Squeak/rattle from rear seats - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

rcan1015 · 09-30-2011, 11:43 PM

I've got a loud squeak/rattle from behind the rear seats in my '09 CH that only occurs after it has been parked in the sun. I think it is coming from the rear shelf or possibly the headliner. It's been to Toyota twice, but they haven't found the problem.

When I sit in the back and my wife is driving, it seems to be overhead in the headliner or top of the rear window. I press all over the place, but it doesn't stop. Has anybody had a similar issue? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

ukrkoz · 10-01-2011, 01:31 PM

unfortunately, squeaks from ill choice of plastic fasteners and poorly matching panels is one of the main complaints for Camries. dashboards, center consoles. Door panels.
Do your best to locate exact source and repost here. I know how to silence rear shelf.

rcan1015 · 10-01-2011, 11:14 PM

I will try to determine the location on the next warm, sunny day--it's supposed to be wet and cloudy for the next week, however.

Thanks

ukrkoz · 10-02-2011, 09:22 AM

you do have moonroof, don't you?
something expands in the heat and comes out of alignment. plastics don't really expand that much, metals do.
just to share your pain, I have pass side pillar A airbag cover that will NOT stay in place. I put it back in, and in a half day, there's quarter inch gap up on its edge next to headliner. short of gluing it into place...

1000booster · 10-02-2011, 10:44 AM

I have the same problem for a year. I removed the rear shelf tape lot of foam and sound dampening material. It didn't change a thing. I had somebody seat in the rear and listen to the noise. He told me that probably coming from battery cooling inlet. I don't have the time to find out because I am away from home for a year. I holp someone can find out the source of the noise.

ukrkoz · 10-02-2011, 11:41 AM

that might be the case though. back when I started in this forum, there was a post by an end user about his battery fan housing being very loose. rattles. he was trying to figure out way to re-tighten retaining screws for it, as those are not your regular bolts and nuts, but same weirdos they have on air filter housing - little mushroom like things.

rcan1015 · 10-02-2011, 12:34 PM

ukrkoz, I don't have a moonroof--but it sure seems like it is coming from the rear headliner. It's just difficult to push on anything that makes much difference in the noise. If it was the battery cooling inlet, wouldn't the noise be pretty consistent? Mine only makes the loud, irritating noise when it has been setting in the sun.

1000booster, how did you remove the rear shelf?

Thanks

ukrkoz · 10-02-2011, 12:52 PM

very simple indeed. lower right pass side backrest of the rear seat, and pry shelf up. clips let go very fast and easy.
then you can pack something soft in there, all the way towards the left side.
also, check if the fan housing inside trunk is not loose.
i just tapped on my headliner in the back. thing does rattle at the slightest tap.

AML · 10-02-2011, 03:38 PM

I had a rattle when listening to music caused by the hook covers for the LATCH system in the rear deck. I just shoved some felt in the spot to keep the cover from vibrating against the deck.

1000booster · 10-03-2011, 03:06 PM

rcan1015, I remove the rear shelf and lift the factory sound damping mat. So I can tape some foam toward the rear glass area and I tape some sound dampening mat similar to dynamat around the speaker. If any noise created around that area, the sound will change. But it didn't, it make the car quieter and the noise still the same.

I will try the suggestion from ukrkoz, to tight up the screw one day. The cold weather is coming so I can't tell it will work or not. I only have the problem when the day is hot.

rcan1015 · 10-03-2011, 07:10 PM

Yeah, mine only acts up when it is hot and sunny--and it has been raining for three days. I'm going to spend a few hours on it this weekend and I'll post my results. Thanks to everybody who has posted their experience. Maybe we'll get this solved yet.

snookwhaler · 10-08-2011, 11:01 AM

Not sure if this will help. Maybe....

Mine was having the exact same issue. It would only happen after sitting in the sun. My problem turned out to be between the bottom of the c-pillar trim and the top of the rear deck. I slid some long pieces of velcro (the fuzzy side) in there and I have not heard the noise since.

I also had the latch issue and the battery vent issue. I cured both of those by cramming foam tape in there.

Another noise I found was the large trim cover over the traction battery. It was rattling around over bad roads. I removed the cover and lined the edges and center with sticky sided foam tape.

rcan1015 · 10-08-2011, 11:33 AM

Thanks for the info snookwhaler. How do you remove the large trim cover over the traction battery? Is that the large black panel directly under the rear shelf that is accessed thru the trunk? Is it just snapped or velcroed in place? I've never messed with anything near the traction battery for concern about accidentally getting fried. If it doesn't rain again today, I'm going to work on it this afternoon. But, I won't even know if it works until hot weather returns next summer

ukrkoz · 10-08-2011, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcan1015

Thanks for the info snookwhaler. How do you remove the large trim cover over the traction battery? Is that the large black panel directly under the rear shelf that is accessed thru the trunk? Is it just snapped or velcroed in place? I've never messed with anything near the traction battery for concern about accidentally getting fried. If it doesn't rain again today, I'm going to work on it this afternoon. But, I won't even know if it works until hot weather returns next summer

large black piece right underneath the shelf is battery cooling fan intake and housing. that's the one I mentioned before as loose for one of the end users. Also, that's the one that has fancy mushroom looking tabs, or whatever it is called, on all four corners. I am under fair assumption that actual bolts can be accessed only from the top, when shelf cover is removed.

but anyhow... that rear shelf is a rattling nightmare. I was 100% positive I got mine silenced, just to find that now it resonates at some beloved frequency my sub produces.

packing dampening material between plastic cover and metal shelf is a scientific project. you do not pack thick enough - it resonates; you pack slightly too thick, and plastic clips let go and shelf pops up - AND RESONATES.

so far, the only thing that REALLY worked to silence it was a heavy object set on top of that plastic cover, right in front of air intake. I removed it for 2 reasons - cosmesis and virtual inability to keep it in place, as it'll fly all over during sharp turns. no, I did not want to glue it.

I am in search for a long, soft "gut" filled with led beads. about 2 feet long. this should be heavy enough, long enough to cover most of the shelf, and stable enough simply due to length and weight. any suggestions?