Also, check your rear license plate, it could be a source of the rattles too if you don't secure it tightly.

I guess I'm lucky, mine doesn't appear, or sound bad at all.
I always get a kick out of cars that will pull up to me at a light.
The rear license plate and frame, with only the top screws securing it, and it's vibrating and buzzing so friggin' loud, it's got to be loud inside.
I mean you can see it vibrating like a tuning fork. LOL...

 

The rear license plate and frame, with only the top screws securing it, and it's vibrating and buzzing so friggin' loud, it's got to be loud inside.
I mean you can see it vibrating like a tuning fork. LOL...

Haha, Yes it does vibrate like a tuning fork. I have to stick a piece of foam to the back of it and screw it in tightly.

Thanks apoc123,
I just tried this on mine, but I only did the 2 panel covers... And it seems to work like a charm! Thanks again for the suggestion. I maxed out the volume on a Shaggy Bombastic song and didn't hear any rattling! But I will continue to monitor this to be positive.

You are welcome sporting. You are right, the two panel covers are indeed the major source of it. You can tell by just tapping on them with your fingers =)

 

Odd to not have added anything for a sub woofer thats mounted on a hollow independent part that is not solid to the rest of the body. I'm surprised there aren't more people with the viberation issue. And super great that you took the time and figured this out! Hiphip....Hoooray!!!

 

Thanks apoc123,

I just tried this on mine, but I only did the 2 panel covers... And it seems to work like a charm! Thanks again for the suggestion. I maxed out the volume on a Shaggy Bombastic song and didn't hear any rattling! But I will continue to monitor this to be positive.

 

Where can I get some elastic foam from?

 

I got mine from work. The shipping department should have lots of extra.

 

Ok so I just did this. Improvement was kinda noticeable, but not "wow what a difference!"

Oh well. It's decent enough now. I tried hard to find and pinpoint the areas while blasting it. But IMO it seems a couple of spots are not the edges and hence impossible to improve the rattle. Now, right underneath the sub, the edge there, definitely it's improved. Like I said, not perfect but decent now. I reckon not as big an improvement as the OP found though. + I guess? Lol

 

maybe use thick felt sheet?

 

Hehe yeah thought about that and in fact I have some on order, I'll try it out. I am always worried that once we pop off those side panels on the inside corners of the hatch door, they will never "seat" back on perfectly (because you will slightly warp the plastic when you pull and tug and push), creating potentially more trouble.

 

Thanks for sharing

 

I might suggest another 'damper' instead of the elastic white foam you wrapped over the plastic sections in your photo reference shots: Fuzzy side self-adhesive velcro. That stuff sticks like bark on a tree to anything it touches and is a mutha' to get off..... just cut some strips of it and stick them -butted next to each other - and trim to the metal...... they also make a 'low profile' self adhesive vecro . Again: just the 'fuzzy' portion not the harder 'hook' section. Does that make sense?

I have not personally heard this 'bass rattle' mentioned..... if I do, I will give this fix a shot. Thanks a ton for sharing this with us!! Please let us know if you mod this further to fix the issue - and including photos like you did is invaluable! Thanks again.

 

I didn't wrap any metal. It's all plastic on plastic from inside those removable panels. Right?

 

Neezer14 - you are correct - that *is* plastic, isn't it? I edited my post to reflect that.

But the fuzzy side of self-adhesive velcro would be an excellent 'soft' barrier between the offending plastic parts. :thumbsup:

 

This stuff from Home Depot works great at dampening metal or plastic panels. Just unroll, cut and press into place.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-T...-6-in-x-75-ft-Select-Window-Door-Flashing-Tape-1207782/100507542#specifications

This also works well:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_236541-711-...oductId=3027049&Ntt=flashing+tape&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=flashing+tape&facetInfo=

Just leave the top protective sheet attached. Sticks to about anything.

 

compare to a felt sheet at micheal's for 1.25$ and like sweneyp mention the odor must be bad.

