Rattling noise on ceiling

[jayhawkbrandon]

Tips and problems

I just tried this on my 2007 4Runner Sport. For those that have this vehicle, here are a few things that might help:

1) If you have access to a pet store, buy the silicon tubing that they use for air pumps. The black tubing costs about $3 and snaps around the little bars perfectly.

2) I used graphite grease on mine.

Although the tubing fits perfectly, the rattle is still there on my vehicle. I'm going to try to wipe down the seal.

 

[ellroy2]

After years of this rattle, I have finally had enough. I have been driving on bumpy roads lately which has magnified the noise. I first tried the washer/spacer on the guiderail. I then tried cleaning and greasing, but it is still there. Today I think I finally isolated the area. As you can see in the pic, there is a rivet that runs through these pieces. When I press on it I can hear a faint noise that sounds like the rattle. Also when driving, I can press on it and the rattle will stop. Any ideas on how to fix it?

 

[Oneluv13T4R]

Rattle gone!!!

The nylon washer worked perfect...
Silence at last..thank you

 

[martini]

Would you mind posting a picture showing the end result to compare to the picture above please?

 

[The Beast]

OK, here are the pictures for the fix, sorry I took so long.

This first picture is of the general area. Note that this fix needs to be done to both sides of the vehicle. And even though the sounds you might here sound like they are coming from somewhere else (much like mine did) this is actually where they are originating.

So the wife never lets me drive her 4Runner but today I had to drop my car off for service wont get it back till mon, so on the way home this rattle was driving me nuts she's hard of hearing so never mentioned it to me, I'm thinking I'm needing to drive this for the next 4 days I'm gona loose my mind. So again I check on T4R.ORG and you guys have a fix! I didnt have any tubing but I had a small piece of a rubber floor mat I trimmed and curled it around that tube on both sides , drove it rattle gone !!! arty:
Thanks guys !
John

 

[4x4Runnr]

After years of this rattle, I have finally had enough. I have been driving on bumpy roads lately which has magnified the noise. I first tried the washer/spacer on the guiderail. I then tried cleaning and greasing, but it is still there. Today I think I finally isolated the area. As you can see in the pic, there is a rivet that runs through these pieces. When I press on it I can hear a faint noise that sounds like the rattle. Also when driving, I can press on it and the rattle will stop. Any ideas on how to fix it?

I have had this rattle too - I have an '06 T4R LTD 4x4, and the rattle has gotten worse over the past few months. I finally decided to try the nylon spacer idea, but then as I was on my way to Lowe's to get some, I saw an O'Reilly's store, and I had a revelation - I'd just buy a $4 pack of vacuum hose and cut some pieces to slip over the rods. What I ended up using was Prestone 5/32" windshield washer hose / vacuum tubing (Part# WV0532 - UPC# 0 45031 80532 3).

I took a knife and cut a 6" long section of the tube long-ways (looks like a closed "C" if you look at the end cross-section), and cut 6 1" lengths of this split tubing. I slipped one over each end of the rod, and one in the center, and cycled the sunroof tilt up, closed, slid open, closed, etc. a couple times and looked at the pieces of hose again. The rod slides about 1" back when the sunroof is opened back all the way.

I took it for a test ride, and it rattled worse than before. I was really frustrated and confused at that point, but then something weird happened - after a few minutes riding home, the rattles stopped. I did nothing but start back home and I guess something just "settled in", because the rattling is almost completely gone now. I have made several short trips since this fix, and the sunroof is still almost completely rattle free.

After seeing this post showing the tilt mechanism, I think that may be the source of my remaining rattle. I can push up on the sunroof in the closed position and hear it make the same sound it makes when driving - I just need to find a way of eliminating (or at least minimizing) the mechanical play in the mechanism.

This is where I am stuck - I am working on figuring out some way to "pre-load" the sunroof when it is in the closed position so that it is as if I am pushing up on the glass all the time. If and/or when I come up with something, or if I see something while I am lurking on this and other forums, I'll add it to this thread.

