Hi, my MX-5ās suddenly developed a really annoying, loud interior rattle today.
This started immediately after I had to brake fairly hard to avoid somebody who pulled out on me.Ā Since then, thereās been an almost constant loud rattle from the driverās side of the dashboard - seems to be coming from inside the area at the top of the dash to the right of the instruments I think?
Iāve had the instrument cowl off & the rattleās still there (itās not the Bluetooth Microphone either); I also tried it without the column cowl, also with the instrumentation unscrewed (but not disconnected) - originally I thought it was coming from the instrumentation but now seems more likely that itās rattling from somewhere behind the dash itself.
Iāve had a good poke around under the dash & canāt find anything loose, the ducting to the demister ventās properly seated etc.
There seems to be no way to get at the very top of the dash, where the sun sensorās located for the Climate Control - I was wondering whether it might be something to do with that?
The rattle sounds like a loose piece of plastic rattling around, itās most noticeable at slower speeds (eg around town) when it rattles constantly; on the motorway it doesnāt rattle much at all.Ā Itās definitely a rattle type noise, not a buzz.
It even rattles - one ātapā type noise - sometimes when I engage first gear with the car stationary - somethingās obviously very loose & itās definitely something related to the dashboard / interior.
Itās really loud & already driving me mad - does anybody have any ideas please?
Thanks pfw - yes, itās a PRHT, however the rattleās there regardless of whether the roofās up or down - the roof was down when it started - so it definitely isnāt the roof panel.
I have seen a thread on another forum about loose torx bolts inside the header rail trim causing a rattle which sounds as if itās coming from the instrumentation area, Iāve just removed the header rail trim & checked - all bolts were present & tight, which unfortunately (for me) rules that out too. Nothing untoward inside the āA Panelā trim at the side of the windscreen either.
Itās a really loud & very annoying rattle, definitely something inside the dash / instrumentation area at the driverās side & so loud that itās ruining the car at the moment to be honest - I wondered whether Iād dropped something into one of the air vents but I havenāt had anything on the dash at all which could have found its way in there.
Hmm, has the radio been out? Was the āimpossible to findā security bolt lost in the depths, but now resurfaced elsewhere as a result of the heavy braking?
Or, much worse, has something broken loose in the pedal assembly?
I did check the pedal assembly when I was looking at it yesterday, but Iāll double-check that; thereās no untoward behaviour with the controls / instrumentation - itās very odd, a little worrying & very annoying!
Have you had someone in the passenger seat try and locate the noise while you drive? I ask as these rattles and knocks can be very elusive and may sound as though they are coming from somewhere else from the passenger seat. I had a noise coming from the roof of my PRHT and I was convinced it was coming from behind my right ear but in fact it was coming from the lugs above the windscreen.
Just a thought.
D
Thank you all for your helpful suggestions re. this - greatly appreciated.
The good news is that I think itās fixed!
Just before the journey when it started, Iād put some eye drops in (I have a chronic dry eye problem) using the vanity mirror inside the driverās sunvisor.Ā On the back of the hinged mirror cover is a credit card holder where the Mazda Assist card (now over 4 years past its expiry date) has always lived since the car was new.
When I started to take out the header rail trim yesterday evening, the plastic Mazda Assist card fell on to my lap.Ā I didnāt think anything more of that at the time & didnāt test drive the car straight after putting the header rail trim back together, because Iād found nothing amiss.
Then late last night, clutching at straws a bit, it struck me that the plastic card could, just possibly, be the source of the noise?Ā Maybe having come loose when Iād used the mirror & then jolted free when I had to brake quite sharply?
I removed the Mazda Assist card this morning, took the car out - & the rattleās completely vanished.Ā So,hopefully, thatās that!Ā
As other posters have said, sometimes a rattle isnāt coming from the area from which it appears to be - as has been evidenced on this occasion!
Iām glad you got it fixed. My car had 3 rattles when I first got it (2 previous owners). I totally agree that a passenger needs to be present to locate it. I was certain that a noise was coming from inside the dash around the radio. It turned out to be the roof lock. Iāve got another that Iām sure comes from around the dials, but the sound isnāt present with the roof down. I now think it could be from where the roof connects to the top of the windscreen.Ā
I had what I thought was a dashboard Rattle. I could swear it was coming from the passenger side and thought it was in the glove locker. I ended up running a strong magnet EVERYWHERE and hit gold on the trim along the top of the screen to the right if the hard top latch. Removing the trim revealed a large torx bolt which had fallen out of the fixing bracket. Drove me mad until I found it. Turns out itās quite common and there are posts on the US forum and even a YouTube video. Mazda Miata MX-5 (NC) windshield rattle fix - YouTube