Rattles and squeaks

[Chris Giddins]

Has anyone got any advice on how to isolate and fix rattles and squeaks?  I have one that I thought was coming from inside the cabin but think it may be from somewhere else.  Something starts rattling when the car has been running for an hour and is warmed up.

[iainskea]

Does it rattle when the car is stationary and engine running? If so, you can probe around the engine with the rubber end of a hammer pressing against this and that. It could locate the source.

Iain

[Bibs]

That said, and there's no harm in checking, the Toyota engines use very, very little oil. I'd be very surprised if that were the issue.

[iainskea]

Ha ha, sorry Bibs, I edited my advice before you got in there!

I suggested low oil level could cause cam noise after warming up - a common issue with early Esprits, but when I noticed which car it was, I switched to a hammer! Not sure if it helps lol

Iain

[Chris Giddins]

It was only serviced and oil changed a few hundred miles ago. It sounds like trim rattling rather than the engine.  No noise when stationary.

[Bibs]

There's a little bit of 'they all do that' since it's such a stiffly sprung car but in answer to your question, the advice to find the squeaks is to take a passenger and get them to try and isolate the noises when you're moving. There's no easier way.

 

You can bring them up with the dealer next time the cars in for service/warranty work and I'm sure they'll try their best too but if it's a new, unknown noise, as you can imagine it could be one of a hundred things. Well worth mentioning it to them though, they may know exactly what it is and be able to fix it quicky! 

[TBD]

Check the dashboard and see if that has play at the windshield side. Its also typical for being different dependent on temperature as the dashboard expands when the sun shines and it gets warm. The Lotus design there is weak, whether Elise, Exige or Evora. 

[Myfavedave]

I have a rattle coming from somewhere behind the DPM switch.. nothing I touch makes any difference which makes it very difficult to locate!

[PhilS]

Ant,

 

I had the same - it's the cables rattling on the tub or the plastic tube for the air vent. It's very easy to fix - you remove the bit of trim that has the Sport switch on it - there are two screws on the bottom of the panel in the top of the coin tray. then the trim pulls out from the bottom and has a couple of tabs that slot in at the top. You then look through the hole and will see most of the cables covered in foam, but the speaker cable isn't and there are also some plugs tied up out of the way. Make sure these are secure and tucked out of the way. I also wrapped the speaker cable in foam as well. Job done.

 

Alternatively, just report it and let B&C sort it when you finally get the 1000 mile service done ;-)

 

Phil.

[Kristof Thys]

On mine, it was the roof brackets were the hardtop or softtop is fixed into.  Behind drivers and passenger ears

 

Remove them with a hexagon screw bit, put felt behind them: squeaks gone.

 

Same thing was going on with dixie's Exige.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Milton1