Metallic rattle/jingle from rear deck area found

[vankuen]

Some of you may remember that my problems with the rear area of the car have been long and drawn out through these past few months. Well I've got the solution...but first you must read to appreciate the solution (or you can skip to the bottom and miss this great story...).

The Devil listens but does not hear

I first took the car back to the dealer I bought the car from, Benson Honda in San Antonio, Texas. The first couple visits I was told that it wasn't able to be duplicated. This is a common blanket statement made by most dealerships when they wish to avoid doing any real work but still get paid the labor hours.

After a few weeks of wondering if I was hearing things myself, I take it back for the third time. I told my service advisor exactly what to do to duplicate the sound, and he miraculously heard it! The techs stated it was the rear airbag clips vibrating against the metal frame, which sounded good enough at the time.

A week later I took it back a fourth time because the problem persisted. The service advisor had moved away and was replaced with a gentleman who could barely speak any English. I told him the problem, and that I wanted the same tech looking at the car to avoid any confusion. I come back later in the day and the service advisor tells me again that they couldn't duplicate the problem. So off to another dealership I go...

The Devil cometh in many forms

I proceed to Gillman Honda, in Selma, TX--just outside of San Antonio. I advised this dealership my problems I've had with the car and the problems with the other dealership. They proceed to tell me that they will "restore my faith" in the dealership. At least this service advisor understood English, so I thought it was a good start.

The first visit I was told that it was the headliner clips not being in right, and they popped them back in and that was that. I was hesitant to accept this, since the sound was a metallic sound coming from the deck, but thought that it might simply be echoeing of the sound waves. Obviously hope does not take one too far since I found myself at the dealership yet another couple weeks later.

Second go around I tell them the noise is still there, and again I think it's coming from inside the deck and the corners. Again I reiterate that the sound is a metallic one, not plastic. They look at it again, and decide to foam insulate the rear airbag compartments. They tell me again it is fixed, and I go about my merry way.

Sound still there. STILL THERE! OH GOD WHY DO THINGS LIKE THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?! IT'S LIKE AN ICE PICK IN MY EARS!!! ARRRRGGHH! Yea I know...a bit dramatic, but it is quite annoying that this simply problem cannot be diagnosed properly and in good time. Visit number three presents a nice reply of "We've tightened down everything it could be, from the shocks, to all the bolts, and we checked all the trim, everything looks good." I ask about the seatbelt retractors specifically, and the service advisor tells me they were bolted down properly. I ordered the service manual from Helms at this point, as my faith in their competency has diminished drastically. Yet I know that I should not HAVE TO do the work, it started to look dim for the future of my relationship with this dealership.

Visit number four. How time flies when you're having fun, right? This visit I've been told was the one wherein the actual shop foreman got involved. The vehicle diagnosis came back again as the headliner clips in the roof. Since I don't like making scenes, I decided to take the car without a fuss, and see if in fact the foreman was correct. The problem remained.

Perhaps the Devil needs direction?

At this point my Helm's service manual came in the mail. I take a look at it, and proceed to remove all the rear pieces, the seats, the side panel trim, the rear deck, and finally my goal--the deck extensions. This is where I knew the sound was coming from. I go for a drive on the same road the dealership uses to verify the noise is still there. Hmm...sounds oddly enough like the seatbelt retractors are vibrating. I have my girlfriend drive the car, and sit in the back. We go down the same bumpy road. I verify it's the retractors themselves, all three to be exact. A quick pull of the belt temporarily alleviates the problem, and then it comes back as soon as the belt is unlocked. I removed the seatbelt components, took another drive, and voila! No noise. I then replaced the seatbelt retractors and go back to the dealership.

I ask to speak with the shop foreman and/or the service manager. They ask if I want to leave the car with them again, and I told them no, I want to take a drive with the foreman. He comes out, and we go for a drive down the road they've stated has been used to diagnose this rattle time and again. He seems in awe at what I've done to the car, and seems genuinely upset that it had to come to this. He says I should have driven with a tech straight away. I said regardless of whether or not I drive with the tech, they should have the ability to fix the problem. As we drive he hears the noise right away. I have him pull on the seatbelt to prove that it is within the retractor itself. He agrees and says to go back to the shop. He will overnight the parts and have them installed the next day. He asked to leave the car with him, of course I refused, there's not need for that now that I've done ALL the work for them from tear down to diagnosis.

Conclusion

After the seatbelts were removed and replaced, I drove down the bumpy road again. Much to my satisfaction the metallic jingle ceased to exist. Will it return? I don't doubt it at all. But at least for now I've defeated the Grendal--it will hopefull sleep for as long as I am within its domain. As I finish typing I urge all of you who also have this problem to simply have the dealerships replace your defective seatbelt retractors as well...it will save you a lot of heartache with the incompetency levels that are now evident at the dealer level.

[Kakashi]

sheiBt..

thats alota visits for a defective seat belt fastener(s)..

i wonder what kinda crap imma get for my motor mount...

[ivtec20]

Thanks for the post, I'm going to check this out on my car. I actually have got all sorts of noises coming from the back of my car, which the dealer could not duplicate. One is almost a squeaking/something is loose type sound and another sounds more like plastic vibrating on something. The second one sounds like the airbag clips vibrating against the metal frame, but I'm not so sure about the first one. I'm going to try locking the belts, as you did, to see if that stops the noise.

It's really irritating, though, both the sound and the dealer. Do dealers think we are making this stuff up because we want to hang out at a dealership? I was there for 3 hours yesterday, of which the first 2 hours my car just sat in the lot. For the last hour, the tech just drove it around. Oh wait, they did make me put more gas in it, so they could then drive it around somre more.

[chylld]

good post!

like kakashi, i'm also starting to wonder about what to do about my motor mount... this is where a tsb would be extremely helpful.