Thank you to everybody who has added to this discussion and helped some of us come up with our own version of damping the motion of the rods in the tracks. It has gone a long way towards silencing one of the last remaining noises I don't want my 4Runner making. If I could find a way to kill the buzzing in the passenger side sun visor I would be ecstatic.

 

[Oneluv13T4R]

Yo.. Just add a few pieces of felt or indoor/outdoor with rubber backing on it they sell depot and lowes on there carpet machines.

Cut three pieces that are like 2"x 3" in the front part of the sunroof where the wind deflector lays to rest when shut open it and in the ceiling part of that troft put a piece in the center and one at each end ... There's your pressure but opposite, this as well filling in the void of the rattling parts, soft and sound dampening still allowing the the sunroof to work and seal properly all with silence.

Can't apply upward pressure on the panel that needs to come down and in.
As far as the rod goes you can us multiple things nylon washer, (awesome) o-rings, grommets, those little rubber sticky dots you put on back of cabinet doors,
Ur tubing which has been done but not with that many pieces...basically once again just filling in that void so parts can't rattle against each other but still allowing function without restriction or your gonna be left busted and deleting the whole thing.

Oh yeah and tilt mechanism your gonna figure out is the two black plastic pieces (cover pieces) L shaped one on each side that cover the rail moving mechanics and is there for esthetics as well.
It gets worn out as well like all the other parts and becomes loose and brittle can't remember if there's lil tiny screws that wiggle loose or lil black tabs that wear out or break off allowing it to rattle it vibrates/bounces against the metal rail its covering/attached to. Oh wait ellroy2 the guy your quoting has it right there lil rivets that rattled out or broke.

No need to give yourself headache (sunroof does already) or rewrite what works and has been around since the TSB 10 - 11yrs ago
Look it up it covers multiple problem areas and remedies to fix those areas.

It works and then there was silence and apiece of mind and continues to work. the nylon washers as well continue to work.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Thanks for your input - I will definitely try the added padding under the wind deflector - sounds just like what I need to do at this point. As far as the two plastic pieces rattling, I have stuck some of the fuzzy side of some hook-and-loop (Velcro) to the extrusion that they rattle against, so that is no longer loose. Thanks again for chiming in.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Quick trip to Lowe's, installed rubber gasket material in wind deflector trough, rattles = GONE. Thanks again Oneluv for pointing that out as a trouble area.

 

[Oneluv13T4R]

Anytime I can brotha, which is very little and not a lot. Lol
glad it worked out for you and hopefully for others but all of us different lil spots but this may put someone else in the right direction

 

[tacticalone]

Quick trip to Lowe's, installed rubber gasket material in wind deflector trough, rattles = GONE. Thanks again Oneluv for pointing that out as a trouble area.

Hey 4x4Runnr,

Can you post a few snapshots of your fix? I have the EXACT same issue here. That sounds like it may be the key for me. Thanks in advance!

 

[4x4Runnr]

New, better solution, hopefully

OK - I have had this sunroof rattle thing going on on and off for quite a while now. I have tried all kinds of ideas, from putting rubber hose around rods in the linkage, to putting a length of rubber weather stripping in the trough under the wind deflector, and I thought all was well since the rattle stopped. Turns out, after a while, the rubber weather stripping compresses, and the tension in the mechanism is relieved, and the rattle comes back with a vengeance.

Today, after noticing the rattle was back to its former racket despite grease, rubber hose, and weather stripping, I pushed up on the sunroof panel to verify that that was for sure the cause of the noise. Frustrated, I decided to tilt the sunroof up because this always banishes the rattle since there is no slack or play in the mechanism in that position - just some added wind noise that is muted when I pull the shade closed (I know, I know - I bet many a 4Runner owner has soaked their headliner by accidentally leaving the panel in the up position in the rain, or worse, in the car wash). Stay with me though.

