Evening all!
When I go over bumps or potholes (obviously I avoid them where I can!), even smaller bumps produce quite a bit of noise from the interior, with things ‘jumping’ rattling or moving creating noise. I can’t work out exactly what is causing this, but I think it may be the passenger seat and the passenger seatbelt tower. It also sounds like something inside the dash is moving.
Is this common in Mk1s (I know with their relatively hard suspension, after 20 years things are bound to get a little loose) and if so, has anyone found things to tighten to reduce this irritating noise?
Or, is this a sign that my car is riding with too much crashing, and may need new shocks.
Thanks in advance
This is one of the most frustrating things in a car, rattles that are not visible.The only advice I can offer is to try locate and tighten up everything you think is coming loose. Good luck
I had the same issue with the passenger side seatbelt tower.
For me what it actually turned out to be was the seatbelt lock itself (the part you insert) the plast back of that was rattling off the tower everytime I went over a bump.
A small adjustment to where I let it come torest was enough to fix it.
Also check your instrument cowl - sometimes these come a little loose and rattle a bit.
If your anything like me rattles drive you mad so I am pro-actively trying to ignore them LOL
I puzzled for weeks trying to find a loud knocking noise form the passenger side when going over bumps.
I couldn’t hear it when I had a passenger, and was beginning to wonder if the seat was loose.
It turned out to be the passenger seat belt buckle banging against the side pillar.
If I tuck the buckle into its little holding slot on the pillar, I don’t get any noise.
You’ve checked tyre pressures?
What shocks have you got? - the Bilsteins are notoriously harsh (but still good shocks).
The seat belt against tower is the most common - use the little slot as mentioned above.
Get under cowling and carefully move wiring about - consider tying wiring with elastic - don’t laugh, but an old pair of tights can be useful for this!
[;)]
Tyre pressures were done on Saturday and helped a wee bit (they were very irregular). As far as I know the shocks are standard. Its a UK car so no Bilsteins (I’ve heard the filling-knock-out stories!) but the original shocks may have never been changed in its 68,000 mile/19 year life!
I have seatbelt pads so the metal connector of the belt does not sit at the top of the tower to bang. But the free wheel at the top of the tower that moves with the belt may be at fault, I can make it make noise my moving it vigourously by hand. I think that and the seat may be where its at.
As daft as it sounds, it also really helped me to empty the glovebox! Its amazing how much noise a pair of sunglasses and a phone charger can make on bumpy London roads!
Cheers
Check inside the door panels, there are lots of things in there that rattle if not fastened back to the doors. One of the worst things I found that caused a lot of the rattles in the doors were worn hinges after 15 years of use. You can only replace the whole hinge tho’ and they cost about £35 each so that is 4 times £35. If you go down this route make sure you get them for each door as they are handed. A worn door stop that supports the door when shut is another thing that causes rattles.
as simon above mentioned the glovebox can drum up noise with bits slidding about,
i cut a piece of offcut carpet to size running it up the back of box, this generally stops or deadens any noises from that area.
P/S patterned or plain carpet to your choice, and obviouslly has to be AXMINSTER [H]
Can you describe where this is on the tower or better still post a picture as I can’t find anything like you describe on my Mk1?
Look carefully at the trim, on the front edge behind the door. There is a slot to park the buckle into
Just get a bigger exhaust…your soon so deaf no rattles matter!
Could you not just do up the passenger belt, thus getting the buckle away from the pillar? I tend to do this as it gives a little area to secure drinks bottles, sandwiches, laptop etc behind.
Yes I could but I was interested to find if there was a particular place to park the belt to stop it rattling. I can soon manufacture a clip of some sort to park the clip securely, just wanted to save some time and effort, that’s all.
pollyana,
The clip for the seat belt buckle can be seen just to the right of buckle in the picture below.
The buckle then slots neatly into clip.
Is this a part that you buy as an accessory or did it come with the car? Mine doesn’t have one on at all. Thanks for the pictures it gives me the info I need to make one if push comes to shove.
It came as part of the car. It is a MK2, so that could explain why is is not on yours.
Thanks for that, I will try MX5PARTS again using Mk2 instead of Mk1.
Hi Mark, I went into Petch Mazda at Darlington today to see if they would get me the “Seat Belt Tidy” as shown in you photo’s.
The young man at the spares counter was most helpful even though I could only tell him the part I was after was off a Mk2, but I did take a copy of your picture to show him too. I asked if he could post it to me to save me a 40 mile round trip and he said “no problem” and I should receive them in the post on Friday or Saturday. Not bad service from a Mazda Dealership.[:D]
I am glad you have managed to get the
bit.
Hope the price was as good as the
service
About £6.69 for two parts including the postage. The part number is NC1068AD2C00 and is called Clip, so anyone else who wants one can order one themselves.