Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

The correct way of fixing the dash rattle: TAKE IT APART!! (Took me 9 hours w/break)


christurismohk

Recommended Posts

Update on Jan 22, 2020. Photobucket pix won't load, so please click on the link for pix.

 

Here's a thread of the temporary fix. I even tried using a backer rod. However, the backer rod will get "flat" after some weeks, and then pop out.

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10794&page=9

 

Yes, I took it to the dealership, they fixed it according to TSB. However, rattle still remains, and I FOUND THE REASON!

 

So the only way to fix it is, yes, take it apart.

 

Hardest:

- Take out A pillar, you need to press HARD!

- Take the entire dash out of the car (Remember to unplug the 2 plugs on the passenger side. One is for that tiny thing above, and the other plug is the yellow one I forgot what it was)

- To take out the gauge, you need to remove the clear cover first. Otherwise, it will not come out from the steering wheel

 

On to the pix!

Stupid A Pillar clip mount

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t510c7clmqyamab/11.jpg?dl=0

 

Driver side

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r80v1czneygzw9v/01.jpg?dl=0

 

Center

https://www.dropbox.com/s/335zdcbqvycakre/04.jpg?dl=0

 

Passenger side

https://www.dropbox.com/s/335zdcbqvycakre/03.jpg?dl=0

 

Close up of the driver side "female" plug. This is the REASON why it rattles! TSB fixes ONLY the male plug rattling inside the female. HOWEVER, it still rattles BECAUSE the female plug is loose inside the frame!!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xhvki8adbd7k2ni/02.jpg?dl=0

 

 

Center female plug: this one is blue. Same as the driver and passenger female plug, it is loose. I just put some paddings underneath so it is not loose anymore, and I do not know how to remove it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xhvki8adbd7k2ni/09.jpg?dl=0

 

Passenger side female plug

https://www.dropbox.com/s/335zdcbqvycakre/03.jpg?dl=0

 

Dealership fixed according to TSB, but it still did not solve it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/335zdcbqvycakre/07.jpg?dl=0

 

 

A pic of female and male together

https://www.dropbox.com/s/335zdcbqvycakre/08.jpg?dl=0

 

 

Because I think the TSB fix is not good enough, I add the "protection" inside the female, so the male plug will not move inside for sure! (this sentence sounds funny...) ALSO, i placed some double sided tape behind the white female plugs on both driver and passenger side. This makes sure the plugs will not rattle inside the frame <--the cause of rattle

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/335zdcbqvycakre/05.jpg?dl=0

 

Finally, put everything back, and rattle is gone!!!!!!!! :)

 

All thanks to: Vacation Pix :)

Edited by christurismohk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 106
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Ahh, the joys of removing dashboards. It always looks worse than it is once you have it out, case in point:

 

http://mike-erica.net/nodash.JPG

 

This was my old Civic. Surprisingly, everything went back together pretty smoothly (with only a few extra screws left over, of course.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's easy if you just slide a thin object down to press the clip. Pulling the pillar trim off with no tools is just asking to break it and possibly affect the way the airbag deploys.

 

I use a screw driver (per vacation pix), and the clip was stuck for some reason to the frame..that's why I said "press", not "pull", haha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great work! - Dash rattles can be a pain. Ive delt with a few myself but not in a LGT. The 2 I had needed them bad. Sheer midbass was causing an insane buzz near the pass side of dash. Ripped it out, Dynamatted everything metal, and foamed all the mounts. Lovely after that.

 

Heres a tasty shot of an interior you wouldnt want to deal with.

 

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/38861/2670711340053137009S425x425Q85.jpg

 

thanks,

 

Rich @ HCA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great work! - Dash rattles can be a pain. Ive delt with a few myself but not in a LGT. The 2 I had needed them bad. Sheer midbass was causing an insane buzz near the pass side of dash. Ripped it out, Dynamatted everything metal, and foamed all the mounts. Lovely after that.

 

Heres a tasty shot of an interior you wouldnt want to deal with.

 

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/38861/2670711340053137009S425x425Q85.jpg

 

thanks,

 

Rich @ HCA

 

Rattle in Murcielago!? WOW!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great work! - Dash rattles can be a pain. Ive delt with a few myself but not in a LGT. The 2 I had needed them bad. Sheer midbass was causing an insane buzz near the pass side of dash. Ripped it out, Dynamatted everything metal, and foamed all the mounts. Lovely after that.

