Side Windows Rattle

[gruffalo]

Much as the title really side windows rattle and clatter when partially open and it is starting to annoy me.

The sound is glass on metal so guess the padding in the guides is showing its age.

To replace this is it necessary to take the door card off or can it be done with the door card in place? I am reluctant to try and get the door card off as one bolt on each side appears to be rather tight and I am worried about ripping the rivnut out when O have to really lean on a socket allen key.

Cheers
Gruff

[tofts]

Sadly, yes you will, the damn thing is quite tight in the runner because of the shape of the window panel, which is why they wear, to add even more insult the runners are held on to the door with pot rivets. Not certain if you can replace the guide in situ without taking out the runner, but to gain access to said runner you will have to remove the card!

[gruffalo]

Thanks and bugger.

It can rattle for now.

[FarmyardPants]

You can replace the felt that goes in the runners, I did that with my driver's window. But it didn't speed up the window and actually made it rattle more for some reason I feel your pain because it detracts from the quality feel of the car if you find a solution I'd be interested..

[billybradshaw]

Hello,

I've recently removed one of my door cards. They are held on by relatively small countersunk machine screws and all of mine came undone without any significant effort. Unless yours have got wet and corroded I would think you'll be OK. Even if you have to drill out the offending article you should be able to get into the door structure to replace the captive nut.

I also removed the glass last night as I managed to unhinge the micro switch lever which meant that the window wouldn't go back up. I simply made some alignment marks with a paint pen, undid the four clamp bolts and it came out very easily.

There is a lot of wiring and connectors in the doors, could it be that when the window is down these connectors are banging against the glass giving you the noise that you describe?

I'd be tempted to take the door card off, give the window a rattle and see what's what.

HTH

Ian

[FarmyardPants]

Pretty sure it's the window itself rattling against the door card/inner.

[Imran999]

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but I just replaced the felt window runners on both doors - windows have sped-up a bit, but to be fair they weren’t that slow to start with.

But now, both windows seem to rattle more :-(
Certainly when all the way down, they rattle like a certain dessert snake.
Bring them up a couple inches and it reduces, but the noise still annoys me.

I took the passenger door card off again - the window is rattling against the metal runner because it so far out of the channel, so as not to contact the felt at all.
Seems like if the metal runner could be moved a few mm closer to the edge of the glass, this would be reduced.

I was careful to mark the metal runners before I removed them, so I know they’ve gone back to exactly the same position, even though there’s probably only a mm or so of play anyway, the countersunk machine screws don’t allow for much more.

Hopefully, you lot have solved this issue since 2016 and someone can point me in the right direction!

Thanks in advance

[FarmyardPants]

My metal runners seem to be spaced too far apart (or the glass is too small ).

I have had some success with rotating the glass slightly to make it wider. As it’s a rhombus shape, lifting the edge of the glass nearest the front of the car a few mm helps keep it located in the runners on both sides, reducing the rattling. Loosen the clamps that hold the glass, tweak and retighten.

Edit to add: this helps mostly with rattling when the window is down, seeing as the rear-facing, pointy end of the glass leaves the channel as it goes up.

Edited by FarmyardPants on Monday 27th June 08:30

[Byker28i]

Only time mine have rattled has been when one of the bolts holding the runner had become loose

[Imran999]

FarmyardPants said:

My metal runners seem to be spaced too far apart (or the glass is too small ).

I have had some success with rotating the glass slightly to make it wider. As it’s a rhombus shape, lifting the edge of the glass nearest the front of the car a few mm helps keep it located in the runners on both sides, reducing the rattling. Loosen the clamps that hold the glass, tweak and retighten.

Edit to add: this helps mostly with rattling when the window is down, seeing as the rear-facing, pointy end of the glass leaves the channel as it goes up.

Edited by FarmyardPants on Monday 27th June 08:30

Thanks for this, I did actually try this, but had limited success, perhaps I will try again.

Given Byker28i's experience (I'm jealous), I'm thinking that the location of the runner (from factory) is simply incorrect (shed-in-Blackpool tolerances).
Ideally I could get a new runner (or similar) and drill holes in the right locations (probably only needs to move about 3-7mm).

I'll do some searching...

[Byker28i]

Imran999 said:

FarmyardPants said:

My metal runners seem to be spaced too far apart (or the glass is too small ).

I have had some success with rotating the glass slightly to make it wider. As it’s a rhombus shape, lifting the edge of the glass nearest the front of the car a few mm helps keep it located in the runners on both sides, reducing the rattling. Loosen the clamps that hold the glass, tweak and retighten.

Edit to add: this helps mostly with rattling when the window is down, seeing as the rear-facing, pointy end of the glass leaves the channel as it goes up.

Edited by FarmyardPants on Monday 27th June 08:30

Thanks for this, I did actually try this, but had limited success, perhaps I will try again.

Given Byker28i's experience (I'm jealous), I'm thinking that the location of the runner (from factory) is simply incorrect (shed-in-Blackpool tolerances).
Ideally I could get a new runner (or similar) and drill holes in the right locations (probably only needs to move about 3-7mm).

I'll do some searching...

I have my door cards off about every two years (or more often) to clean the plugs/electical connectors...

[gruffalo]

Imran999 said:

Thanks for this, I did actually try this, but had limited success, perhaps I will try again.

Given Byker28i's experience (I'm jealous), I'm thinking that the location of the runner (from factory) is simply incorrect (shed-in-Blackpool tolerances).
Ideally I could get a new runner (or similar) and drill holes in the right locations (probably only needs to move about 3-7mm).

I'll do some searching...

I am also jealous of Dave's lack of rattle, mine is back and the door cards are coming off this weekend:-(.

[Imran999]

BTW, when removing the door-cards, two of the screws are much shorter than the others - presumably these go above and below the door catch (shorter to prevent fouling if the metal plate behind the fibreglass)?

[Byker28i]

All my screws are short, apart from one thats the first top one at the front of the door nearest wing mirror.

[Imran999]

Horrid wind noise now from the window that I adjusted to reduce rattle.

I don’t think moving the window to centre it between the runners is going to work.

I need to move one of the runners :-(

[Imran999]

I’m thinking I might try and elongate the holes on one of the runners to allow me some fore/aft adjustment - seems to be enough metal to provide about 5mm of adjustability.

Serious test of my skills though, so I might try and find a machine shop that won’t bugger it up.

[gruffalo]

Imran999 said:

I’m thinking I might try and elongate the holes on one of the runners to allow me some fore/aft adjustment - seems to be enough metal to provide about 5mm of adjustability.

Serious test of my skills though, so I might try and find a machine shop that won’t bugger it up.

I think I will be doing the same, I have in the past also tried moving the glass to prevent the rattle but I had the same results as you have.