This post will be spread over three pages

Well, after about a year of driving my used 2003 G35 sedan (7/02 build date) that was bought in January of this year, I finally pinpointed numerous rattle locations. Since my dealership is clueless and chooses to put "could not replicate problem" on nearly every issue I've brought up with the car, I gathered up the guts to tear into my G35's interior. Since I'm taking about 10 days off for work, this seemed like the best time.

The good news is most of the rattles are easily fixable assuming you're careful. I take no responsibility for you breaking your car. Light duty adhesive-backed felt tape and black foam rubber water pipe insulation with adhesive inner edges and a 1/2"-3/4" internal inner diameter served as the rattle fixes. Both of these parts are available at Home Depot for less than $12 total.

I've determined three major areas of rattles in most 03/04 G35s, especially ones with the titanium trim console. The three areas are the center console, all four door panels, and the rear deck area. I noted that nearly all the rattles were simply bad engineering choices. Marginally secured hard plastic on plastic will rattle, NISSAN!!!

CENTER CONSOLE

Source areas:

1) Upper edge of center console. This is the entire edge where the upper trim attaches down to the lower console plastic.

2) Upper console cupholder bin contacting lower console plastic support.

3) Rear portion of lower console contacting metal support which is mounted to chassis.

4) Black air duct (runs through lower center console) contacts chassis bolts located underneath duct.

5) Shifter plate

6) Cupholder housing

To make the fix, you'll need to remove the entire upper console. Remove the shift ****, pull the shifter back to D, lift up on the rear of the front upper console portion (the console part that houses the shifter, ashtray, etc) and it will pop up and out. Finally disconnect the harnesses to the ashtry light, hazard button, etc. Remove front upper console.

For the rear upper console, lift the armrest and pry out the plastic vent plate located between the support arms for the armrest. With the plate removed, you'll see for screws holding in the armrest. Remove the screws and remove armrest. The rear upper console can now be removed. The accessory outlet harness will have to be disconnected. Peer down into the lower console cavity and you'll see two bolts holding the rear of the air duct to the chassis. Remove the bolts. Push the seats forward and remove the screw s(both sides) on the rear of the lower console.

For issue #1, I took felt and placed it in the areas where the upper console ribs sit in the lower console when the two pieces are assembled. I also added some felt along the upper outside edge of the lower console. There were probably 16+ points I added felt to. See the attached pic for felt locations (white and green felt). See pic #1.

For issue #2, I added felt to the lower console support. See pic #1 and note to two large peices of green felt in the middle of the pic.

For issue #3, I lifted up on the rear of the lower console and added felt to uppor portion of the metal support lessening the impact between the plastic of the console and the metal support. See pic #2 and note the brown felt.

For issue #4, I added felt to the areas of the front and middle underside areas of the duct that were hitting chassis points. You'll have to experiment to find them. Simply push down on the duct to simulate road impact and figure out where the contact is coming from and then pull out the duct. It runs from the rear of the lower console all the way to the front of the console. Add felt as necessary. In pic #1, you'll see the black duct running along the interior passenger side of the lower console.

For issue #5, I disassembled the shifter plate assembly and added felt to lower side of the chassis plate.

For issue #6, I disassembled the cupholded assembly and added to points that contacted plastic to plastic.

Pic #1


Pic #2 view from rear ashtray (removed)

 

Door panels

Source areas:

1) Upper edge of door panel ribs contacting metal lip of upper door.

2) Door lock and door lever cables contacting metal door framing.

To make the fix, you'll need to remove the door panel. Using a flat head screw with tape over the head (protect from scratches), pop off the door panel pull-arm titanium trim peice. You'll see a notch on the underside of the trim piece. This is where you insert the screwdriver head. After removing the trim peice, you'll see two 10mm bolts. Remove the bolts. Take the screwdriver and remove the bolt cover located inside the door lever cup. Remove the 10mm bolt. With a larger flat head screwdriver (with tape), look at bottom of the door panel leading edge. You'll see three notches running the length of the bottom edge of the panel. Insert the screw driver and pry the panel. You should hear the panel pop as the clips are removed from the door frame. Work slowly along the bottom amd work the panel loose. Once all the clips have been popped free, lift up and forward with the panel. The panel will lift out; however it is still attached to the door with electrical harnesses and door cables. Disconnect the door cables from the lock and door lever. I didn't disconnect the harnesses because they had enough play for me to complete the task.

For issue #1, I took green felt and placed it over all the mounting ribs on the door panel. See Pic #1. Depending on the door, there will be 6 to 8 ribs.

For issue #2, I added felt to the metal door frame. See pic #2 for green felt location.

Pic #1


Pic #2

 

Rear deck

Source areas:

1) Side panels by the seatback.

2) Parcel shelf front leading edge.

3) Parcel shelf back outside edge.

4) Rear central portion of parcel shelf near BOSE sub.

