Gator6977

Since I've owned my 08', every time I turn or travel down one of our vast brick streets, I get a little ringing coming from the area around the seatbelt. It almost sounds like a small, thin washer loosely placed on a rivet that vibrates against something metal. It's not very loud, but is noticeable. I've searched and searched and found a mention where someone used dielectric grease on a floating washer somewhere around the seatbelt retractor inside the B-pillar. I looked inside there and couldn't find anything. Short of taking off a handful of panels and cutting donuts in a parking lot with my head buried into the area beside and behind my driver's seat, I'm at a loss. Has anyone dealt with this that might have a little better direction, insight or better yet, a picture!? Thanks!

bibbster

Sound is a funny thing sometimes. Not saying I'm right, but check your rear view mirror. There was a sound very much like you are describing coming from inside our car. Took a while to figure out where it was coming from. It ended up being the metal ring on the back side of the rear view mirror. The ring is supposed to help to keep the mirror in place within the ball socket, but two of the 'fingers' broke off allowing the metal ring to hang loose. It would, on occasion, hit the mirror just right and make a ringing sound. You don't have to remove the mirror. You can either feel behind the mirror for the loose metal ring, or actually look behind the mirror and see it.

Gator6977

I felt around behind the mirror and everything is solid. Though, it's most definitely coming from over my left shoulder. Thanks for the response!

bibbster

Well, it was worth a shot anyway. Hopefully you can track it down soon, that type of thing is annoying. Drive on over and we'll figure it out!

Landru

There've been a few reports over the years of a rattle, precious few but there.
Allegedly isolated to seat belt mechanism, never a ring.

Once BP's removed for access SB mechanism was easy to see/work on.
IIRC a little grease seemed to help, maybe even a nylon washed vs metal, all from memory as this isn't reported very often.

So, nothing was observed w/ BP removed?
SB mechanism's behind that panel.

Gator6977

Not that I could see. I pried it back enough to fit my hand in there and felt, shook and eventually smacked around everything I could in an effort to duplicate the sound. I think it might be time to get more aggressive and start tearing things apart .

Gator6977

Welp, spent several hours taking panels off and trying to find the rattle. Started with the sail panel, leaving the seatbelt extractor exposed and couldn't find anything loose. So I went for a drive. Sound still there, but sounded like it was coming more from the door panel nearest the little led. Pull back into my garage and start rapping on the door panel near that corner, and there it is! Sob. So, door panel comes off with me thinking a window track, bolt or something else metal is loose.

Poke around for a bit and find the only thing loose are a handful of push pins from around the door subwoofer. I shake a couple of them, and there's my mystery ringing! Three push pins from literally the furthest point possible on the door panel causing a ringing noise that radiates all the way to the rear sail panel near my left ear, fun times. Used a little rtv gasket maker on each of the loose pins and voila, gone! I've since been out a couple times and the ring is gone! Thanks again for input. I love this place!

bibbster

Awesome! Glad you figured it out, and thanks for reporting back as to what it was and how you fixed it.

Sunnyvale Dave

Glad you found the problem. Noises can be really tough to track down. My car had a rattling sound that I could swear was coming from the seat belt area. It was actually coming from the dash.