# Advice wanted - finding source of rattle **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [March 10, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140 "2006-03-10T13:22:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/1 "2006-03-10T13:22:32Z")
Goddam VW… What a love/hate relationship… So I’ve got a really obnoxious rattle coming from the left side of my dash that I cannot find. I’ve had my dash torn apart twice trying to find the source of the thing but either I’m a tard or it’s coming from somewhere else or a combination of both. Do any of you have a good technique for finding elusive rattles/squeaks/creaks/etc? Or do you all just drive Japanese cars and not have to worry about it? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/2 "2006-03-10T13:25:01Z")
it’s a combination of your car sucking and being a VW product. squeaks can be small broken welds. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/3 "2006-03-10T13:34:11Z")
Your best bet is to find a parking lot where you can consistantly cause the rattle. Then while having a friend drive creating the rattle work from the passengers seat and see if you can pinpoint it. This is what I did to find an occasional rattle coming from under my truck’s dash. Turned out a small module had come loose and was bouncing off an air duct. ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/4 "2006-03-11T16:00:07Z")
> [@newman](#): > > it’s a combination of your car sucking and being a VW product. > > squeaks can be small broken welds. Were you molested by a VW when you were a child? You sure do have a lot against them for some reason. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/5 "2006-03-11T16:01:12Z")
> [@JayS](#): > > Your best bet is to find a parking lot where you can consistantly cause the rattle. Then while having a friend drive creating the rattle work from the passengers seat and see if you can pinpoint it. > > This is what I did to find an occasional rattle coming from under my truck’s dash. Turned out a small module had come loose and was bouncing off an air duct. Good idea about going to an empty parking lot to constantly cause it. Unfortunately have a friend driving won’t work because it’s somewhere to the left of the steering wheel. Thanks for the tip though. ---
**Author:** ![Jeller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jeller](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jeller)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/6 "2006-03-11T18:28:34Z")
> [@BikerFry](#): > > Were you molested by a VW when you were a child? You sure do have a lot against them for some reason. > > 😛 He knows its gets the vw guys attention and he’s an attention whore, thats all 😉 Jeller ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/7 "2006-03-11T19:22:55Z")
Keep in mind the pitch of the sound when you’re looking for it - the higher the pitch, the smaller the object is that is causing the sound. ---
**Author:** ![Devioustsi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/devioustsi/32/7406_2.png) [@Devioustsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Devioustsi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/8 "2006-03-11T19:47:22Z")
> [@BikerFry](#): > > Good idea about going to an empty parking lot to constantly cause it. Unfortunately have a friend driving won’t work because it’s somewhere to the left of the steering wheel. Thanks for the tip though. Drive through a parking lot while your girl is giving you road head and see if she can pinpoint the noise…now thats multi-tasking.:biglaugh: ---
**Author:** ![Carnut](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/carnut/32/7590_2.png) [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/9 "2006-03-11T20:38:07Z")
If you really cant find it make an appointment, as much as I hate doing squeaks and rattles I just got a new set of Chassis Ears and I am dying to try them out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 10:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/10 "2006-03-11T22:56:09Z")
find an area that brings the squeaks out, drive many times. :gotme: self-expanding foam has stopped many a rattle in some of my shitboxes before. > I just got a new set of Chassis Ears and I am dying to try them out. ? explain these plz? and blah blah veedubs suck and some such. :roll: :lol: ---
**Author:** ![Devioustsi](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/devioustsi/32/7406_2.png) [@Devioustsi](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Devioustsi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 11:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/11 "2006-03-11T23:35:23Z")
> [@TrueBlue](#): > > [QUOTE=Carnut]If you really cant find it make an appointment, as much as I hate doing squeaks and rattles I just got a new set of Chassis Ears and I am dying to try them out. 🙂 ? explain these plz?[/QUOTE] [http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/ste97202.html](http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/ste97202.html) ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 12:33pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/12 "2006-03-12T12:33:46Z")
Haha I think if you were to hook up those “ears” to a VW with 80k+ they would start smoking and sparking… Thanks for all the advice guys, and thanks for offering to look at it but taking a VW to a professional for noises would be like, well, I can’t think of an analogy but let’s just say you guys have better things to. 😛 :tup: ---
**Author:** ![Juan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a698b9/32.png) [@Juan](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Juan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/13 "2006-03-12T12:35:04Z")
> [@Carnut](#): > > If you really cant find it make an appointment, as much as I hate doing squeaks and rattles I just got a new set of Chassis Ears and I am dying to try them out. 🙂 :tup: ---
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/14 "2006-03-13T06:32:54Z")
> [@Devioustsi](#): > > [http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/ste97202.html](http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/ste97202.html) :tspry: very cool! ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 8:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/advice-wanted-finding-source-of-rattle/9140/15 "2006-03-13T08:15:10Z")
Turns out I think I may have been looking in the wrong place. Did some reading on the Vortex and found that I’m not the only one with the same rattle. (Surprise) It suer as hell ounds like it’s coming from inside the dash, but some others suggested it may be in the A pillar or might even be the VIN plate rattling. Well, I’m gonna have to get creative if I want to reach the vin plate, but I pushed, wiggled, and punched the A-Pillar and haven’t heard it since. 😛 I’ll have to go hammer it over a bumpy road a couple of times and see what happens. That’s usually a surefire way to get her going again. Thanks for the tips guys.