Rattle in Passenger Pillar

jjohan35 · 10-18-2007, 03:59 AM

Hi folks,

Everytime I drive above 65mph, I get a very annoying rattle in the passenger pillar, near the windshield. I am unsure if it's the wind or vibration that causes it. Honda dealership won't look at rattles. I am generally accepting when it comes to certain rattles, but this one is very obnoxious and loud.

Is there a safe way for me to open up the pillar? I know there's an airbag in there, so I'm wondering how I can look inside without messing up its function.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

***portabuddy*** · 10-18-2007, 05:07 AM

Since no one else posted yet...

[SARCASM]
[sense of humor = on]

its the little man thats in the pullars that sets off the airbags...
there is a bulliten for it;
TSB 09874-974
cause: Man that sets off airbags is board, cannot control nervous twitch of leg.
FIX: get into accident to give him something to do, Alternitivly you must take apart the pillar and give the man a toy to play with, OR stick his figitty ass down with double sided tape in a manner that he can nolonger move...
---> please reffer to Your 8thcivic.com manual under section "DIY Under "how to take apart the interior"...

Hope that helps, hope this TBS was of use to you ^.^ also dont forget to unplug your battery asto not piss off the little man, unplugging the battery turns off his little light and renders him safe, so the air bad doesnt kill you as you take the pillar apart...

[/sense of humor]
[/SARCASM]

***portabuddy*** · 10-18-2007, 05:11 AM

p.s. yes im drunk right now...

etcthorne · 10-18-2007, 07:42 AM

I'm really not trying to be a smarta$$, but are you sure it's coming from the pillar? While I was trying to track down a noise I thought was coming from the dashboard, I moved my head forward and to the center of the windshield. The sound was actually coming from the driver's side visor, although I would have bet a paycheck that it was coming from the dashboard where it meets the window. With that acre+ of dashboard and glass in the Civics, sound works some weird miracles.

While you're driving, CAREFULLY move your head around in exaggerated positions - way forward, right and left, etc....

My problem turned out to be that the clip on the garage door opener I had attached to my sun visor was tapping on the back of it. Drove me nuts for a week before I started moving around to see where the noise was really coming from.

I hope this helps and good luck finding it.

Mark

jjohan35 · 10-18-2007, 08:13 PM

To this day I honestly don't know where it's coming from. So far everyone in my car thinks it's coming from the passenger pillar. I've had the noise since I first bought the car months ago. It hasn't gone away. I removed the glove compartment (easy) but discovered that it wasn't coming from anywhere inside the dash.

jennyluv · 10-18-2007, 09:48 PM

I'm infected too. Drives me f@#&$ nuts!! Especially when approaching a stop. I swear it's coming from the seatbelt assy area or the pillar. It's hard to hear sometimes because of the wind howling through the seal on my driver door. Gas pedal rattles too. What a symphony.

***portabuddy*** · 10-18-2007, 10:12 PM

??? damm i dont get any of that???

I Vtec, do you? · 10-18-2007, 10:14 PM

I had a rattle in my passenger pillar too. Turned out to be the drain tube from the sunroof being loose. He just taped it to the pillar and all was good

Si2Typ3R · 10-19-2007, 03:26 PM

If any of you feel like pulling the pillars out to find a solution to the rattle, there is no airbag behind them, at least in the coupes. the airbag tracks along the roof to the back and stops in the rear corner panels. im in the middle of redoing the headlier in mine and discovered there was no airbag within the panel labeled SRS Airbag ROTFL..... ah.. good ole saftey precautions. if your at all nervous, just disconnect the positive battery terminal and have at it, just remember you will need your radio passcode to activate your radio once battery is reconnected. have fun, and good luck!

Si_of_Relief · 10-19-2007, 05:25 PM

My rattle sounds like its comin from my drivers A pillar or from my tweeters from the front of my dash. Somethin isn't right.

***Special Ringpop*** · 10-19-2007, 05:42 PM

I have become the interior rattle master: I can discern the location of a rattle within seconds of hearing it, given I've had so much experiencing doing this for the techincians at the dealerships I go to, considering most of them are quite hard of hearing (selective hearing, maybe?)

I had a a very similar "rubbing, rattling" sound from my passenger's side pillar. This actually happened to be due to a lack of padding (apparently there is none on my car at all), and was fixed. However, there could be a few other things rattling here for you.

1.) The speaker in the corner on the dash, near the windshield. These things rattle like crazy, and it can be hard to tell the difference.

2.) Somewhere in the door sealing. This has been discussed before: I have an intermittant rattle that the dealer claims they can never hear that I am starting to believe is on the door, even though it sounds like the vent area is doing it. When I open and shut the door, it usually stops...for awhile.

Good luck .

jjohan35 · 10-19-2007, 06:42 PM

Thanks for all suggestions. I'm glad to find out that there is no airbag in the pillar. Unfortunately mine is a 4dr LX sedan. Now I just don't know how to get started on pulling it out.

