Almost a great car.......but there's a rattle ! Ahh!

[runthencycle]

hi. New to skoda. Bought a 2010 superb estate elegance 170DSG with park assist and electric boot. ALMOST very pleased with it. overed 4000 miles in France this summer. 50 mph +

had a BMW 525 previously so ...

ISSUES?

is it me? have I been spoiled by my previous 3litre smooth Diesel engine, but the 2 litre diesel I now own sounds rough and noisy by comparison...especially when cold

AND the rattles. Not One in the BMW. it's been back and mostly tightened......BUT one lives behind the dash...behind the instrument panel and I can't seem to locate it. IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE.

Quiet rattling from the rear boot ?...maybe cover at low speeds

HELP? Almost a great car

Any advice

[Supurbia]

No point comparing a 3.0 with a 2.0, the 3.0 has power to weight ratio advantage and will spin slower per mph,

 

Rattling rear has to be the parcel shelf, if you'd bought a 3.6 V6 you'd be asking why you put up with the 3.0 drone all this time.

[JakeBlade]

BMWs are in-line engines, so you get a much smoother engine: even on the 4-cylinders.

Others have posted about the glovebox rattle - I'm sure they'll post in due course. IIRC I think it comes from the trim on the road facing edge of the glovebox - the fuse cover.

Edited 11 September, 2013 by JakeBlade

[trundlenut]

BMWs are in-line engines, so you get a much smoother engine: even on the 4-cylinders.

So what's in the superb then?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

[jonnie5]

Inline 4 mounted the wrong way because its drives the front wheels.

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[JakeBlade]

Errrr... monkey tennis?

[Nathanio]

Inline 4 mounted the wrong way because its drives the front wheels.

Sent from my Windows Phone 8X by HTC using Board Express

 

I think what you actually mean are transverse versus longitudinal. All the 4 cyl engines from VAG are in-line but can be either transverse (across the engine bay) or longitudinal (fr to rr in the engine bay). 

 

It's nothing about being mounted the wrong way; it is to do with packaging of the engine and ancillaries. Different platforms have different requirements. The 1 series has it mounted the "correct" way but has awful interior space compared to its rivals. 

 

You can have a longitudinal engines (Passat for instance) that are FWD....

[runthencycle]

Blimey, what a response!

the rattle is not the glove compartment area. It lurks and ghosts about. anywhere between behind the instrument panel, to the right of the location next to the steering wheel and playfully skips around the right of the dash and the upper part of the drivers door. The reality is that it is not somewhere you can touch. my suspicion is that it's inside the facia/dash and I can only hear it when driving.

That makes it a tad tricky to locate its exact location.....having my ear against the dash, whilst driving is probably not advised!

darn frustrating

Monster of a car though

[jozisko]

Had similar rattle and I have managed to get rid of it by inserting rubber strips(http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Rubber%20Sealing%20Strip/Pr340232000) between various components located behind cubicle by drivers right knee. I have also applied the strip around covers on both sides of the dashboard.
And I just remembered I had one rattle on passenger side which ended up being airbag switch connector. It's located to the left of the glove box. I have inserted a bit of that rubber strip between the plug and the socket as well.
 
Also unrelated to above issue I had rattle from both rear doors at certain frequencies when playing music. This turned up to be door cards vibrating against the door. I have inserted rubber strip between door cards and doors which sorted it out.

I finally have rattle free drive.

I will take photos if required.

Edited 11 September, 2013 by jozisko

[bill2]

not good having to put rubber strips all over a 30 grand car to stop rattles. And that not to mention the rough sounding engine with a vibration.

 

bill

[hulahoop7]

This all makes me sweat. On Friday next week I will be receiving a 170cr elegance combi, but handing back an Audi A4 Avant (which has been awesome except for being too small for growing family). I had a Ford c class previously and that drove me nuts by creaking like a galleon. Hope I am not going back to something like that!

[hulahoop7]

Cmax I mean

[artichoke273]

This all makes me sweat.

18 months and 12,000 miles and not a creak, rattle or pop in sight. Maybe like all of us, these things come in later life.

[javinv]

Mine has had them since hello...

[Coops]

55k, 18 months, no rattles.

[jozisko]

I should maybe add that it was only me who could hear all the rattles. My wife or occasional passenger could not hear them until I specifically pointed them out. 

I have been in cars whose owners could not hear a single rattle and thought their cars were quiet, until I pointed the noises out to them. 

So I think rattle might be a relative thing, which drives someone up the wall but others don't realise it's there. 

[runthencycle]

Previous car BMW 7 years old. Not one rattle. but it has been a disappointment. A new price of 27k upwards, even a few years old shouldn't rattle. leather seats?

ell ...there not really are they.

I am saddened to say I worry in case they tear just by looking at them

[runthencycle]

Removed the equilavent of half a bag of sugars worth of stones and gravel from the undertrays. Unbelievable. lso tried to secure the fuel lines with foam. Sprayed all the bushes, springs, arms etc. Car much better

But rattle now pinpointed to the drivers door. Too scared to attempt to remove the door skin, as I am bound to break all the clips.

warranty job when I get. 5 minutes

[Inoffski]

Removed the equilavent of half a bag of sugars worth of stones and gravel from the undertrays. Unbelievable. lso tried to secure the fuel lines with foam. Sprayed all the bushes, springs, arms etc. Car much better

But rattle now pinpointed to the drivers door. Too scared to attempt to remove the door skin, as I am bound to break all the clips.

warranty job when I get. 5 minutes

It could be as simple a fix as spraying some grease into the lock on the door!!

I had an annoying rattle from the drivers door too, a couple of squirts of lithium grease around the door catch cured it, and it hasn't returned since!!

[runthencycle]

Whereabouts

There's no keyhole. Do you mean pull the handle and spray in the tiny gap.

Or more down the side...where it connects with the main body of the car

It used to be easier with an actual key slot!

[Inoffski]

Whereabouts

There's no keyhole. Do you mean pull the handle and spray in the tiny gap.

Or more down the side...where it connects with the main body of the car

It used to be easier with an actual key slot!

Up into the lock catch on the side of the door

Edited 16 September, 2013 by Inoffski

[kilworth]

I agree its disappointing to find that a car that cost 30k + needs rubber strips and grease to stop all rattles and squeaks. Mine is just over 1 yr 80k and is beginning to sound like a builders van with all the rattles . Last car A4 had 280k before handing back and still felt solid and rattle free , I think its all the same parts bin ie Audi vw but just not put together with the same care .

[hulahoop7]

Christ 5 days to go and news gets worse... what am I letting myself in for!

[zorro]

wonder how do you like skoda after driving BMW besides that skoda rattles nicer. ..

[kevberlin]

Christ 5 days to go and news gets worse... what am I letting myself in for!

Keep the faith. I suspect many of us go through this when we await a new car and then seem to see loads of "problem" posts. I had it last time with my vrs and am having it again while awaiting my Superb.

Enjoy your new car. It will be good.