the time to post! I need to do this at some point, sounds a bit scary.