Admit it, you're constantly turning up the volume on your car's stereo not because you like what's playing, but to drown out the annoying squeaking sounds from the parcel tray. That's because squeaks and rattles may be endearing in baby-talk, but inside a car they are like a mouse inside a house.
Admit it, you're constantly turning up the volume on your car's stereo not because you like what's playing, but to drown out the annoying squeaking sounds from the parcel tray. That's because squeaks and rattles may be endearing in baby-talk, but inside a car they are like a mouse inside a house. They get in easily, irritate the hell out of you and are difficult to get rid of too.u00a0
So, we take a shot at solving one of the biggest problems that car owners face persistent squeaking and rattling noises. We size up the nerve-wracking sounds produced by various parts of your car and tell you how you can avoid or fix them.
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TYRES AND WHEELS
Tyres play a major role in preventing that nasty rattle. How? As the point of contact between the road and the car, tyres transmit the shocks from the road onto the car's frame. The thicker a tyre's sidewall (the portion of the tyre between the centre and the tread), the better it will absorb bumps from the surface, which means that fewer vibrations will be transmitted to the car's body. Result: fewer rattling sounds. It also helps if the tyre has a wider footprint.
However, some folks are obsessed with fitting their cars with oversized alloy wheels with low profile tyres (tyres with thin sidewalls) in a bid to up the car's cool quotient. This increases the suspension wear as the 'secondary ride' or cushioning that is provided by the tyres' sidewalls is reduced to the minimum. Labouring under the misconception that 'any rim fits any car as long as it fits inside the wheel', they don't understand that one should never change the basic specification of a wheel.
Wheels with Multiple-PCD or multiple mounting holes, incorrect offset, width, profile or interface between wheel nut and wheel are all safety hazards and besides, they ruin the ride and handling characteristics of a car.
The owner of a major aftermarket parts store in south Mumbai said, "We strongly advise our customers not to increase their rim diameter more than an inch over stock when upsizing wheels. Also,u00a0 too many mounting holes severely curtail the durability and basic strength of the wheel."
Keeping your wheels balanced and getting regular alignment checks done are inexpensive maintenance procedures that can save a lot of money in the long run. Listen for any new noises that might originate from your suspension, and be alert to any changes in the way your car rides and handles. Small repairs done right away will head off future problems.
Bad tyres can also produce rattling sounds. When a tyre's sidewall cracks, its strength is drastically weakened and the suspension gets affected too. This can cause rattling. So, don't hold on to your tyres till the last tread fades away.
Wheel caps can also rattle annoyingly. Tightening the nuts will solve the problem, but if it doesn't, the wheel caps may be damaged and will need to be replaced. Aftermarket wheel caps generally use a poorly executed bracket onto which a centre bolt is welded and this tends to rattle.
STEREO AND SPEAKERS
The sound of music can hit a false note if the audio and in-car entertainment units have been poorly installed. Make sure that your speakers are well fastened so that you hear only music and not an annoying rattle. In the long term, loosely fastened speakers will also get damaged easily.
After the installation of a subwoofer most complain of rattling noises. This is usually caused by the movement of the number plate resonating due to the presence of the subwoofer. In a saloon, the boot lid will also tend to rattle. Make sure there is good insulation to prevent it.
u00a0The enclosure for your subwoofer should be properly constructed and mounted. A poorly-built one will ruin the effect and will also rattle when the car rides over bumps. Also ensure that the audio system's head unit is fastened securely to the dashboard and that there is some insulation between the head unit and the dash.
After being removed for installation of the system, the wiring harness should be refitted correctly. The amplifiers too should be fastened properly and have insulation against vibration. All these precautions will minimise rattling from the audio system.
Another way to muffle rattling sounds is to put a layer of foam between the speaker components and the car.
Speakers vibrate when they are on and these vibrations get transferred to the car's panels. The foam will absorb most of these vibrations. It is also important that you eliminate any bubbles or bumps from the surface so that the insulation material adheres to the surface completely. If there are ridges, make sure that the material fills them. Don't assume that it is okay to put in the material and merely bridge any gaps.
