door rattle/squeeking
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There are lots of different takes on this issue, as well as ongoing discussions. This is one of the most common gripes about the 9-3SS. I think once the rattles are gone, we are all so much happier with the vehicle. Seems like something simple they should be able to get right at the factory, doesn't it?
The most common door rattles/buzzes seem to emerge when playing music with a lot of bass. It has to do with trim and small parts being loosely attached to the door panel. These things shake or vibrate.
The best way to fix problems is to try to find exactly what is vibrating. This can be very difficult. Try pounding the butt of your fist firmly against the door. Move around the whole door trying to elicit vibrations. The window switches and door lock buttons are common culprits. Ultimately, the best way to stop the vibrations involves removing the door panel and securing whatever was shaking. Not everyone is comfortable doing this themselves, but many members here have done the work with great results.
The most common door rattles/buzzes seem to emerge when playing music with a lot of bass. It has to do with trim and small parts being loosely attached to the door panel. These things shake or vibrate.
The best way to fix problems is to try to find exactly what is vibrating. This can be very difficult. Try pounding the butt of your fist firmly against the door. Move around the whole door trying to elicit vibrations. The window switches and door lock buttons are common culprits. Ultimately, the best way to stop the vibrations involves removing the door panel and securing whatever was shaking. Not everyone is comfortable doing this themselves, but many members here have done the work with great results.
door rattle/squeeks
Thanks for your reply.When this happened in my last car the dealer told me that it was a fault with the quality of the door rubbers and after a long wait they changed the door rubber or so they said BUT it made no difference.I changed the car for an 05 beliving that this problem should by now be rectified.I can hear the same noise coming back into the top right hand side of my door. I love the car but this is spoiling our relationship!!!!!.By the way i have only discovered this forum,
its great to see so many saabists out there
Thanks for your reply.When this happened in my last car the dealer told me that it was a fault with the quality of the door rubbers and after a long wait they changed the door rubber or so they said BUT it made no difference.I changed the car for an 05 beliving that this problem should by now be rectified.I can hear the same noise coming back into the top right hand side of my door. I love the car but this is spoiling our relationship!!!!!.By the way i have only discovered this forum,
its great to see so many saabists out there
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Don't be so sure it's the door. I've read quite a few complaints about it possibly being the seat belt column just behind the door and sadly right next to your (and my) ear. I've read (perhaps on the *other* SAAB board) that so far no one has been able to successfully disassemble it to find the rattle. I think I have this noise too, and I think it might be the seat belt tensioner assembly. I also get some creaking from the window which goes away temporarily if I open and then close the window. On the interstate the car is smooth, quiet and fast. On surface streets, not so smooth and quiet any more. I'm hoping that when I wear out the stock Pirellis I can put a slightly software sidewalled tire on and that will help smooth out some of the bumps and in turn some of the rattles and squeaks.
I had a rattle somewhere behind the dash that seemed to disappear when I put new tires on the car. I imagine it helped reduce some road vibration that was causing that particular rattle? I suppose is not out of the question that new tires could help reduce some of the rattles one might hear in thier 93?
door rattle/squeek
Thanks for your reply johnc 22,you are dead right about the smooth surface verses rough the unfortunate part is that in Ireland we have more rough surface roads than smooth,so you know what my right ear feels like.
My last 93 had 17"rims which gave the car a hard ride,this time i put 16" on and it has made a big difference comfort wise.yes tyre make also effects cabin noise.My dealer put grease on the top rubber of the door which helped except i sometimes ended up with a greasy hand.I will check out seat belt point as i belive you are right.
I would recomend BRIDGESTONE tyres as i found these so much quieter when i changed them from prls, this is my third 93 the first was 5 door type.I had no such problem with it.
I still would not change from saab(i wont tell my dealer that).
Thanks for your reply johnc 22,you are dead right about the smooth surface verses rough the unfortunate part is that in Ireland we have more rough surface roads than smooth,so you know what my right ear feels like.
My last 93 had 17"rims which gave the car a hard ride,this time i put 16" on and it has made a big difference comfort wise.yes tyre make also effects cabin noise.My dealer put grease on the top rubber of the door which helped except i sometimes ended up with a greasy hand.I will check out seat belt point as i belive you are right.
I would recomend BRIDGESTONE tyres as i found these so much quieter when i changed them from prls, this is my third 93 the first was 5 door type.I had no such problem with it.
I still would not change from saab(i wont tell my dealer that).
Others here have had the noise in the B-pillar, presumably from the seat belt tensioner. If you have this noise, I would first check if the vehicle has the newer seatbelt, as the older one is involved in a safety recall. Getting the recall service may solve the problem. At least someone else will have to take the B-pillar apart, and you can tell them about the noise.johnc_22 said:
Recently someone here had his B-pillar apart. I don't remember the tricks involved. I knew of a few people who gave up before they could get the top off.
Door rattles
I'm pretty convinced my rattles come from door seals.
After the first 9mths or so, my '04 93Arc developed maddening 'rattles' which I blamed on poor reassembly after having a door lock assembly replaced (dead solenoid). After months of complaints back to my dealer, they finally took a drive with me and the guy said straight away it was door seals. Reluctantly accepting that he probably knew more than me, I proceeded to treat the rubbers with silicon spray like he suggested and to my surprise, the 'rattles' (that sounded sooooo like metal on metal) vanished. The car was quiet again... for a while. I've found a solution, but one that only lasts a period of weeks before retreatment.
