[cinemarr]

noises

aside from the rattles there is an electro static type sound coming from under the left passenger side kick panel. some type of small motor ticking over whether the car is running or not and it only comes on occaisionally. ignition key only has to be in run position, engine doesn't have to be on.

anyone?

 

[Jezzadee]

This is not exactly performance or modifications. Lots of posts on this in the C900 Workshop. Like this one here.

 

[rob beard]

Does everybody's 900 rattle over bad roads or is it just mine?

When I get out and close the door as hard as I like the car sounds so solid but all it takes is driving over a couple of bumps and the car sounds like it's going to come apart at the seams. On good roads it sounds great.

Doors, hatch, what the hell is it?

thx.

Only a thought but it could be the CAT breaking up

Rob Beard

 

[ejenner]

try holding things as your driving along. great sport...! things to check, knee-board, the seat-belt anchors in between the seats (if you don't have your seat-belt on) sometimes the screws holding on the door-cards squeak in the lugs, the window-lifters and door mechanisims can rattle, also check the sunroof...

I can't think of anything else - maybe you could change some bushes as well - the bushes are cheep (like about £1.50 each) but the labour costs money.

 

[eggsngrits]

Does everybody's 900 rattle over bad roads or is it just mine?

Try driving a 17-year-old convertible!! If it doesn't rattle, you get concerned!!

 

[cinemarr]

yep definitely driver's side door mousey squeak and the rest of the orchestra lives in the hatch door, I'm certain of it.

I guess I'm a little anal than most about car rattling noises I HATE THEM!!!!

 

[woywitka]

this seems like a suitable thread to ask this, what about when u drive along and hit a slightly recessed manhole cover and it feelt like you hit an extremly sharp bump that is really felt in the entire car car! LIKE BANG! i'm looking at a new set of H rated tyres in the new futre and thought i should do the other 3 balljoints(allready replace one lower) (huge improvemnt handling, did this on another saab), would new balljoints help with this? what else could i do, my shocks and springs are very good, very recent because my back sits up nice and high and is stiff and there is NO spring to the car at all, nor does it bottom out ever or sagg. i also siffer from noises (turning up stereo helps), and anybody know anything about he infamous birdy that lives in the back of 3drs! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! drives me crazy, commonly visists me at freeway speeds.

 

[cinemarr]

There is a sound coming from under my passenger side kick plate so this is a right hand drive remember. I can only describe this noise as a "scratchy electro static" type noise. I have asked the mechanic and he has no idea. It's not on all the time and it doesn't matter whether I'm driving or not, it comes on whenever it feels like it.

anyone?

I get that too but I can't afford to buy shocks and such at the moment.

 

[Jezzadee]

One of my most irritating was that bird chirping in the back seat. When I folded the back of the rear seat down I could see two D rings that are what the seat catches unhook from when you go to put the seat down. They had a kind of plastic washer on each that had snapped, causing more play and a mixture of rattle and squeak. I wound insulating tape around the D rings to pad them out a bit so that the seat catch held more snugly. It definitely reduced the noise, but it allowed me to then hear 3 new ones.

 

[Jezzadee]

I've merged the two noises threads since having a new thread for every new noise is getting a bit excessive - the order of some posts may have changed as a result.

 

[Orca]

There is a sound coming from under my passenger side kick plate so this is a right hand drive remember. I can only describe this noise as a "scratchy electro static" type noise. I have asked the mechanic and he has no idea. It's not on all the time and it doesn't matter whether I'm driving or not, it comes on whenever it feels like it.

anyone?

Pull the door panel off and check the plastic moisture barrier. Once the original seal has worn out or if it has been removed previously, any movement will result in noises like you describe. Any tears in the plastic will also creak, so just get some duck tape and cover and cracks and tears and then secure it to the door. Mine only makes a noise when the window is down on that door, but I can put up with things once I know what they are

As Jezza says, the rear seat should be secured so it cannot move at all. The movement passes backwards onto the parcel shelf mounts and the rear speaker shelf. The seat should click back onto rubber mounts. On mine, one was missing ... drove me mad :evil:

The door creak is one of those things that will change with the weather. My LHS door creaks in winter. I don't think adjusting the door alignment would help, since when the weather changes, it'll creak again.

C900s make all manner of noises - just learn to love 'em. You'll know when something is genuinely wrong.