 

Heres a tasty shot of an interior you wouldnt want to deal with.

 

http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/38861/2670711340053137009S425x425Q85.jpg

 

thanks,

 

Rich @ HCA

 

Audi I believe?!?!?!?!

 

 

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure if this is the same rattle or not, but on Saturday, I bought a new 2008 Legacy GT. I didn't notice it until I started driving home from the dealership, but there is this annoying rattle everytime I accelerate from a standstill, and every time I hit a bump on the road. I thought it was the visors, mirror, or the sliding cover for the moonroof. But none of them were the cause.

 

The rattle is slightly higher in pitch than the sound of the suspensions when you hit a bump on the road. And it rattles maybe 3 to 5 times before it goes away. It is driving me insane, especially when I'm not even hitting any bumps on the road and just accelerating from a standstill. It sounds like it is coming from above me, but I can't tell every time I try to locate it.

 

Is this the same? If not, can someone please let me know what this annoying rattle I'm experiencing is?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^

Check these areas first:

-Handbrake

-Something inside the passenger compartment

-the coin tray

 

The rattle I'm hearing is further away from the handbrake, and is coming from either the same level or above my head. And I'm pretty sure the noise is coming from the passenger compartment, but where specifically is what I've been battling.

 

I had no clue the LGT has a coin tray...

 

I'll doublecheck my handbrake and coin tray tonight... Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I performed this procedure last evening. Start time was 5:00 PM and I was able to finish the test drive at 10:30 PM. The dash removal and reinstall was relatively straight forward. This is more time consuming and tedious than it is difficult. Interior trim removal tools were a life saver.

 

Chris is right. A very likely culprit to the rattles are the dash plugs and their firewall sockets. What I did was remove all of the sockets and put a VERY healthy bead of RTV behind them where they mate with the firewall. Foam padding was also placed inside the sockets just as Chris suggested. I then wrapped the plugs with electrical tape and placed a bead of RTV on them.

 

This removed almost all of the "plasticky" rattles. However, there are some metallic rattles that this procedure did not remove and I will be digging into the dash once again this weekend to hunt them all down. I will also perform the fix per the TSB for good measure.

 

I would like to comment on how Subaru knew that this was a potential area for rattles. The sockets have a very fine sticky-backed foam behind them. Unfortunately, this foam backing had become brittle over time and nearly flaked off when they were removed.

Edited by Jim_KT
Link to comment
Share on other sites

anymore guidance on how to remove the dash and any sticking points? the search did not come up with a step by step. i am thinking about doing this. how many screws...where...

 

Do you have the "Vacation Pix"? If you don't, do a search for them.

It'll help you with everything that you need to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OP: I can't say I envy you because my dash is relatively quiet and even if I did have a slight rattle, that isn't something that a little a/c action or louder music doesn't fix. ;)

 

Although, some people are annoyed by the little things.

 

9 hours worth? wow....that must have been a biatch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Hallelujah! ;-)

 

After having my GT for 6 months now, I have finally figured out what the crazy rattling noise I hear at head level. Apparently, if you don't have a passenger with you in the car, the source of the rattling is the freaking seatbelt clip/buckle hitting against the plastic molding in the B pillar!!!

 

That explains why every time I have a Subaru engineer in the car to show them the noise, it mysteriously disappears! So now I'm used to buckling the passenger seat belt even if nobody is sitting there.

 

How stupid is that? I started looking at other cars to see if this problem exists, and most other cars, including the cheap Toyota Corolla, has a little plastic knob in the seat belt that will keep the clip/buckle sitting lower in the B pillar so that it isn't hitting hard plastic but softer material lower. And a few other nice cars have softer rubbery feel to the clip/buckle's exterior that it doesn't make a terrible noise. Sigh...

 

But thanks for those of you who suggested!!! =)

 

The rattle I'm hearing is further away from the handbrake, and is coming from either the same level or above my head. And I'm pretty sure the noise is coming from the passenger compartment, but where specifically is what I've been battling.

 

I had no clue the LGT has a coin tray...

 

I'll doublecheck my handbrake and coin tray tonight... Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use