The remaining gripe with this problem is that I still have a car that sounds like it's been thrown over curbs for the last 10 years right after I wash it (unless I spray that stinkin' silicon all over the seals again), and that it reappears (seemingly more frequently these days) on all doors every few weeks.
I've searched for a better treatment - everything from lithium grease to baby powder. Surely all the other (cheap) cars that don't rattle have an approach that works?!
I'm pretty convinced my rattles come from door seals.
After the first 9mths or so, my '04 93Arc developed maddening 'rattles' which I blamed on poor reassembly after having a door lock assembly replaced (dead solenoid). After months of complaints back to my dealer, they finally took a drive with me and the guy said straight away it was door seals. Reluctantly accepting that he probably knew more than me, I proceeded to treat the rubbers with silicon spray like he suggested and to my surprise, the 'rattles' (that sounded sooooo like metal on metal) vanished. The car was quiet again... for a while. I've found a solution, but one that only lasts a period of weeks before retreatment.
The remaining gripe with this problem is that I still have a car that sounds like it's been thrown over curbs for the last 10 years right after I wash it (unless I spray that stinkin' silicon all over the seals again), and that it reappears (seemingly more frequently these days) on all doors every few weeks.
I've searched for a better treatment - everything from lithium grease to baby powder. Surely all the other (cheap) cars that don't rattle have an approach that works?!
The door seals are the rubber strips running around the door and same on car body. There is also a hard plastic seal along the bottom of the door that pushes into soft rubber along just under the door sill.lbh2315 said:
I was told to use silicon spray (a common product in any auto retailer) but find that it's not a very 'permanent' solution. I think a substance that penetrates the rubber more or that can't be washed off as easily would be better. Like I said, many other cars obviously have an approach that works. I've got strange looks from other guys into their cars when I ask what they lubricate their door seals with.
The Saab guy that suggested silicon told me I'd "slit my wrists" if I owned a Citroen. Apparently they also use felt but it dries out quickly and makes a loud 'cracking' sound with the normal amount of body flex they are subjected to. I guess things could be worse. I just don't get why whatever they use on my wife's Barina (aka Corsa) isn't the norm. Same age car, same kms but not one rattle or squeak. She doesn't give a hoot about cars generally and is definitely not fussy about such things, but still comments regularly how my car sounds like a piece of crap when you drive it because of all these sounds.weiVA said:
No more Door Seal squeaks.
I have been looking to get back into a Saab...after being with a BMW X3 for 10 months. Those cars have a nasty creaking problem which is the felt flocking along the top rubber seals of the doors drying out and "catching" the metal door frame. The fix is to clean the seals with Silicone Remover and then apply Carboflo lubricant made for that exact purpose. Lasts for months. Easy and quick to apply. Not messy. No noise. BMW part # 83 23 0 309 627 for the Carboflo and 83 19 9 407 906 for the Silicone Remover. Apply Silicone Remover with a clean cloth. Let dry one hour. Aply Carboflo. Let dry one hour. Done.
(I still am currently a Saab owner with a 1993 900S)
I have been looking to get back into a Saab...after being with a BMW X3 for 10 months. Those cars have a nasty creaking problem which is the felt flocking along the top rubber seals of the doors drying out and "catching" the metal door frame. The fix is to clean the seals with Silicone Remover and then apply Carboflo lubricant made for that exact purpose. Lasts for months. Easy and quick to apply. Not messy. No noise. BMW part # 83 23 0 309 627 for the Carboflo and 83 19 9 407 906 for the Silicone Remover. Apply Silicone Remover with a clean cloth. Let dry one hour. Aply Carboflo. Let dry one hour. Done.
(I still am currently a Saab owner with a 1993 900S)
my '03 had very slight buzzes coming from the door trim pieces. my '04 has the same buzz from the doors, and also from the d/s a pillar sometimes. i hate rattles, but EVERY car will eventually develop them. i would rather let them be, unless they get rediculous, than to tear panels down potentially creating more in the future. my parents bought a camry a couple of years ago, and there is a nasty rattle behind the radio headunit...now this, i would have had toyota fix, but they would rather let it be than to have someone tear down the dash trying to locate it. so to this day, there is a CONSTANT rattle sounding like two metal strips vibrating against each other.
i thought it was just part of owning a saab...
i've become used to it, though i think it makes the car sound cheaply made. i'd always heard about these rattles in mcuh older saabs (one of those lovely "quirks" of saab ownership). but before i even bought my '99 9-3, i read about these noises and still bought my car anyway. i figured maybe it was the convertible top or the stiff construction of some european cars, not much "give" (i've felt this in BMWs as well which, according to a friend of mine, have another problem w/their glass cracking frequently? we'll save that one for the *BMW forum*
i've become used to it, though i think it makes the car sound cheaply made. i'd always heard about these rattles in mcuh older saabs (one of those lovely "quirks" of saab ownership). but before i even bought my '99 9-3, i read about these noises and still bought my car anyway. i figured maybe it was the convertible top or the stiff construction of some european cars, not much "give" (i've felt this in BMWs as well which, according to a friend of mine, have another problem w/their glass cracking frequently? we'll save that one for the *BMW forum*
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