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Finally got around to fixing a window/door rattle on my drivers side door. CAUSE: There's a post on the front bracket of the regulator that has a bushing on it. That bushing has a tendency to ride up over the years and the frame of the regulator rattles against the post. Mine was particularly bad when the window was down.
Fixing involves
1. Taking off the door panel (lots of videos about this already).
2. Remove the speaker, six screws and a electrical clip, the rattly bit in my car is just behind the speaker
3. TRY REALLY HARD to get the damn bushing back in. This part is by far the hardest bit. The tolerance between the hole and post is very small. I tried for a while and finally gave up and used some surgical tubing I had gotten as an alternative. I was able to get the tubing onto the post enough to get past the metal-on-metal part but not all the way to the bottom of the post. Seemed good enough for now.
4. Reassemble
Ideally you could get the post out and put something all the way on it, maybe even glue the bushing in place, but getting the post out requires you to disassemble (or at least loosen) the window regulator assembly, which requires a lot more steps and a few more parts of the door to come out. I wasn't up for that challenge today. If/when this fix fails I'll go in for the bigger job.
Also, these cars are getting old, so the plastic bits have a good chance of breaking, be ready to order new parts before putting the door back together. I was lucky and nothing had to be ordered (this time). My moisture barrier is clearly cracked from age, so next time I go into the door, I'll order up a pair and do both doors.
Door Panel off, note torn moisture barrier on the left. In-progress with tubing "fixed"
Window Rattle - Door Rattle fixed
