Help finding annoying interior rattle in 2006 4Runner

luke87gt

luke87gt

New member
Hi guys,

I have an annoying rattle coming from the passenger side front interior. It sounds like it's isolated somewhere near the glove box, passenger side kick panel, passenger side pillar, behind the passenger side dash areas, passenger door speaker area, or passenger side firewall. It's very hard to isolate beyond that. You can only hear it when lightly hitting the gas from a stop (at low RPM). Once the car starts moving, you never hear it under any conditions.

I first thought it was exhaust related so I tightened all the bolts and replaced all four rubber exhaust hangers. I also took it to a local exhaust shop, got the car on a lift, and the experienced tech confirmed everything looks fine and the noise is not exhaust related.

Has anyone had any problem like this with their 4Runner exhibiting an interior rattle when lightly accelerating from a complete stop? If so what was the culprit?

Or better yet what are the common culprits of this?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
Register to hide this ad
No doubt you've already emptied everything that can move out of the truck, but did you remember to check the secret compartment above the glove box?
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I did check that compartment and it's empty.

I also tightened the roof rack tightening knobs.

The problem persists. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Luke
 
Does the noise happen only if your moving or does it happen if your in Park or neutral while giving it gas?
 
I had a rattle on my front dash and I found a ink pen sitting down where the bottom of the windshield and dash meet. I could not see it had to reach my hand there to feel it
 
Burnzy said:
Does the noise happen only if your moving or does it happen if your in Park or neutral while giving it gas?
Click to expand...

The rattle only seems to happen while the car is in gear and you give it a little gas from a stand still. It rattles for 1-2sec and as soon as the car gets moving it goes quiet. There is never any rattle once the car is moving.

Also, if you rev it in neutral, no rattle. However, if I put my left foot on the brake and give it just a little gas with my right foot, I can hear it. So it seems to only be present when the car is just starting to get moving while in gear... Or is just starting to be "stressed"

I have to find this thing cause it's driving me nuts. However, I can't seem to isolate it beyond the dash, pillar, kick panel, floor-board (all on passenger side). Is coming from that region somewhere. And it's not a surface rattle. It sounds like it's behind one of hose items I just mentioned. It almost sounds like a frame rattle.

Thanks for your help and I'll continue to dig. Ideas are appreciated.

I'll check if there is anything between the dash and windshield, as suggested above.
 
Last edited:
Ok, no sunroof.

Check the flimsy heat shield that sits above the catalytic converter and the heat shield that sits above the muffler. Since yours is a 2006, its just about the right time for those to have worn holes through the bolt openings.
 
chitown40 said:
Ok, no sunroof.

Check the flimsy heat shield that sits above the catalytic converter and the heat shield that sits above the muffler. Since yours is a 2006, its just about the right time for those to have worn holes through the bolt openings.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion as it sounds like classic heat shield rattle. First thing I did was to get under the SUV and inspect and tighten the shields. All are securely tightened and in great shape.

Yesterday I had my wife drive and do a bunch of "gas brake gas brake" sequences while I put my ear up to the passenger side area. Since it seems to be coming behind the dash/pillar/kick-panel/floor-board, no amount of pressure that I applied to anything changed the tone.

Frustrating to say the least.
 
Take the front skid plate off and see if there is a rock or something sitting inside of it, and while your at it check everything that is usually covered by the skid plate.
 
maybe its the windshield cowling, u might also want to push on the overhead console and make sure its sitting in nice.
 
It sounds like it's coming from behind the dash.

What in the world could be behind there that rattles when leaving from a stop with just a little gas
 
Have you checked to see if the strut on the right side of glove box is hooked on properly. If you recently replaced your cabin air filter and didn't hook the strut up right it can fall off and rattle. I used to work for Toyota and that seemed to get rid of a lot of the rattles customers were hearing from that area.
 
Problem Solved!

Hi guys,

Just updating this post. I found the source of the rattle.

When I bought this car, the previous owner installed some non stock air tube (possibly from a Tacoma?) - see picture

The mounting holes of the airtube are not in the stock location. Therefore the tube was only bolted down to one point since the second bolt hole didn't align. That caused the tube to rattle against the circular cut-out in the inner fender.

I installed the stock 4Runner airtube today which allowed me to fix it by two bolts (2 fixed points) and the rattle is 100% gone.

It's funny but I automatically assumed it was more complicated and totally overlooked this. Replacing this unknown airtube with the stock airtube was on my to-do list for several weeks but not specifically to address the rattle. When I was swapping the tubes today, I thought to myself, "hmmm this tube is pretty loose, could this be my rattle source?" Lol

The rattle sounded like it was coming directly from behind the dash, not in the engine compartment. Sound can really travel through these cars. Time for a beer.

Anyway, thank you all for your help! Much appreciated and feels great to check this off my list.

Luke
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    134 KB · Views: 241
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 680 (members: 1, guests: 679)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,312
Messages
3,554,083
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top