Moonroof = Clicking/Tapping/Knocking - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Tetz · 02-01-2011, 07:29 PM

I bought 2011 Scion tC brand new 2 months ago.
After about one month, the moonroof started to make clicking/tapping/knocking noise.
It happens when the moonroof is closed, as often as once every 5 seconds when it's bad.
Sometimes, it doesn't make the noise at all for hours.
When it's opened all the way, it never makes that noise.
When it's in vent mode (rear is opened 1-2 inches and front is still touching the body), then it only makes the noise once in a great while (like once in an hour).
It doesn't make the noise when the car is going below 20 mph.
So, it doesn't make noise going over the speed bump or going into the drive way.
The temperature here is in 70s.
The noise sounds like is coming from the passenger side.
I've never heard the noise from driver side, which is right over my head.
It's hard to tell if the noise is coming more from the front or the rear of the moonroof.
I've tried holding anything that I can reach while I'm driving, but holding anything didn't stop the noise, so I can't locate exactly where the noise is coming from.

Does anyone else have this noise?
Was anyone able to get rid of this noise?
It will be nice if I can get rid of that noise.
I want to avoid bringing it to the dealer if it's something that can be fixed easily on my own.

***HATEnFATE*** · 02-02-2011, 08:21 AM

Sounds like you might have a loose screw/bolt or maybe just some bad rubbing going on. Take it to the dealer and have them look at it because it's FREE. You have a warranty for a reason, use it. Don't be afraid of the dealer.

Also, if you take it to the dealer, your problem will be noted in your service history and if it should arrise after your warranty has expired, there's a good chance they'll take care of it because it started while in warranty, AND if more people expierience this problem, there will be a good noted history but if everyone took care of it themselves, Toyota wouldn't know the issue exsists and it would be less likely to become a recall if such action is warranted.

Tetz · 02-02-2011, 11:12 AM

Thank you for your response.
Just this morning, I tried sticking in a towel in between the glass roof and the car body.
There was not even one "tick" for 20 minutes.
Then I removed the towel to see if the noise comes back.
It came back right away.
So, I'm suspecting it's rubbing.

What I'm afraid of bringing the car to the dealer is, when I was searching on this issue over the Net, I was seeing stories about the techs removing the headliner to fix this type of issues.
And people were saying the car will never be the same once the headliner is removed.
So, I was thinking, if there is a simple way of getting rid of this noise myself, I won't have to worry about that happening.

***HATEnFATE*** · 02-02-2011, 02:19 PM

I wouldn't think they'd remove the headliner to replace a sunroof The moulding is part of the glass so it can't be replaced separately. It might just need adjustment. Even if they have to remove the liner, if they damage it, they buy you a new one. Also, the tC is a hatch which makes removing a headliner much easier.

If you're really worried, take pictures before you take your car in and then take pics after the repair is done. If there is damage anywhere, take it up with the service manager. Don't try to mess with it unless you know exactly what you are doing. Once you take it apart and mess it up, the warranty wont apply if they can see you've made the problem worse by messing with it yourself. scratches on the bolts might be enough for them to say that someone else messed with it and it's not toyota's fault.

P.S. the only time the car isnt' the same when the headliner is removed is when it's not reinstalled properly.

Tetz · 02-03-2011, 02:01 PM

Thank you again for your reply.
The noise is definitely getting worse over these few days.
It always happens and it is noticeable, so I just setup an appointment to bring in the car on 2/22/2011.
I hope everything works out well.

***HATEnFATE*** · 02-03-2011, 04:57 PM

let me know........

Tetz · 03-07-2011, 02:36 PM

So, here's what happened.
Tech took a drive with it and heard the noise.
Since it's coming from the passenger side, he took another tech with him, and then the noise was gone.
Then they tried it the next day with 2 techs and the noise wasn't there again.
So, I was to bring the car in and show the noise to the tech.
It's been making the noise everyday, so I took the car in and showed it to the tech.
Then the noise hardly happened. It made the noise, but very softly.