 

Can not even begin to tell you the number of horror stories ive read and pics ive seen about those tar based flashing. I wouldnt touch those with a 10ft pole. I used a similar product thats 50% buytl / 50% tar-asphalt-whatever. It stinks for about 3 weeks after install, the tar portion is melting and running down the metal, and its stsrting to come off; its just bad. Granted it did dampen the panels. There is a reason things like dynamat are 100% buytl. IMO keep the roofing flashing/products out of the car. Wrrrong application. That first one claims to be buytl adhesive, but the 2nd one's "rubberized" adhesive....run away. Another name that you hear that stuff called by is Peal N Seal.

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Hmm, I'm in Texas and never had an issue with melting or oozing. Probably should tell OEM's because my Chrysler and a Honda used essentially the same tar based stuff in the door panels.

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Interesting, you 100% sure its tar/asphault based? I know none of the Toyota dampeners I've seen applied to the car is.

Never noticed an odor, either and I store the stuff in a cupboard in hot garage.

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It goes away with time. You wouldn't know my car has it in it. I installed Fatmat Rattletrap which is a asphalt/buytl hybrid (supposedly has buytl, I'm skeptical). The box stunk like hell when I first got it. I installed it on all my doors and tailgate, leftovers getting scattered on the floor. All in all about 50 sqft, and my car was out in the sun 24/7 that summer I did it. Let me tell you, that car STUNK like tar for about 1.5 months every time I got in it. I would have to open the windows and vent everything no matter what. Sure once its old the smell is gone, but its just like any freshly paved asphalt road, the car's inside stunk just like that.

Sure enough, as SP mentioned, it did ooze. The catch was that the temp was an avg of 200F before it was soft enough to begin sagging but not drifting down under its own weight and 230F before it began to ooze readily.

Imagine slightly lower temps over a much longer period. This is from my tailgate, the inside there is the exterior metal panel. Notice the stuff sagging and sliding down? Obviously the tailgate is open but normally it would be vertical. This was about a year after the install, its worse now (total of 2.5-3yrs installed). The inside of my doors are worse than the tailgate. Pretty soon I'm sure I'm going to have to go in and remove it all just encase it falls onto my window/regulator...that would be a mess I don't even want to consider. And unfortunately, I can only monitor through the speaker opening as I've sealed up the rest of the door for acoustic reasons.

Maybe I've always used the stuff where the temps never got high enough to make a mess. or in locations where it wouldn't matter if it oozed (outboard side of door cavity) or in horizontal applications (under carpet)

The stuff I have on the floor laying horizontal has oozed as well. And its not even above the exhaust system, so it stays cooler, somewhat. Luckily its never stained the carpet.

I also conducted a smell test and anything short of the smoke point, it was darn near odorless. Have I been myopic and just never bought the wrong stuff? :dunno:

As mentioned above, its similar to a freshly paved asphalt road. Stinks like hell when new, goes away in time. It was bad for a month or 2. Now its oderless. Heck even the mass loaded vinyl I installed everywhere stunk kinda like rubber for about 2 weeks. Even after letting it air out for 2 weeks before the install.

I have bought roof flashing/roll adhesive and that stuff was clearly and predominantly tar based which got messy to handle just 10 minutes sitting on a sunny roof.

This is an absolutely great test to show the difference between the buytl and asphalt based mats.
http://users.actrix.co.nz/dougal.ellen/forums/Sound_Deadener_Showdown.pdf
I suggest you look at pg 24 for the heat test, there is a MASSIVE difference between the 2. That entire PDF is a good read IMO, however quickly looking over the test section will show what needs to be seen.

Also backing up the heat testing:

SP, are any of these horror stories in forums where one could see the disaster?