I then had an epiphany - if support at the rear of the panel while tilted up gets rid of the rattle, what if I started at the closed position and just tapped the tilt-up/close switch a little at a time until the support mechanism is just barely starting to raise the panel? I figured why not, and while watching the sunroof panel, I began tapping the tilt-up/close switch and watching the motion of the panel. Here is what I observed:

-At first, the panel begins to drop down at the back just a little at a time.
-At some point soon, with continued tiny taps on the tilt-up/close switch, the downward motion stopped, and then reversed as the tilt mechanism began to SUPPORT THE REAR OF THE PANEL, pushing it up towards the tilted up position.
-When the panel has been raised back up and is flush with the roof while in the tilt-up operation, it is firmly physically supported at the rear of the panel by the tilt-up mechanism, and is in the same position relative to the roof as it is when in the regular "closed" position.

I took it for a spin on some rough asphalt roads, over a couple railroad crossings, some potholes, and other places that I know always make the sunroof rattle at least a tiny bit even when I had effected other attempts at a fix, but absolutely no rattles from the sunroof this time because it is being rigidly held in place and supported by the tilt mechanism. Since I rarely open the sunroof, this will probably be my fix for now.

I expressed enthusiasm for other things I have tried that hushed the rattle, but that all ended up ceasing to be effective long term. I am skeptical with this solution too for now, but thought I would add this observation in my ongoing search to fix this issue.

The next step I am going to check into, if this particular position of the mechanism proves to be the key to finally banning the rattle completely and for good long term while keeping the sunroof 100% functional, will be to look at the position feedback circuits to see if it would be feasible to adjust them to make this position the new "home" position that it would automatically go to when closing the sunroof from either the tilt-up position or the fully open position. That would represent a better and more elegant solution than brute force jamming the mechanism with rubber hose / washers / weather stripping / rags etc., or having to tap the tilt-up/close switch every time the sunroof is opened and then closed. Those other solutions worked for me for a while, but they all ended up letting the sunroof go back to rattling.

I know I don't visit and pipe up on here as often as others do, but life gets in the way of things a lot of the time. I will keep coming back as I make progress.

If all else fails, and I end up being driven to distraction (no pun intended - well, maybe a little) by this rattle, I know of one 100% certain method to stop this noise: take denatured alcohol, and with the sunroof tilted up, clean the rubber gasket and metal surface the gasket seals to very well, let the alcohol dry, and then run a bead of clear GE Silicone II around the gasket, close the sunroof for the last time, and take the fuse out of the sunroof motor circuit. 0% functional, 100% silent. I hope to not have to resort to this sort of kludge, but I am not above it.

Comments to follow.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Hey 4x4Runnr,

Can you post a few snapshots of your fix? I have the EXACT same issue here. That sounds like it may be the key for me. Thanks in advance!

Hi tacticalone - sorry I never got any pictures put on here - I just became disgusted when even that "fix" ended up not being permanent. Read my last post and try that - no pics needed. Hopefully that will work long term and I can ultimately make this a "real" fix with adjustments to the positional feedback making the mechanism stop at this new state automatically. If I can make it work that way, I will be sure to make a write-up with detailed steps and pics. May be a while though, but don't give up. We will end up with a permanent fix in the end. I never give up until I win.

 

[tacticalone]

That is quite the epiphany. Ive thought for some time the key has t be in the linkage, as I can lift the glass slightly when in the closed position. I have never thought to manipulate it into a more favorable position by just tapping the button. I love it. Simple, maintains function, will keep me out of the looney bin.

I will be doing this as soon as I get in after work. Thanks for the detailed recap of your moment of clarity.

OK - I have had this sunroof rattle thing going on on and off for quite a while now. I have tried all kinds of ideas, from putting rubber hose around rods in the linkage, to putting a length of rubber weather stripping in the trough under the wind deflector, and I thought all was well since the rattle stopped. Turns out, after a while, the rubber weather stripping compresses, and the tension in the mechanism is relieved, and the rattle comes back with a vengeance.

Today, after noticing the rattle was back to its former racket despite grease, rubber hose, and weather stripping, I pushed up on the sunroof panel to verify that that was for sure the cause of the noise. Frustrated, I decided to tilt the sunroof up because this always banishes the rattle since there is no slack or play in the mechanism in that position - just some added wind noise that is muted when I pull the shade closed (I know, I know - I bet many a 4Runner owner has soaked their headliner by accidentally leaving the panel in the up position in the rain, or worse, in the car wash). Stay with me though.

