I'm attempting to track-down an annoying rattle/vibration.

Both the wife and myself are convinced it is coming from the rear near-side of the vehicle. Initially thought it could be tyres and/or wheel balancing, however when I recently had two new tyres fitted I had all of them re-balanced. Car also had a full geo check about 6 months ago.

Noise only seems to be there from around 30mph - 50mph.

So, looking around the rear looking for something that could be wrong and I noticed something "looking wrong" with my rear seats. So, to begin with here are some pictures of the off-side rear seats in my car. As far as I can tell these are fine, and exactly as you'd expect them to be:

 

 

 

 

 

 

So below are pictures from a similar angle (reversed of course as it's the other side of the car) showing the near-side seat. It's the gaps and general "bad fitting" of the seat I'm looking to highlight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right, so if you've got this far I'm hoping you'll agree that the "gapping" and "fitting" on the near-side just doesn't look right, especially when compared to the off-side.

I've had people in the back of the car, however I've never folded the seats down or anything like that, so I'm assuming its been like this since day 1. Are Skoda going to believe me? As I kind of wanted this looked at under warranty?

I'm guessing this kind of bad fitting could cause rattles and/or vibrations - the ones driving me mad.

If not, anything else to look for that could be causing such noise?

 

Thanks in advance and so, so sorry about the picture intensive thread.

I don't have mine at work today - but I'm pretty sure that the side part is fixed to the car and stays where it is if you drop the seat.

 

How old is the car as that looks like a build fault from the factory to me, is the car still under warranty ?

 

Unless that bit of trim has been removed at some point in the cars history ?

That is a fixed section, yes. So looks like a factory fitting issue to me.

Hi,

May 2011 - so under warranty until May next year.

I've had it from new and never had the need to do anything around the back seats - as I said I haven't even needed to drop them flat, let alone start playing with trim around there.

I did have the rear windscreen replaced earlier this year, but I cannot see why a window fitter would have needed to get near the seats?

Now I've got the pictures on this thread I may well try pointing my local main dealers at this thread and see if they will take a look.

My seats are up and down regularly, and that section never needs touching, so you're right to raise it as an issue.

 

Might be helpful for another vRS person to post up some photos, so you can go forward with a direct comparison of how they should look.

 

Or easy enough to do a visual inspection of another vRS at the dealership perhaps?

Enough in the pictures I'd say as the nearside looks nothing like the offside.

Yep, true enough

The near side on my back seats have a small gap as well. Not quite as much as yours though. I've also had a rattle coming from that place after having the seats down but just dropped it down and slammed it back in to place and have never had it since.

My 2012 VRS has a very similar rear seat issue. Noticed the bigger gap on one side when cleaning it.

Certainly down the side, not sure about the top.

So is it normal, anyone else like to compare to the pics?

No rattles from mine though.

I dropped my local dealer a line and they said "it does appear that the seat cushion may not be fitted correctly".

So I've got it booked in on Thursday to be looked at and if that doesn't fix the rattle/noise/vibration for them to investigate that further. I'd expect it to be done under warranty, but as in the past they are never sure of that until they find out what's wrong.

Sounds promising.

 

On the issue/cause of those sorts of rattles and vibrations, the only way I've ever tracked it down was to have someone listening out and moving around the car trying to find it! I've been amazed at how sounds can transmit around cars, and you'd be adamant it was coming from an area, only to finally track it down somewhere completely different! 

Had a similar issue when I got my new vRS but dealer sorted it under warranty. I think that bit of the seat just clips in so it could be that yours just needs the clips engaging properly.

Sarge.

I don´t think it´s broken.

The side piece is apart from the back rest, I think its not in itss place.

Lower the the seat and force down and out on the side piece as it will come off.

So its, 2 hands, down and out. At bottom has a piece that enters onto another and so does on top.

Try to press down first on top and force inword to see if on top also goes in.

Sorry for the english:)

Looks just like mine tbh. The bolster to the side of the seat does stay in place when you fold the seats but you can take it out. It's held in with a funny clip. A bit like a big spade connection in electronics. A sharp tug upwards will pull it free, but beware it's a PITA to put back.

 

I did that previously to try to identify a rattle from the back of the car. It did nothing to fix it.

 

BUT, just the other week I had an idea to try sticky backed velcro. I used it the around the jumbo box lid and the glovebox lid but only one sided. So it wasn't sticking the bits together but did give a softer surface where the two bits met.

 

I also use the vecro more properly on the rear parcel shelf. I've cracked the two locating lugs on mine by accident quite a while ago so it could more more freely than it should. I put vecro on the seat back where the parcel shelf and seats meet. Also two bit on either side forward of the hinge.

 

Worked a charm. I've no rattles at all inside the car now. Also those three things removed the rattle I thought to be coming from the rear seat bolsters.

 

I Might be worth checking the rear brake stone guards for free play too. I think your car is a bit too new but the guard oxidises around the bolts and can come free making quite a bit of noise.

Not sure if the side isnt fitted properly, but i used to have a rattle on mine when i used to put the seats down and pput them back up, i did as Pwatson2005 and shut the seats with a little force. Problemed solved. I think the culprit was the mechanism you pull to bring the seats down was not clipped in so it rattled. Id try this first (if you already havent) as it saves wasting your time at the dealers.

I too have this annoying rattle.

 

Tried a few things, wrapping electrical tape round the parcel shelf lugs, wrapping electrical tape round the post where the seat clips in, and still get an annoying rattle from the rear left hand side.

 

Will watch this thread with interest...

The noise you talk about also had it when I got her in 2010

Electrical black tape around hook, enough tape so the rear backseat becomes somewhat dificult to close, red thingy on top disappers.

 

Use small piece of thin carpet stuff like pic shows, glue on chassis so it won´t fall down

 

On top use same type of material but in this case make a pocket with it so their won´t be any metal to metal rubbing. Also glue it in.

Sorry for the quality of pic, I have glued it over metal piece on the chassis

 

 

 

my 2008 pr fl has the same gap, i don't have any rattles though.

OK, car back from dealership. Unfortunately I wasn't able to chat to the service manager before I left, however...

Seat was sorted, apparently it was just a matter of repositioning it, however there was a broken clip which was replaced and there is now as little gap as there is on the other side.

They have also investigated the rattle/vibration and the sheet simply says "tightened lose clips and fittings".

Anyway, all done under warranty (cost me more in insurance waivers for the loan vehicle) and on the drive home I "thought" the noise was gone. The problem is because I'm used to it I can tune in and out at will

Will give it a proper drive tomorrow into work and see if the noise has gone.

 

Use small piece of thin carpet stuff like pic shows, glue on chassis so it won´t fall down

 

On top use same type of material but in this case make a pocket with it so their won´t be any metal to metal rubbing. Also glue it in.

Sorry for the quality of pic, I have glued it over metal piece on the chassis

 

Where is this on the seat please?

 

Cheers.