capeli

Hi, I have a rattle from the passenger area in a 2017 GS and looking for some help. I've searched the forum but have not found anything similar. It primarily occurs at idle or low speed (<10mph) and get's even louder when going around a corner. I've traced the sound by ear and leads me to the area behind the passenger seat and down low. Can't tell whether it's below the carpet or under the seat or in the seat back.

It's not the seat belt against the seat, and it doesn't seem to be coming from the trim around the quarter panel window as others have had. On a few instances it has been very loud where I thought something was about to fall off the car and other times it's less and other times nothing.

I would appreciate any helpful advise/input you may have. Hesitant to start pulling the car apart without some initial direction on what it might be.

I could take it to the dealer but it wont rattle while I'm there guaranteed so I'll just get more frustrated.

I don't mind tinkering on a car, but I would prefer it was to make improvements, and not bring it back to what a new car should be.

Thanks

fsvoboda

Try looking under the seat to see if the plug connecting seat to wiring harness is moving around. Alternatively, it might be something under the car.

Good luck.

kenownr

First thing I was going to say, you already checked; seat belt buckle against the seat/door panel. Mine gets in there occasionally and of course on the freeway when I can't reach it and it drives me nuts.
Did you check under the seat for a plug tie-wrap missing or loose? Check the plastic trim panel that starts at the floor and runs up towards the halo. Same with the bottom edge of the door panel, maybe a clip loose.
Good luck finding it. My 16 Acura has a intermittent rattle in that same area and I've been chasing it for a year. LOL

capeli

Have been chasing this rattle over the weekend. Seems to be coming from low behind the passenger seat. Unbolted the passenger seat and isolated it from the car frame and that didn't help. Removed the carpet behind the passenger seat to expose the wiring duct that runs up there, and that wasn't rattling either. Starting to now think it might be under the center console between the two seats. I hope it's not the torque tube. Outside the car I'm not really hearing a rattle but that might be because of all the other engine noises going on at the same time.

kaplana08

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Check to see if the top of your seat is hitting the roof. If you adjust the seat wrong the headrest will rub into the roof and the pressure can sometimes dislodge a clip inside the seat making it rattle. If this is you and you get lucky, adjusting the seat away from the roof will sometimes fix it.. GM let's the head rest rub into the roof if adjusted all the way back. Another brilliant design by GM

joemessman

Take it for a ride with a passenger. See if it rattles. If it does you know foe sure it is a seat issue. If not have the passenger help by listening and pressing on certain parts, etc.

capeli

Rattle resolved. I wasn't going to let this rattle defeat me and I had no faith the dealer would have the patience. Unbolted the seat and isolated it and that was not the problem. Removed the carpet from behind the seat and the wiring duct was secure and not the source. Then I used the hose listening trick and tracked it to the torque tube tunnel. Figured the rattle was coming from underneath in the torque tube tunnel. Made myself 4 wooden jack stands 12" high and put the car on those.
Got underneath and poked around first avoiding the task of removing the tunnel cover due to the number of bolts. Within a couple of minutes I had found the source of the rattle. It was a junction box cover that fallen off and was resting on the exhaust pipe just as the exhaust exits the tunnel and splits off at the transmission on the left side. I must say I was quite pleased with myself.
Getting it back on was a challenge as I could not get my hands in there, but using a variety of kitchen utensils I managed to get it clipped on.
For a guy that's never jacked up a car before I was quite proud of myself but I did get a lot of help from this forum.
Rattle free for now.

joemessman

Very good! You're the man of the day as far as I'm concerned. It sure must be a satisfying feeling to get that damn rattle behind you. I know how you feel though about something like that. It's all you think about until you fix it.

LT4CMG

My kind of guy. I have a 16 vette with 3k miles. I bought it brand new, but it wasn't really brand new until I regapped the body panels and tore down the interior and redid everything myself. Now I have a brand new, rattle free beast. No one cares as much as you do, so do all you can yourself.

Red C8 of Jax

What he says. The passenger might say it rattles at another location in the car.

alamo1974

Had the same problem, took to the dealer and got it back without the rattle.