The source of my own personal rattle...can anyone help?

[jasonjr23]

Today while I was driving (2008 Highlander Hybrid), directly in front of me (almost sounded like my windshield) I could hear a pretty loud rattle. When I got home, I popped the hood and looked around with a flashlight, and I saw an acorn INSIDE the area right below the windshield wipers. In the picture below, I circled it in red. When I look into that mesh/grid opening, I can see the acorn. Which explains why sometimes I hear the rattle on the passenger side, because maybe on a sharp turn the acorn slides over to the other side?
Does anyone know how I can get in there?? I looked around and I can't find an easy way in... has anyone ever removed this plastic cover thing? I'm hoping there is a way to get it out...

[grandpapa]

maybe ask a auto glass shop. If they need to repalce the front windshield, they have to remove that plastic so maybe they will have some good info. Good luck

[MikeyD25]

If you are handy - and even if you're not, carefully cut a hole in the grid (save the piece you remove) and use a mechanics retractable claw to remove the acorn. When you're finished just replace the cut piece using a good epoxy. This would probably be the cheapest way to go.

MD

[05Moose]

Originally Posted by MikeyD25

If you are handy - and even if you're not, carefully cut a hole in the grid (save the piece you remove) and use a mechanics retractable claw to remove the acorn. When you're finished just replace the cut piece using a good epoxy. This would probably be the cheapest way to go.

MD

Don't do this.

I just walked out to see how it attaches (as I've taken the one off my Tacoma before). The HL has two plastic fasteners (one at each side). The one on the driver's side is to the right of your red circle just outside that vertical piece. To remove these fasteners, you push down on the center pin of it then you can lift the whole fastener up and out (to reinstall the fastener, pull the center pin up and once installed push it down so it's flush with the outer surface). Next, remove the two corner trim pieces at the lower windshield corners (they pop out). Then remove the wiper arms (unscrew/unbolt and lift off but be sure to either apply tape or memorize where they rest so you can put them back in the same place). Now you should be ready to lift off the cowl. If you look below the rubber flap/seal running along the engine bay side, you'll see it's just got a bunch of tabs in slots. You should be able to lift the front out and then it should slide out from under the glass (when glass shops replace the windshield, they don't remove the cowl as the glass just sits in a wide area of the cowl piece).

[jasonjr23]

Originally Posted by 05Moose

Don't do this.

I just walked out to see how it attaches (as I've taken the one off my Tacoma before). The HL has two plastic fasteners (one at each side). The one on the driver's side is to the right of your red circle just outside that vertical piece. To remove these fasteners, you push down on the center pin of it then you can lift the whole fastener up and out (to reinstall the fastener, pull the center pin up and once installed push it down so it's flush with the outer surface). Next, remove the two corner trim pieces at the lower windshield corners (they pop out). Then remove the wiper arms (unscrew/unbolt and lift off but be sure to either apply tape or memorize where they rest so you can put them back in the same place). Now you should be ready to lift off the cowl. If you look below the rubber flap/seal running along the engine bay side, you'll see it's just got a bunch of tabs in slots. You should be able to lift the front out and then it should slide out from under the glass (when glass shops replace the windshield, they don't remove the cowl as the glass just sits in a wide area of the cowl piece).

Thanks Moose, I am going to follow your directions and give this a try this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes, or if I get stuck. Have you actually removed it from your Highlander? Or just your Tacoma?
I really hope I can remove it, and get the acorn out. The rattle is annoying. I also hope that I can put everything back together, without creating a new rattle!!

Mikey's idea actually crossed my mind before...but I decided against it. Seems like it would invite more trouble (more debris falling in, the grid not gluing back correctly, the mesh grid breaking, etc...), and I would probably just deal with the noise of the acorn instead of doing that.

[05Moose]

No, I have not actually removed it...just the one in the Tacoma to fix Toyota's design flaws of getting water into the cabin. But knowing how it attached, I went out in the garage and looked at the one on the highlander. I popped up the corner piece at the windshield to get a better feel for it. The Tacoma has the same two plastic rivets but uses screws all along the engine side. I was surprised to just see the tabs in slots there, but they're always trying to save weight.

Let us know if you have problems.