 

[cinemarr]

I've merged the two noises threads since having a new thread for every new noise is getting a bit excessive - the order of some posts may have changed as a result.

I posted that as a seperate thread cause it happens when the car is still.

 

[Jezzadee]

Oh I see. That's very weird then. Does it happen with engine off at all? Clutch in or out? Only two things I can think of at the mo are headlight wiper motor, which can sound like it was from the passenger kick panel, or the clutch release bearing, when the clutch is out, but that would need the engine on.

 

[Eugene]

I noticed that low tyre pressures really affect the rattles and road holding on my convertible, initially I had 29 psi all round, I then upped it to 32 psi front and 34 psi rear, I wouldn't say the rattles dissapeared but were reduced and the road holding improve significantly..............worth a try!

 

[kemosaabey]

Hatches seem to rattle more than sedans - though mine appears OK apart from the parcel shelf and seat catch noises...

Anyway you're talking a different era of car design but I have to say my old 99's were much quieter - the 900 dash construction can be a major source of rattles compared to the simple solid 99 dash.

 

[cinemarr]

Oh I see. That's very weird then. Does it happen with engine off at all? Clutch in or out? Only two things I can think of at the mo are headlight wiper motor, which can sound like it was from the passenger kick panel, or the clutch release bearing, when the clutch is out, but that would need the engine on.

it's weird alright. it makes a noise clutch in or out and the engine doesn't have to be on either just in the run position. I might have to check bentley to see exactly what's under there. If it's the headlight wiper motor then I'll remove it cause they don't work anyway.

I noticed that low tyre pressures really affect the rattles and road holding on my convertible, initially I had 29 psi all round, I then upped it to 32 psi front and 34 psi rear, I wouldn't say the rattles dissapeared but were reduced and the road holding improve significantly..............worth a try!

thx I'll check psi today. and I understand shocks probably have something to do with it.

 

[Jezzadee]

Rumbling/rattling/thumping from the back of the car while driving is usually exhaust not suspension. Reason I thought headlight wiper is because if something that has been known to happen. If the wiper begins to stick in the upright position after a wash/wipe cycle, it will just sit there pointing skyward. The next time you turn on the engine, this can activate the cycle again even though you don't use the wash/wipe, as it tries to return to the parked position. The other thing that can make odd noises in a similar way is the electric aerial - a loose contact or bad ground might cause it to spontaneously erect, as it were.

I'm not helping much, am I :lol:

 

[cinemarr]

Reason I thought headlight wiper is because if something that has been known to happen. If the wiper begins to stick in the upright position after a wash/wipe cycle, it will just sit there pointing skyward.
I'm not helping much, am I :lol:

you might be on to something but the thing is that it happens without turning on wipers and my head light wipers don't work anyway. But maybe the wiper motor just comes on when it feels like it? I would really love to know what it is though. Trouble is it only comes on occaisionally but to get to the source of it I am definitely going to have remove the kick panel which I hope is a simple operation.

there's definitely a motor of some sort making that noise.

 

[GearHead]

aside from the normal dashboard rattles and hatch rattles,My car has develpoed a puzuling problem...when driving around and letting of the gas I can hear a metal on metal light rubbing noise.its very intermitantsometimes its there and sometimes its not.Also it seems to be comming from somewhere in the front...I dunno I hope its just something went out of alignment and is rubbing.a new clutch and or brakes are just kinda spendy...

 

[fliptopbin]

One of my most irritating was that bird chirping in the back seat. When I folded the back of the rear seat down I could see two D rings that are what the seat catches unhook from when you go to put the seat down. They had a kind of plastic washer on each that had snapped, causing more play and a mixture of rattle and squeak. I wound insulating tape around the D rings to pad them out a bit so that the seat catch held more snugly. It definitely reduced the noise, but it allowed me to then hear 3 new ones.

Argh! That's the most annoying one in mine, a sort of squeaking noise that is especially audible under reasonably hard cornering. Doesn't seem to do it with the seats down which would fit with your description. I have had somebody in the back trying to find it and they didn't reckon it was those catches though, and I have used rubber piping over the metal rings to damp them and it still does it.

I'll try some gaffer tape.

Sunroof rattles a tiny bit on mine, but the rear squeak is the most annoying!