I then had an epiphany - if support at the rear of the panel while tilted up gets rid of the rattle, what if I started at the closed position and just tapped the tilt-up/close switch a little at a time until the support mechanism is just barely starting to raise the panel? I figured why not, and while watching the sunroof panel, I began tapping the tilt-up/close switch and watching the motion of the panel. Here is what I observed:

-At first, the panel begins to drop down at the back just a little at a time.
-At some point soon, with continued tiny taps on the tilt-up/close switch, the downward motion stopped, and then reversed as the tilt mechanism began to SUPPORT THE REAR OF THE PANEL, pushing it up towards the tilted up position.
-When the panel has been raised back up and is flush with the roof while in the tilt-up operation, it is firmly physically supported at the rear of the panel by the tilt-up mechanism, and is in the same position relative to the roof as it is when in the regular "closed" position.

I took it for a spin on some rough asphalt roads, over a couple railroad crossings, some potholes, and other places that I know always make the sunroof rattle at least a tiny bit even when I had effected other attempts at a fix, but absolutely no rattles from the sunroof this time because it is being rigidly held in place and supported by the tilt mechanism. Since I rarely open the sunroof, this will probably be my fix for now.

I expressed enthusiasm for other things I have tried that hushed the rattle, but that all ended up ceasing to be effective long term. I am skeptical with this solution too for now, but thought I would add this observation in my ongoing search to fix this issue.

The next step I am going to check into, if this particular position of the mechanism proves to be the key to finally banning the rattle completely and for good long term while keeping the sunroof 100% functional, will be to look at the position feedback circuits to see if it would be feasible to adjust them to make this position the new "home" position that it would automatically go to when closing the sunroof from either the tilt-up position or the fully open position. That would represent a better and more elegant solution than brute force jamming the mechanism with rubber hose / washers / weather stripping / rags etc., or having to tap the tilt-up/close switch every time the sunroof is opened and then closed. Those other solutions worked for me for a while, but they all ended up letting the sunroof go back to rattling.

I know I don't visit and pipe up on here as often as others do, but life gets in the way of things a lot of the time. I will keep coming back as I make progress.

If all else fails, and I end up being driven to distraction (no pun intended - well, maybe a little) by this rattle, I know of one 100% certain method to stop this noise: take denatured alcohol, and with the sunroof tilted up, clean the rubber gasket and metal surface the gasket seals to very well, let the alcohol dry, and then run a bead of clear GE Silicone II around the gasket, close the sunroof for the last time, and take the fuse out of the sunroof motor circuit. 0% functional, 100% silent. I hope to not have to resort to this sort of kludge, but I am not above it.

Comments to follow.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Ongoing testing / another possible permanent fix

OK - been riding around using the tap-up rear support method of getting rid of the sunroof rattle, and have more to share.

I had previously mentioned digging into the sunroof mechanism feedback circuitry making the new "closed" position where I manually move it to to stop the rattle, and I can confirm that that part of the mechanism is in no way adjustable. Period. You'd have a better chance of getting a mule to play ping pong with you while it sings the national anthem. So the "tap-up" or manual movement of the mechanism to the new position is the only way to use that idea I can see.

The new position has proven to be effective at keeping my sunroof rattle-free, although I have noticed that it is easy to get the sunroof a little higher than intended, at which point there is increased wind noise as there begins to be a gap between the gasket and the roof. Tapping it back down fixes that, but is a pain, not to mention a distraction, to adjust while driving.

My next idea was to make the existing gasket fit tighter in the roof opening, damping movement of the sunroof panel while driving over rough surfaces so I can leave it in the normal "Closed" position. In the past, I have used a tape product made by 3M called Durapore to rid the dash in my '07 Tundra of rattles. That thing had a nice interior, but the dash had more rattles than Babies 'R Us. It works incredibly well for that purpose, and had my Tundra dash completely rattle/squeak free - the stiff TRD suspension on my truck did little to help that situation. I really miss that truck. But I like my 4Runner better!