EXHAUST
Cars that have experienced too many bad roads will emit rattling noises sounds from the exhaust. The indicator? A sort of plumbing noise from the floor of your car. Chances are that the heat shield that is located between the exhaust and the floor is coming loose too. A loose heat shield can sound like a tin can filled with rocks very annoying. Our solution? Wait about an hour after your last drive, since attempting any repairs on a heated exhaust is no picnic. Raise your car and secure it on a jack so that you can shimmy underneath to get a good look.
About two feet behind the engine you'll see the exhaust pipe heading towards the back of the car. Just about where your seat is, there will be a thin metal shield between the exhaust pipe and the floor of the car. Pull and prod this every which way you're trying to make it rattle after all. If it's loose, you'll hear the same irritating sound you've been hearing while driving.
If you can't induce a rattle, you'll have to start the car. Do not crawl beneath your car while the engine is running. Instead, get your head down as close as possible to identify where the sound is coming from.
Also, check the entire exhaust from its engine mounts right to the tip at the other end. The exhaust system should be mounted properly on the chassis mounts and there should be a rubber bushing between the exhaust bracket and the chassis mount. Except at the mounts, no part of the exhaust should touch the body or chassis. But ideally, we recommend that you get your mechanic to fix this.
SUSPENSION COMPONENTSu00a0
This is about the only car part that doesn't have a 'recommended service interval' since its longevity depends on several factors. The amount of load, frequency of travel on poor roads, individual driving style all have an impactu00a0 on the suspension. Therefore, suspension repairs are the most neglected aspect of a car's maintenance.
However, the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach doesn't apply to a car's suspension, because failures can be extremely dangerous.
Worn-out shockers or struts are the usual suspects if you hear suspicious noises. When the internal hydraulics wear out, the piston will move without the proper resistance, then stop short when you hit a bump. With shockers, another thing to check for is loose or dried-out mounting bushings. Observe the way your car rides on a familiar road, and if you spot any changes, get it checked out. If your car rides lower or harder than it used to, and doesn't filter bumps like it did earlier, then you probably need new suspension components.
Another way to check your suspension is to look under your car, just inside the wheels, for the long tubes that come down to the wheels at an angle. These are the dampers, and if they're leaking fluid, then it's time to replace them. Worn-out dampers place more stress on other suspension components. Since they are relatively inexpensive to replace, it's a wise investment to do so.
DOORS, DASH, SEATS, etc
Rattling sounds from the dashboard are the most irritating of all and are also quite difficult to fix because the culprits most often are loose mounting bolts which are in inaccessible places. To remedy this, you'll have to remove the entire dash and change the rubber insulation on the mounting edges.
If the seats are rattling, remove them from their rails, tighten every bolt on the chassis of the seat and then re-fit the seat after applying some grease. In some cases, the seat rails will need to be replaced.
Rattling doors can be tackled by tightening or in some cases even replacing the door hinges on the body.
Another source of rattling from the doors is the power window mechanism and the motor, which come loose after some time on rough roads. You'll have to get the entire panel opened and fixed. In some instances, using some foam as insulation inside the panels helps.u00a0
Rubber beading on the doors gets warped due to the intense heat in most parts of India and should be replaced. The rubber liners which hold the window glass in position should also be attended to regularly.
A cheap and effective way to eliminate squeaks from windows is to apply some talcum powder to the inside of the glass, as this reduces friction. The added bonus is that your car will smell good!
You can stop the parcel tray from rattling by covering its edges with foam insulation or inserting rubber insulation in the tray slot. Putting rubber bands on the ends that hold the tray on its mounts also works well as a vibration absorber.
Overall, fixing these minor but hugely irritating noises not only results in a quieter cabin, but also makes your car feel like it just left the showroom. And you no longer have to pump up the volume on the stereo!
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