Here is something peculiar. It's much louder in the driver's seat than passengers, but it's clearly coming from the dash/pillar area. I know it's not the dash because I've removed my glove compartment and tweeter grill to no avail. I've had a passenger try to dampen the sound by placing a thick blanket/jacket at various places. The only place that seemed to dampen the sound was when the passenger covered the pillar with the blanket/jacket.

This made me conclude that it has something to do with the pillar area.

However the sound doesn't seem like it's coming from inside. I honestly think it's something closer to the exterior than interior. And there seems to be no way of testing this theory.

Jserrano · 10-23-2007, 12:17 AM

I've had the same issue with my 4 door Civic SI since the day I picked up from the dealer a month ago. I will check the passenger pillar theory tomorrow and see if I can fix it. This is anoying as hell as others had stated earlier.

***stock?*** · 10-23-2007, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Si_of_Relief

My rattle sounds like its comin from my drivers A pillar or from my tweeters from the front of my dash. Somethin isn't right.

the little triangle on the a pillar on the drivers side seems to get a little rattle to it every once and a while just give it a tap it should go away. worked for me anyway lol

jjohan35 · 10-23-2007, 05:37 PM

I got some help removing the panel on the passenger pillar on this thread:
Help removing passenger pillar + weatherstrip

After taking off the panel and driving around, I still heard the rattle. I drove with a friend and we concluded that it's either the weatherstrip on the windshield rattling against the metal frame of the pillar or it's something inside the metal frame of the pillar. Removing the panel did not help. The sound seemed to have come from the lower third of the pillar (we pressed a pillow at various places to isolate its location).

Since I could not eliminate the source of the rattle in any reasonable manner, I stuffed a bunch of brand new kitchen sponges between the metal pillar and the pillar panel before putting the panel back on. It seemed to have dampen the rattle completely. It no longer exists and I'm pretty happy as of now.

drexp2000 · 10-24-2007, 11:57 AM

I got some type of noise coming that way. Only happens when its cold outside. Later found out its the A/C vents when my buddy placed his palm over the right passenger A/C vent. I can't really describe it as just a "rattle" as it is more of a "squeakish rattle"... Haha...

Obsidian6 · 10-24-2007, 12:52 PM

my car does this too! I thought it was the same spot as you. I'll have to do some investigating. might be my garage door opener too.

wiganda · 12-12-2007, 08:39 AM

same problem occured to me too.. i went over to the dealership like twice and finally discovered that the rattle is originated from the passanger seat. when i heard the noise i had the impression that it came from the pillar too. so before you do anything else try rock your passanger seat vigorously, see if it makes that noise that you describe.

10-18-2007, 03:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
jjohan35 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Rattle in Passenger Pillar Hi folks, Everytime I drive above 65mph, I get a very annoying rattle in the passenger pillar, near the windshield. I am unsure if it's the wind or vibration that causes it. Honda dealership won't look at rattles. I am generally accepting when it comes to certain rattles, but this one is very obnoxious and loud. Is there a safe way for me to open up the pillar? I know there's an airbag in there, so I'm wondering how I can look inside without messing up its function. Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

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10-18-2007, 05:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
*portabuddy* The McGyver ofall McGyves Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mississauga Ontario Age: 23 Posts: 5,204 Bart Koscow iTrader: 7 / 100%	Since no one else posted yet... [SARCASM] [sense of humor = on] its the little man thats in the pullars that sets off the airbags... there is a bulliten for it; TSB 09874-974 cause: Man that sets off airbags is board, cannot control nervous twitch of leg. FIX: get into accident to give him something to do, Alternitivly you must take apart the pillar and give the man a toy to play with, OR stick his figitty ass down with double sided tape in a manner that he can nolonger move... ---> please reffer to Your 8thcivic.com manual under section "DIY Under "how to take apart the interior"... Hope that helps, hope this TBS was of use to you ^.^ also dont forget to unplug your battery asto not piss off the little man, unplugging the battery turns off his little light and renders him safe, so the air bad doesnt kill you as you take the pillar apart... [/sense of humor] [/SARCASM]

10-18-2007, 05:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
*portabuddy* The McGyver ofall McGyves Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mississauga Ontario Age: 23 Posts: 5,204 Bart Koscow iTrader: 7 / 100%	p.s. yes im drunk right now...

10-18-2007, 07:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
etcthorne Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 92 Mark iTrader: 0 / 0%	I'm really not trying to be a smarta$$, but are you sure it's coming from the pillar? While I was trying to track down a noise I thought was coming from the dashboard, I moved my head forward and to the center of the windshield. The sound was actually coming from the driver's side visor, although I would have bet a paycheck that it was coming from the dashboard where it meets the window. With that acre+ of dashboard and glass in the Civics, sound works some weird miracles. While you're driving, CAREFULLY move your head around in exaggerated positions - way forward, right and left, etc.... My problem turned out to be that the clip on the garage door opener I had attached to my sun visor was tapping on the back of it. Drove me nuts for a week before I started moving around to see where the noise was really coming from. I hope this helps and good luck finding it. Mark

10-18-2007, 08:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
jjohan35 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	To this day I honestly don't know where it's coming from. So far everyone in my car thinks it's coming from the passenger pillar. I've had the noise since I first bought the car months ago. It hasn't gone away. I removed the glove compartment (easy) but discovered that it wasn't coming from anywhere inside the dash.