You can find the tape in CVS, Walgreens, etc. in the first-aid section - it is a fabric tape with a very strong adhesive used to hold gauze and other bandages to your skin. Anyway, I had a couple rolls left over after the Tundra dash project, and I stumbled across them the other day going through the "junk drawer" in the kitchen looking for something else.

My idea was to put a couple layers of the Durapore tape on the metal surface of the sunroof opening on the rear side where the sunroof panel raises or lowers, around the curved corners and about 6" forward on either side. I ended up with 3 layers of the tape, and test drives as well as driving around the last couple days has proven to have made my sunroof totally silent, and in the factory "Closed" position.

I hope this proves to be effective long term, as I would no longer have to fiddle with tapping the "raise" switch every time I raise or open the sunroof, which, granted, is not all that often, but still is another thing to have to do any time I do use the sunroof.

I'll roll like this for a while, and if it works long term, I'll post pics of the tape I used, as well as the application to my sunroof opening. Here's to a simple, permanent, no-fuss solution! :cheers:

**UPDATES**

2015-12-29 - I have been rolling with the Durapore tape mod to the sunroof opening since 9-21, and I am extremely pleased. I have not heard a single rattle from the sunroof mechanism since I added the tape, and I have opened and closed the sunroof several times, and this seems to finally, truly fix the issue on my 4Runner.

I decided to remove the tape from my first installation which was hastily done trying to see if the tape would fix it. I reapplied the tape and took pictures as I did a much neater job this time, and took my time to do it right. I have posted these pictures in a later post - pages 8 and 9 of this thread. I suppose as the vehicle ages and the gasket around the glass panel wears in the roof opening, plus weather exposure, the gasket may shrink, or wear down to the point it does not fit as tightly as it did when new, and allows for excess motion of the glass panel. I will give it some more time and see how it fares in the coming cooler weather. Running it through the car wash doesn't reveal any new or worsening water dripping, and actually seems to have reduced some of the drips that happen that are managed by the trough around the sunroof opening.

Like I said before, I am like a pit bull when it comes to figuring out, and quashing rattles and other noises - I never give up. I always win in the end, and I like to share my findings to help others such as myself who are driven to distraction by buzzing / rattling sounds.

 

[chompster4runner]

OK - been riding around using the tap-up rear support method of getting rid of the sunroof rattle, and have more to share.

I had previously mentioned digging into the sunroof mechanism feedback circuitry making the new "closed" position where I manually move it to to stop the rattle, and I can confirm that that part of the mechanism is in no way adjustable. Period. You'd have a better chance of getting a mule to play ping pong with you while it sings the national anthem. So the "tap-up" or manual movement of the mechanism to the new position is the only way to use that idea I can see.

The new position has proven to be effective at keeping my sunroof rattle-free, although I have noticed that it is easy to get the sunroof a little higher than intended, at which point there is increased wind noise as there begins to be a gap between the gasket and the roof. Tapping it back down fixes that, but is a pain, not to mention a distraction, to adjust while driving.

My next idea was to make the existing gasket fit tighter in the roof opening, damping movement of the sunroof panel while driving over rough surfaces so I can leave it in the normal "Closed" position. In the past, I have used a tape product made by 3M called Durapore to rid the dash in my '07 Tundra of rattles. That thing had a nice interior, but the dash had more rattles than Babies 'R Us. It works incredibly well for that purpose, and had my Tundra dash completely rattle/squeak free - the stiff TRD suspension on my truck did little to help that situation. I really miss that truck. But I like my 4Runner better!

You can find the tape in CVS, Walgreens, etc. in the first-aid section - it is a fabric tape with a very strong adhesive used to hold gauze and other bandages to your skin. Anyway, I had a couple rolls left over after the Tundra dash project, and I stumbled across them the other day going through the "junk drawer" in the kitchen looking for something else.

My idea was to put a couple layers of the Durapore tape on the metal surface of the sunroof opening on the rear side where the sunroof panel raises or lowers, around the curved corners and about 6" forward on either side. I ended up with 3 layers of the tape, and test drives as well as driving around the last couple days has proven to have made my sunroof totally silent, and in the factory "Closed" position.