I spent days researching this in the past before I went with the rubberized compound of Fatmat rattletrap (as opposed to the asphalt based regular Fatmat, well again, they claim, I don't believe it now). I was looking for a few in particular (one with pics of it hanging from the ceiling melting off) I had read in the past, but haven't been able to find them looking quickly but there are a few below. The general consensus is you may be lucky and have it sorta work, but chances are its gonna come off in a summer or 2 as mine has started too, and I'm supposedly using the semi-better one. Its just at the time I didn't want to sink the kind of money to get the premium buytl products...I swear if I had a time machine...:headbang:

First and best link would be that PDF above, again, massive amounts of info there.
Post #25 http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/topic/47907-peel-and-seal/page-2
^He dealt with what I will have too soon
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/dynamat-vs-lowes-peel-seal-201328.html#post1440695
http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/topic/44687-why-not-asphalt/#entry704872
Post #8 http://www.soundsolutionsaudio.com/forum/topic/47907-peel-and-seal/#entry762366
http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forum/...electronics/190456-peal-n-seal-vs-fatmat-vs-b-quiet-vs-dynamat.html#post1928555
http://www.caraudioforum.com/showthread.php?t=145836

General consensus is it might work/stay on, however there are more than enough stories of it failing to not chance it. Its not a long term solution. There is a reason why a few of the mat companies out there changed their once asphalt based mat to buytl.

Also, the point of these mats is to dampen vibration and kill resonance. Asphalt does not have the same vibration dampening properties as rubber/buytl. Its working more by increasing mass of the panel vs absorbing the vibrations. Its like using the wrong tool for the job. Kinda along that note http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/584579-post31.html


Also, this is a very good site with information to get your car quieter.
http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/

 

Never noticed an odor, either and I store the stuff in a cupboard in hot garage.

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Felt doesn't have the required mass. Dense rubber, loaded vinyl or bituminous.

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Yeah but the purpose is to isolate the contact between the plastic panel and the metal frame

 

Gotcha. yes, agree felt is good for that.

 

FYI, just because my experience has been markedly different than SP's, I conducted a brief experiment.

Since both cars have been sitting in the direct sun all day, I measured the surface temps of the hood, roof and exposed door panels. The highest temp was the hood at 155F. The lowest was the passenger door at 129F. Ambient is 88. If I add say 20F to that for a really scorching DFW day, that would make the panel maybe 175F in round numbers.

So....I cut a section of the last roll of butly + bituminous adhesive (they apparently use it around doors and windows, here) retrieved from a construction dumpster, and armed with my instant reading met thermometer, gradually heated the sample until it started to droop and then ooze.

Sure enough, as SP mentioned, it did ooze. The catch was that the temp was an avg of 200F before it was soft enough to begin sagging but not drifting down under its own weight and 230F before it began to ooze readily.

Maybe I've always used the stuff where the temps never got high enough to make a mess. or in locations where it wouldn't matter if it oozed (outboard side of door cavity) or in horizontal applications (under carpet)

I also conducted a smell test and anything short of the smoke point, it was darn near odorless. Have I been myopic and just never bought the wrong stuff? :dunno:

I have bought roof flashing/roll adhesive and that stuff was clearly and predominantly tar based which got messy to handle just 10 minutes sitting on a sunny roof.

SP, are any of these horror stories in forums where one could see the disaster?

I any case, I agree it's better to err on safe side and use butyl or loaded vinyl.

 

Really interesting posts. None of the stuff I've ever used has a foil backing, so don't know which of the samples is similar to the ones tested in the video . It has a plastic membrane on either side of the "pooky".

As for dampening properties, bituminous products --often loaded with silica or other heavy materials--offer quite good dampening and isolation properties and are very cost effective. They are one of many class of useful materials acousticians refer to as "viscoelastic".

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...NFkCtW89szZGcMSlodhAui4tL7WCQ&sig2=GMd74OxFNFfK8KYomt24Ag&bvm=bv.72197243,d.b2U

It is adequately dense for many applications including metal ceiling speaker back cans (my last encounter) and bonds well to the material you are trying to dampen.

I understand that bituminous is also used in viscous spray applications for all sorts of acoustical dampening and isolation applications, including HVAC systems, auto fender wells, tractor cabs, etc.

Now, it may have somewhat different properties than the stuff they use on a roof, which understandably would have a lower melting point so the sun would cause it flow, bond and seal.

Loaded vinyl is usually comparatively more expensive and when fabricated well, can be more dense the bitumen. You have to read spec sheets very carefully as there are lots of really poor loaded vinyl products out there, just waiting for DIY's in the care stereo community to snap them up.

