If you look at my other posts, you'll notice that I'm on a personal mission to get rid of all the annoying little rattles, squeaks, and noises in my car.

Tapping on the passenger-side of the parcel shelf (or just a little harder on the sub cover, or driver-side) produces a persistent metallic rattle! I've narrowed it down to (I think) the center seatbelt assembly.

I removed the rear upper trunk finisher to see if I could isolate it with felt tape, and have had no real luck.
This one's been bugging me for weeks! It's apparent with bass kicks from music, and when someone taps on the passenger side parcel shelf.

Has anyone else had this problem, and successfully solved it?

I'm concerned that I might be going in the wrong direction with the seat belt assembly. If I can, I'd like to avoid taking apart the parcel shelf, since it requires the entire rear seat to come out!

 

I have an 04.5 and i've had the same problem since the day I got the car. I've taken it into the shop 3 times and every time they said "ok we fixed it this time", but they havent yet. I just gave up on it. It seems to get worse when its really hot, i guess cuz the plastic gets more maleable from the heat.

 

do you have to remove the back seat to take off the rear deck?

Also do you have to do anything from the trunk interior?

 

I hear what seems to be a rattle from the rear seat to trunk latch. It seems that my rear seat doesn't hook solidly anymore and causes a rattle when I drive sometimes maybe I should be looking at the seatbelt latches...

 

I too am trying to get rid of my rear shelf rattles. I have dynomatted my rear trunk and whenever I have real deep bass, my self area just sounds like crap

 

I have chased this one down a bit too... I ended up wraping the passenger seatbelt coil in foam to try to deaden the rattle. It helped a bit, but with a little more base I still hear something. I bought more dynamat and I'm going to do the whole rear deck tomorrow.

Yes, you do have to remove the seats to get the deck cover off, but it only takes a few minutes - it's not as hard as it looks.

 

^^^Please let us know how it goes.

 

Only a few minutes? Really? I can see how it might be; the seat pad removes pretty easily, but my worry is that I might break the reclining mechanism. The exploded view shows about twice as many components as the standard seats.

What I love is this set of instructions for removing the assembly:
It doesn't address removal of the seat backs. I suppose I'll do some more poking around, and see if anyone's got a step-by-step on the web, or in a forum...

 

OK, it's done! So, I removed the foam that I had put in the seatbelt coil and I Dynamatted the rear deck. Just to be safe, I put some Dynamat in the seatbelt coil enclosure. I think I found the "real" cause of the noise though... I used foam tape to stick down the wire for the trunk light. My gut feel is that it was that wire that was making the noise. I can crank up full base now and there is no rattle at all!!!

The seats come out by removing the nuts at the bottom. 2 on the outside and 2 in separate locations on the inside. You also have to remove 2 bolts to get the centre console out. I'm not kidding - just a couple of minutes. I can't see how you could damage anything - I've had them out quite a few times now. I'll take them out and post some pics...

 

i can see the 2 nuts on the outside close by the door.

"2 in separate locations on the inside. You also have to remove 2 bolts to get the centre console out."

1)the 2 on the inside close by the reclining level are hard to see if at all, how and what did you use to get access to those 2 nuts?
2)do the seats come off separately from the center console, another word, i can leave the center console intacted while remove the seats completely out of the car right?

tia,

 

Here is a step by step...

You have to remove the center console first. Remove rubber trim from trunk access hole...


Flip up leather cover (it's velcro-ed in)...
Unsrew both bolts and remove plug (just pull on the plug to remove)...


Now you can see the inside bolt. Remove both of these...




Remove the outside bolts also...


That's it - pull out both seats.
If you are doing this to get to the top deck cover, you will have to remove the upper part of the console also. Flip the matt over in the center of the car and remove the plugs (no picture of the plugs). (Don't worry that my picture shows the seat still there, I forgot to take the picture at the right time)


Push up on the console to remove...


Remove the child seat restraint covers. Take off the front cover, then push the whole thing back and up. It helps to wiggle side to side also...


Remove the deck cover by pulling it towards the front of the car. It is held in by friction clips and the panel beside the rear window. You have to push the deck cover down where it connects to the side panel to get it to release (both sides). You can do one side at a time.




Pull the cover forward and out of the way.


Use foam tape to stick down the trunk light wire here...
Push up on the console to remove...


I think this is the guy causing the rattle...


To put everything back - same thing in reverse.

 

great post thanks for the DIY you should put it in it's own thread in the DIY section "Sedan: Rear parcel shelf removal'

 

Yeah, good idea... I should get the pictures I missed first though...

 

sliderg35, thanks a million for the detailed instruction.

MOD: please sticky this.

 

Great write-up.