When I bought my Protege5, it was drum tight. Now, there are numerous little sounds coming from the dash, in the headliner close to the sunroof, from the rear, from the glovebox (though I chalk that one up to CD cases). Most of you probably wouldn't notice these little sounds, but I do, and it drives me nuts. Anyone else have a creaky dashboard, rattles in the headliner, etc?

...anyone able to actually fix this ish?

 

Weeelll... I did discover that if you pull the left A pillar cover off - you see the rear w/w fluid hose. It has a sticker that came loose and rattled when cold (drove me nukinfutz). Removed the sticker and zip-tied the tube better. One down...

 

How about that creak that comes from the instrument cluster? Do you have that one, too?

 

Nope. I just may a have a tighter car than normal...

I also make sure to lash everything down and/or muffle it.

 

i have a rattle that sounds like its coming from the ignition in the steering column. that one is annoying. also the passenger side seat belt adjustable bracket sounds like a spring is sprung and that one buzzes all the time. i know what u mean juddz....the arm rest even rattles when i got my elbow on it and i notice that one for sure. the moonroof will make noise on me....dunno if thats what u mean by the headliner but thats only on rough roads

 

just normal stuff, as the unibody flex's things get "out of place", and creek, just turn the radio up ... driving a probe i know ALL about creeky interiors, they are so cheaply made its laughable, i'd be happy if there was 1 body panel that didn't squeek, creek or make any other noise for that matter ...

 

Just kind of sucks, you know? You spend twenty grand on a car, and the thing's not bank-vault-tight after just a few oil changes. I find myself smacking the dash, slapping the headliner, and squeezing the steering column cover on my way to work in the morning to get it to shut up. Worse, there is nothing you can do about it, except
1) Fester in disgust (my chosen path)
2) Attend anger management classes
3) Go on a fruitless expedition with foam tape, trying to damp anything that can vibrate, and THEN accept either #1 or #2 when this fails.

 

I just about freaked the other morning when I started the car up only to hear a new "bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzmmmmmmmmmmmm". I was like and had the ol' hubby investigate. Turns out it is the new carbon fiber engine cover buzzing in the cold morning air!

 

That wouldn't happen to be a "Mazdaspeed" CF engine cover purchased off E-Bay, would it?!

 

Turn up the radio and drop the windows! That will solve any annoying rattles. Works on my car!

 

Yeah, but sometimes the radio gets turned off when I am sick of all my CDs (again) and there's nothing good on the radio.

Besides, I just dropped in a sub - that ought to make things vibrate worse! I'm headed in the wrong direction here...

 

The sub can only make things much worse but then again its worth it
What you need to do to stop the rear deck from ratteling is to get some carpet inulation(the good sythetic stuff) and just replace the stock foam padding with it. It also works in the doors.

I think I have taken care of most of my rattling problems but I know it can only get worse in winter, and when that happens foam tape here I come.
For the insterment cluster did you try to screw it in more, if that doesnt work I found (while installing my dave b gauge rings) that there is some foam padding that goes along the bottom of the cluster that seems to have degraded away, its like a powder now, try replacing it with some foam tape.

 

Nope. That would be the DG Motorsports one....