Adhesive backed lead is also very good, but that's now a controlled substance and in cars rarely used, I assume *because* of the weight.:dunno:

There's a really good primer article on the principles of dampening and isolation. Well worth the longish read.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...z70RaCDWvgaVK0uhPO_tg&sig2=4n03zMXf-BlTfn-JdVCOBQ&bvm=bv.72197243,d.b2U&cad=rja

 

Oh Joy - cranked up 'Holiday' by Green Day today, and heard the rear speaker 'rattle' for the first time..... buzzing vibration sound is how I would describe it.....

So, the 'foam' wraps did the trick?? Still happy with the result?

 

Maybe you should stick with the Beach Boys, Good Vibrations? :>)

OK, OK, I am again making fun of others' pain. SweeneyP will be by directly to spank me. Trouble is, I am beginning to enjoy it.

 

Do you think by adding sound dampering material with the weight of the material it will add stress on the door assembly?

 

Took delivery of my '15 HH three weeks ago and it has the bass rattle problem coming from the rear hatch.

I was able to fix it today with the help of apoc123's observations and pictures.

The issue is definitely coming from the fit of the plastic rear hatch molding against the hatch's frame.

The solution is to eliminate any loose fit between the molding and the frame.

Instead of using the foam "spacers" as apoc123 mentions, I used small cotton towels about the size of face cloths. I first wrapped the towel into a long tight lengths, then stuffed them into the two areas adjacent to each bottom corner of the hatch. This area is accessible by removing the two taillight access covers in the lower area of the hatch, as apoc123 demonstrated (pry the cover off with a plastic tool starting from the top).

Stuff the cloths into these two areas on both sides of the hatch as tightly as possible.

Before replacing the access covers, another step is needed to prevent them from rattling too.

I used the small self adhesive circular furniture guards that you can find at Home Depot or Lowes. Paste these (small and large sizes) in the areas that apoc123 taped the foam pieces beneath the access covers. Paste as many that you can fit on all the surfaces that the covers will rest against.

Both of these procedures will keep the rear hatch molding cover and access hatch covers from rattling against the frame from the sub woofer's vibrations.

I played Sam Sparro's Black & Gold with no rattling happening at all. Sounds great !

 

Having to shove stuff under the rear panel of a $40k+ car to keep it from rattling while playing the sound system is a damn shame. I have this issue too. Rattles while listening to talk radio when a voice hits a low frequency. The quality of the system is suspect in my eyes, barely acceptable for a "top o' the line" sound system, but the rattle makes me feel like I'm riding in an old Pinto with a Kraco deck from Schucks. Worst sounding audio I've had in a vehicle in 20+ years.

Before I resort to fixing it myself I'll take a run at the dealer with a warranty claim.

 

I know what you're saying and I agree.... However, the dealer won't have a fix for the rattles. They might try what others and myself have tried, but that depends upon the savvy of the tech.

You're probably better off doing the material stuffing fix. It'll take you about 10 minutes to do, and you'll be surprised how much better the system sounds when you're not cringing from low bass rattling.

 

My JBL system seems to be loosening up after about a month of ownership; I'm hearing rattling now from the sub area that I didn't notice in the beginning.

We shouldn't have to rip interior panels apart to add sound deadening material. It's not just a matter of principle; once an owner starts ripping, gluing and stuffing, the manufacturer has a perfect excuse to avoid responsibility down the road.

TOYOTA should issue a service bulletin and sends kits its dealers with the necessary supplies to make the fix.

 

In mine purchased 7/12, at first it was only with the low tones and deep bass even at moderate listening levels that I heard it. Now, just driving down the road with the radio off that thin rear panel is chirping and vibrating...just knock on the panel lightly with the back of your hand with the hatch up and it vibrates, very cheap. Now, after 4 months - music turned up really sounds bad for a car in this price level...not happy about it.

 

Actually, the rear panel is not cheap, it's just not fastened tightly against the frame.

Take a look at my posts in this thread. A simple panel securing fix will let you enjoy the audio with virtually no rattling.

 

Curious, what settings are you guys using that are experiencing a rattle? I have noticed a rattle but only from the outside, not from the inside...yet. And it is the license plate frame.