He was saying it's the plastic pieces rubbing (or hitting?) each other and is very hard to fix.
But the noise sounds like a little stone dropping on the roof glass...
He said to bring the car back in for 5k miles service and they'll take a look at it again.
It has 3.6k now, so I will have to live with this annoying noise for another 1.5 month at least.
I just hope it gets fixed next time because this noise happens like every 5 seconds and I can hear it even when I have the radio on or even when moon roof is opened.
But of course, when the tech looks at it, it hardly makes the noise even when I'm there too...

I hope some kind of miracle happens and the noise goes away.
Hearing this noise for 2 months is driving me crazy... and I have 1.5 more month to go.
And there is no guarantee it gets fixed then.

Tetz · 04-28-2011, 01:27 PM

I took the car in again.
I was there to take the road test with them too this time.
Then, the noise doesn't happen...

How is that possible?

It's been making the noise everyday for 100+ days.
Just when I take the road test with them, it stops...
I bet it will start making the noise again this weekend.

This noise is driving me crazy.

ClockworkTGT · 06-07-2011, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetz

I took the car in again.
I was there to take the road test with them too this time.
Then, the noise doesn't happen...

How is that possible?

It's been making the noise everyday for 100+ days.
Just when I take the road test with them, it stops...
I bet it will start making the noise again this weekend.

This noise is driving me crazy.

Ouch, I hate when that happens. When you just KNOW that something is wrong with your vehicle but when you have to demostrate it for a mechanic you can't duplicate the problem. Have you been riding around with the towel in the meantime?

Tetz · 06-07-2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClockworkTGT

Ouch, I hate when that happens. When you just KNOW that something is wrong with your vehicle but when you have to demostrate it for a mechanic you can't duplicate the problem. Have you been riding around with the towel in the meantime?

I had to find the broken piece myself for this.
I found a screw that was broken in the front of the passenger side moon roof rail.
The screw head broke off and it was missing.
They fixed that and the noise is 99% gone now.
I still hear the noise a few times every trip.
It's a lot better than every few seconds, but it's not perfectly fixed.
I just hope that it stays there and not get any worse...

P.S. I did not have the towel in there because I didn't want that to make anything worse.

ClockworkTGT · 06-07-2011, 02:44 PM

So you found the screw yourself in the end? Why didn't the guys you brought your vehicle to find it to begin with? Were they Toyota certified? Was it your dealership?

Tetz · 06-07-2011, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClockworkTGT

So you found the screw yourself in the end? Why didn't the guys you brought your vehicle to find it to begin with? Were they Toyota certified? Was it your dealership?

I found the broken screw myself, but the screw head was missing. It probably dropped into the rail.
I brought the car to the Toyota certified service shop (The one that's listed in www.toyotahawaii.com) twice and two different service consultants took a look at the car.
They both probably only tried to duplicate the noise and did not visually check anything once they found out they can't duplicate the noise.
Here's the picture I took before I brought it to the shop.

The missing screw head is on the bottom left hole. The driver side has the screw there, but the passenger side didn't. That's how I figured it's broken. This spot is within 4" radius of where I told them the noise seems to be coming from.

***HATEnFATE*** · 06-08-2011, 09:01 AM

The only thing I can think is that when someone was sitting in the passenger seat, the car flexed JUST enough to make the noise go away, once they were out of the car, the body put the roof back in the position to make the noise.

Glad you found it. hopefully it was just overtightened and popped the head off.

***BLUEMEANIE*** · 06-08-2011, 09:30 AM

^ I was thinking the same thing ... a passenger was just enough weight to snug things up when the body flexes.

Tetz · 06-08-2011, 12:58 PM

The noise going away on the road test was because the noise goes away when the car sits under the direct sun for a while.
Getting direct sun for 20 minutes would do it.
The noise didn't come back for one whole day when that happened.
I was hearing the noise everyday because I park the car in the covered parking both at home and at work.
I've had people ride in the car (1, 2, and 3 people) but noise was always there.
If I have the A/C on and keep driving the car, then the noise doesn't go away even under the sun.

After the broken piece was fixed, the noise was 100% gone for only a week.
It's coming back slowly everyday now...
It made the noise about 20 times over 30 minutes commute this morning.
It's not as loud as before, but it's making the same noise.
That means the broken piece might not have been related to this noise... It's hard to believe.