I hope this proves to be effective long term, as I would no longer have to fiddle with tapping the "raise" switch every time I raise or open the sunroof, which, granted, is not all that often, but still is another thing to have to do any time I do use the sunroof.

I'll roll like this for a while, and if it works long term, I'll post pics of the tape I used, as well as the application to my sunroof opening. Here's to a simple, permanent, no-fuss solution! :cheers:

**UPDATES**

2015-11-02 - I have been rolling with the Durapore tape mod to the sunroof opening since 9-21, and I am extremely pleased. I have not heard a single rattle from the sunroof mechanism since I added the tape, and I have opened and closed the sunroof several times, and this seems to finally, truly fix the issue on my 4Runner. I will keep an eye on it to make sure the tape does not slip over time, but I think this has finally gotten it taken care of. I suppose as the vehicle ages and the gasket around the glass panel wears in the roof opening, plus weather exposure, the gasket may shrink, or wear down to the point it does not fit as tightly as it did when new, and allows for excess motion of the glass panel. I will give it some more time and see how it fares in the coming cooler weather. Running it through the car wash doesn't reveal any new or worsening water dripping, and actually seems to have reduced some of the drips that happen that are managed by the trough around the sunroof opening.

Like I said before, I am like a pit bull when it comes to figuring out, and quashing rattles and other noises - I never give up. I always win in the end, and I like to share my findings to help others such as myself who are driven to distraction by buzzing / rattling sounds.

Do you have any pics of where you put the tape? I too notice my rear driver side having some play.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Do you have any pics of where you put the tape? I too notice my rear driver side having some play.

I gotta take the promised pics, so no, I have not taken any pictures. I kinda just threw it on to see if it would work, and have not had a chance to remove the hasty job and re-apply with more care. Sunroof is silent like a brand new T4R as of today, and I have opened and closed the sunroof several times, so 100% functional, 100% effective. I had to put 3 layers of the Durapore tape on, but the tape I bought has "pinked" (zigzag cut) edges, so I'm gonna look for some without the pinked edges before I reapply this fix and take pics. If I can't find straight edged tape, no biggie, because you really can't see it anyway if you don't apply it higher than the rubber gasket sits when the sunroof is closed

.

It is visible with the sunroof slid back though, but to me that is a small price to pay for the quiet. I just ordered a couple rolls of this from Amazon. Comes in Wednesday, so I will see what I can do to reapply and include some pics.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C4O7GC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

 

[chompster4runner]

I gotta take the promised pics, so no, I have not taken any pictures. I kinda just threw it on to see if it would work, and have not had a chance to remove the hasty job and re-apply with more care. Sunroof is silent like a brand new T4R as of today, and I have opened and closed the sunroof several times, so 100% functional, 100% effective. I had to put 3 layers of the Durapore tape on, but the tape I bought has "pinked" (zigzag cut) edges, so I'm gonna look for some without the pinked edges before I reapply this fix and take pics. If I can't find straight edged tape, no biggie, because you really can't see it anyway if you don't apply it higher than the rubber gasket sits when the sunroof is closed

.

It is visible with the sunroof slid back though, but to me that is a small price to pay for the quiet. I just ordered a couple rolls of this from Amazon. Comes in Wednesday, so I will see what I can do to reapply and include some pics.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C4O7GC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Cool...mine rattle like crazy on the freeway.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Sunroof rattle fix

I got my Durapore tape in today with nearly smooth edges, and applied it to the sunroof opening. The following is what I did:

Below are the two rolls of Durapore - the one on the left is a complete roll, the one on the right after applying the tape. You might consider getting two rolls as well, because if you have difficulties, you might run out of the tape and have to wait on another roll to come in, and they are really cheap - less than $5 each on Amazon.

The white wire contraption is a tape applicator to press the edges of the tape to the underside of the roof, keeping the Durapore from catching on the edge of the rubber gasket when closing the sunroof. You might find a better way - my fingers can't fit between the sunroof panel and the sunroof opening.

 

[4x4Runnr]

Here is a look at the sunroof opening before I did anything: