[shragon]

lol, wow, i got the same one! to me it's very inconsistant. probably happens when it's cold like you guys stated. hasn't bugged me much, probably because i have the music up.

[xdrive]

I have the same "clicking" noise. It appears to be the back cup holders. I am bringing in my car to get the cup holders replaced. Has anyone gotten the cup holders replaced and did the noise go away?

[youngtechman]

Finally got the rattle fixed!!!!!
It is from the rear cup holder.
Here is what they did (Direct copy from the work order):

Complaint: Check for rattle, sound like it comes from rear arm rest.
Correction: Re and Re rear seat beanch. Re and Re center console and cneter cup holder. Resecure / install felttape and road test again. No noise at this time.

On my way home I drove around for another 10mins...NO RATTLE!!!
Let see will it last.

[KL2DC]

I have some rattles/clicking from the front passenger seat area. I am aware of the TSB for the B-pillar seatbelt washer and I do believe I hear some faint clicking there but in addition to that I am convinced the passenger seat or possible the front passenger side dash is rattling. I am fingering the front seat as whenever i have a passenger up front, the rattles subside...this is on the manual non-zsp seats...and a Feb 09, 2006 build car...

Like I said the rattles are not glaringly loud but annoying as I like to drive with the a/c and sound off during my before bedtime night-drives...

Does anyone have similar rattles/sounds?

[Collanrf]

I have the same problem. Dealer didn't find it. Its still there. I'll check tomorrow and follow Youngtechman's advice.

[Geneb2450]

My car with about 3,000 miles on it has now developed the same symtoms. Sounds like a stone popping off the rear window. I live in Tampa and it been hotter than ... well it's not related to the car being cold. I don't think it's the rear cupholders either. Did anyone ever come up with another cause? It's frustrating because it happens at least once every time I drive it but can't reproduce it at will.

[longhorn35]

Originally Posted by Geneb2450

My car with about 3,000 miles on it has now developed the same symtoms. Sounds like a stone popping off the rear window. I live in Tampa and it been hotter than ... well it's not related to the car being cold. I don't think it's the rear cupholders either. Did anyone ever come up with another cause? It's frustrating because it happens at least once every time I drive it but can't reproduce it at will.

My car has a rattle in the driver A Pillar. I think it is there... it rattles and as l look for it it seems to move down to the door speaker...

[Cerezo]

it's the pannel between the rear seat and window. the panel rubs the a/c vent when the shape of the panel changes (bumps, turns, one wheel on a bump, whatever). it's annoying as hell. i had my replaced but the noise is still there but is a little better. bad design.

i have rattling in the doors too, the interior design is really not impressive, bugs me to no end.

[slb]

I am also having the parcel shelf replaced due to squeaks. They should be installing the new part tomorrow and hopefully it will be a noticeable improvement.

[rikuF10]

Originally Posted by slb

I am also having the parcel shelf replaced due to squeaks. They should be installing the new part tomorrow and hopefully it will be a noticeable improvement.

Hi slb, can you ask how to take ou the rear shelf when you bring your car in? Do they need to disassemble the seat belt too? and how?

I am trying to retrofitting a manual sunshade and kind of stuck at the rear shelf removal part...

thanks

[HURST280]

I too, have the rattle. I belive it is in the passanger side seat clasp. Does anyone have the rattle who does not have fold down seats?

[HURST280]

I found the cause of the problem and completely stopped the annoying rattle coming from the back seat. I believe that the root cause was the leather conditioner that I used on the seat...it also saturated the three bottom hinge/mounting points at the bottom of the seat. This chemical caused the hinges to bind with the slight deformation of the unibody frame as the car encounters uneven roadway.

I tried several things before all the noise was gone so you may want to try them one at a time to see which one works for you:

1. use WD-40 on the hinge points. This lubricates the bushings. To do this you may have to remove the lower seat cushion (by simply pulling up sharply at the front of the cushion on the left and right side—where a passengers knees would normally be) and/or the side cushions --between the door and the seat backs ( these are removed to pulling the top of the cushion, under the seat belt, toward the front of the car, then remove the cushion by lifting it up toward the roof. Once these cushions are removed carefully spray lubricant on the corners and middle hinge points. Go for a test drive.
2. If the light oil did not work then you may have to loosen the two torx T-50 bolts that hold the left and right side of the seat hinge points in place. Once loosened slide the seat-back to the left or right such that the bushings are now in different positions and hopefully tighter. Go for a test drive and if you have seats that open to the trunk, then open/close the seat-backs to make sure the latch still catches the seat properly.

*one tip, when reinstalling the side cushions remove the white plastic clasp still lodged in the car and reattach it to the top of the side cushions, then install the cushions .

I have pictures of the whole process if needed.

Good luck.

[RyBMW]

HURST280: What kind of leather conditioner do you use?
Please post the pictures.

[Craigar]

I think there is something in the rt rear seat back that folds down. Here is what I did...

Fold it down. BANG on the back of it a little. Fold it up. Rattle gone!

Every time it comes back I do this and it goes away. Something inside the seat is loose.

I also heard that the door seals need to be cleaned with some oil or wd-40 like soneone said. I guess it is a problem that BMW's have.

Ohh ya, I was getting so sick of that damn rattle, wether the banging on the rear seat back worked or not, it felt good!!

[Bavaria330]

I also have the POP, crack, sound appears to come from rear roof area, I noticed it when is very hot out and the air is cooling the inside, it does not happen at night.
My guess is something contracting and expanding with temp changes.
If any body finds it pls post.

[MonacoBimm]

My car sounds like a wooden boat sometimes.

[ashecnc]

Originally Posted by Craigar

Ohh ya, I was getting so sick of that damn rattle, wether the banging on the rear seat back worked or not, it felt good!!

[Ryan 330i]

i have it too, sounds like the rear hat shelf. so annoying.

[b00tsie]

Could it be the thirth breaklight bumping to the windshield???

[Cerezo]

Originally Posted by KL2DC

I have some rattles/clicking from the front passenger seat area. I am aware of the TSB for the B-pillar seatbelt washer and I do believe I hear some faint clicking there but in addition to that I am convinced the passenger seat or possible the front passenger side dash is rattling. I am fingering the front seat as whenever i have a passenger up front, the rattles subside...this is on the manual non-zsp seats...and a Feb 09, 2006 build car...

Like I said the rattles are not glaringly loud but annoying as I like to drive with the a/c and sound off during my before bedtime night-drives...

Does anyone have similar rattles/sounds?

i do too and i am very sensitive to little noises like that. it used to be very rare now it's persistant. some noises do go away and some i just get used to but there's always something making the noises. the car does sound like a wooden boat

[HURST280]

Please use these pics with my previous message.

1. remove rear seat bottom and side cushions
a. pull straight up on bottom cushion's front, then reove the cushion by pulling it up and forward.
b. pull straight forward on side cushion's top. Pull it about 1"-2" away from the parcel shelf (under the top of the seatbelt), then remove the cushion by pulling it up.

2. Usig light oil, coat the three bushings/hinge pionts. If this doesn't stop the rattle then losten the T-50 torx bolt on the left and right side and reposition the hindge pionts slightly. Tighten the bolts.

3. Remove the white clasps from the car and insert them into the side cushions.

4. Replace the side cushions:
a. put the two alignment posts at the bottom of the cushion into the two rectangular/eliptical grooves
b. push the cushions towrd the car and downward until white clasp snaps into the car.

5. replace the seat bottom and snap the front of the cushion back into the car.

notes: I have found that the Meguire's gold spray leather conditioner gets into the bushings and causes them to bind as the unibody deforms with car's motion. This binding causes the seat back to vibrate and reverberate the noise.

Before you attempt my fix, you can put the seat-backs down (if you have that option) and manualy move the seatback left and right. This will cause the same rattle sound to be created in the seat-back.

Refer to the pics for guidance. Good luck

[ashecnc]

How about a self fix for the drivers seat snapping on every bump or pressure, moving the seat in different positions don't help. If I put major pressure on teh left side of my seat, (where the plastic and leather meet), it's not as bad..anyone yet?