5) Truck underside parcel shelf and BOSE sub harness

6) Rear vertical truck panal contacting underside parcel shelf

To make the fix, you'll need to the rear seats. If you're lucky like me and have reclining rear seats, the seats don't have to be removed. Simply remove the headrests and recline the seats as far forward as possible. Remove the rear swing carpet attached from the rear of the seat to the parcel shelf (attached with velcro) and let the carpet hang down. For the trunk, you'll need to remove the clips holding the trunk underside parcel shelf.

For issue #1, I took felt and foam and placed it areas that rattled with minimal hand tapping. See Pic #1 and look to the vertical panel with visible foam and felt. I left the felt/foam like this because you can't see it with the seat in a normal postion.

For issue #2, I added foam underneath the leading edge of the parcel shelf. Simply take foam and push up underneath the shelf edge. In pic #1, the foam is sitting right behind where the velcro is pictured on the shelf.

For issue #3, I took foam and stuffed into the area between the parcel shelf and outside vertical plastic panel.

For issue #4, I peered up from the trunk area (in the vincinity of the BOSE sub) could see the bottom side of the interior parcel shelf though a small cutout. I stuffed foam where I could see the parcel self hitting the metal frame which it sits on. This basically took all play out of the parcel shelf and was verified by the fact the shelf lifted and was now touching the interior glass where as before there was about 1/8" void space.

For issue #5, I placed felt around the clip attachment points and any point I felt the underside parcel shelf contacting things when it was in a mounted postion. I added foam as necessary too. For the BOSE sub harness, I placed foam around it. See pics #2 and #3.

For issue #6, I placed foam on the upper portion of the panel at contact points. See pic #4.


Pic #1


Pic #2


Pic #3


Pic #4

 

DaveB,

You are the man my friend, much respect. 3 questions....

1) So is your G now completely rattle free?

2) Got anything on the squeaky driver seat? The dealership cannot fix my seat.

3) Where are you located...Want to help me with my g?

 

I've done much of what Dave has done to rear parcel shelf. It's ridiculous that they even let the interior pass design quality control at the factory. The doors are just as bad and thankfully I did some of the fix when I swapped for my Polk tweeters. I know that center console is a plastic on plastic creak fest - especially when cold. I guess there will be more to my weekend than football after all.

Nice work

 

Great post Dave. I will do apply the felt when I replace the speakers and apply dynamat. If they only made dynamat with felt.

I have a rattle that appears to be where the upper seat belt contact is on the B pillar. Does your sedan have that as well? Even the bass from the door speaker rattles it. I'm sure felt will help there too.

In what department at Home Depot did you find the adhesive felt?

 

Adhesive felt @ HD...it's where they sell the felt stick-on's that go on the bottom of your furniture legs, so you don't scratch up hardwood floors. They sell them in strips as well as a 4"x6" or so mat. Nice & cheap fix for the problem....do you have any idea how much they charge for the TSB kit to fix this!? I called the 800 # to see how much it was, and I almost dropped dead.....it's over $200 for felt & some other items....freaking RIDICULOUS!!!

 

Not totally. There are still some creaks/rattles when the car hit some sharp pavement cuts, but overall it's far better. I have a rattle coming from the climate control display/clock bezel. I wish I could figure out how that part comes out. I'm sure it would be an fix.

Oddly, my 03's seat developed an inconsistent squeak after they supposedly fixed the rocking seat (it still rocks). I pinpointed the squeak to the rear driver's side support that connects seat assembly to the slider rail (mounted to chassis). I removed the midde crossbar (two 12mm bolts) then removed the three 12mm nuts and one 14mm nut that attach the two driver's side supports to the slider. I then pushed up on the seat to free the supports from the threaded posts that thenuts attach to. I then pushed the rear driver's side support and bent it slightly, very slightly. So much you can't tell. I then reinstalled everything. It seems to have worked.

A bit to far away from you. I'm in Kansas City and in a few months I'll be in Atlanta.

 

Cabinat and door hardware section.

 

Other great creak and squeak stoppers include those little clear or cork bumpers that you may find under a glass table. Home depot sells those as well. I used them to reduce the play in the arm rest as well. When the arm rest was closed before it would have so much room to move that it usually did over bumps. Also used them to quiet the lower glove box where too much play was the culprit.

Also for those of you with headliner creaks - I stuffed some trunk mat material into the headliner to eliminate the movement when the chassis flexed and it works like a charm.

 

the fuzzy side of velcro also works well, it is a little thicker than felt tape

 

Dave, many thanks for your description of how to get the door panel off.

I'll be spending some time in the garage in pretty short order to get that felt in - Pic #2 in the door panel section is what my ride needs

 

Yep me too. I've also added felt to the removable cupholder and to the armrest and cupholder lid latches.

Can you tell me how you accessed the headliner? I'd like to this.

 

You guys are a great help in the fight against rattles.

To get the clock bezel off, you have to pull hard straight toward the back of the car. Don't lift up toward the windshield.

 

Something else that works on this, is those little black bumpers that Radio Shack sells, been using them for years to quiet things like this, and they're cheap!