10-18-2007, 09:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
jennyluv Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NorCal Posts: 39 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I'm infected too. Drives me f@#&$ nuts!! Especially when approaching a stop. I swear it's coming from the seatbelt assy area or the pillar. It's hard to hear sometimes because of the wind howling through the seal on my driver door. Gas pedal rattles too. What a symphony.

10-18-2007, 10:12 PM	#7 (permalink)
*portabuddy* The McGyver ofall McGyves Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mississauga Ontario Age: 23 Posts: 5,204 Bart Koscow iTrader: 7 / 100%	??? damm i dont get any of that???

10-18-2007, 10:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
I Vtec, do you? Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: MN Age: 19 Posts: 8,564 Jeremy iTrader: 11 / 100%	I had a rattle in my passenger pillar too. Turned out to be the drain tube from the sunroof being loose. He just taped it to the pillar and all was good

10-19-2007, 03:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Si2Typ3R Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: D.C. Posts: 2,801 Nate iTrader: 4 / 100%	If any of you feel like pulling the pillars out to find a solution to the rattle, there is no airbag behind them, at least in the coupes. the airbag tracks along the roof to the back and stops in the rear corner panels. im in the middle of redoing the headlier in mine and discovered there was no airbag within the panel labeled SRS Airbag ROTFL..... ah.. good ole saftey precautions. if your at all nervous, just disconnect the positive battery terminal and have at it, just remember you will need your radio passcode to activate your radio once battery is reconnected. have fun, and good luck!

10-19-2007, 05:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
Si_of_Relief Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Paducah, KY Posts: 77 Matt iTrader: 0 / 0%	My rattle sounds like its comin from my drivers A pillar or from my tweeters from the front of my dash. Somethin isn't right.

10-19-2007, 06:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
jjohan35 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Thanks for all suggestions. I'm glad to find out that there is no airbag in the pillar. Unfortunately mine is a 4dr LX sedan. Now I just don't know how to get started on pulling it out. Here is something peculiar. It's much louder in the driver's seat than passengers, but it's clearly coming from the dash/pillar area. I know it's not the dash because I've removed my glove compartment and tweeter grill to no avail. I've had a passenger try to dampen the sound by placing a thick blanket/jacket at various places. The only place that seemed to dampen the sound was when the passenger covered the pillar with the blanket/jacket. This made me conclude that it has something to do with the pillar area. However the sound doesn't seem like it's coming from inside. I honestly think it's something closer to the exterior than interior. And there seems to be no way of testing this theory.

10-23-2007, 12:17 AM	#13 (permalink)
Jserrano Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: South Coffeyville, OK Age: 43 Posts: 15 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I've had the same issue with my 4 door Civic SI since the day I picked up from the dealer a month ago. I will check the passenger pillar theory tomorrow and see if I can fix it. This is anoying as hell as others had stated earlier.

10-23-2007, 05:37 PM	#15 (permalink)
jjohan35 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 107 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I got some help removing the panel on the passenger pillar on this thread: Help removing passenger pillar + weatherstrip After taking off the panel and driving around, I still heard the rattle. I drove with a friend and we concluded that it's either the weatherstrip on the windshield rattling against the metal frame of the pillar or it's something inside the metal frame of the pillar. Removing the panel did not help. The sound seemed to have come from the lower third of the pillar (we pressed a pillow at various places to isolate its location). Since I could not eliminate the source of the rattle in any reasonable manner, I stuffed a bunch of brand new kitchen sponges between the metal pillar and the pillar panel before putting the panel back on. It seemed to have dampen the rattle completely. It no longer exists and I'm pretty happy as of now.

10-24-2007, 11:57 AM	#16 (permalink)
drexp2000 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Torrance CA Posts: 237 iTrader: 3 / 100%	I got some type of noise coming that way. Only happens when its cold outside. Later found out its the A/C vents when my buddy placed his palm over the right passenger A/C vent. I can't really describe it as just a "rattle" as it is more of a "squeakish rattle"... Haha...

10-24-2007, 12:52 PM	#17 (permalink)
Obsidian6 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Murrieta, CA Age: 22 Posts: 177 iTrader: 0 / 0%	my car does this too! I thought it was the same spot as you. I'll have to do some investigating. might be my garage door opener too.

12-12-2007, 08:39 AM	#18 (permalink)
wiganda Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: La Jolla Age: 20 Posts: 171 iTrader: 3 / 100%	same problem occured to me too.. i went over to the dealership like twice and finally discovered that the rattle is originated from the passanger seat. when i heard the noise i had the impression that it came from the pillar too. so before you do anything else try rock your passanger seat vigorously, see if it makes that noise that you describe.