Driver's door rattle

[EddieMunster]

I have a rather bizarre driver's door rattle. It sounds a little like a spring stretching/pinging, it's from inside the driver's door or underneath the dash towards the right knee, and it's indiscriminate as to what sets it off. For example, I've driven over the cats-eyes, to rattle the front suspension, but alas that doesn't necessarily set it off. Similarly, you can be on billiard-smooth road, on constant throttle, and it'll suddenly appear. It's not constant, pulsing the throttle doesn't make it happen, and it feels/sounds like something is rattling/touching/isn't properly torqued up. It doesn't occur from stationary, whether the engine is on/off, it's not a constant rattle but enough to get on your tits.

However, the odd thing is this: I have discovered that if I keep the door on the safety latch, i.e. not fully closed but it still won't fall open, the rattle disappears completely! I've fiddled with the driver's door vent, made sure the door trim is on properly, hands under the dash to feel for something that's loose, but obviously I'm restricted to my investigations as I have to be driving/moving in order for the rattle to appear. As I say, put the door on the safety latch and the rattle has completely disappeared; pull the door to, so that it's fully closed, the rattle will pop up again.

Any ideas?

[tom023]

If you are sure it is coming from the door then I'd whip the door card off and have a look for anything out of the ordinary, its a pretty simple procedure.
You might need to pick up a few door trim clips though as they do tend to break.

[EddieMunster]

If you are sure it is coming from the door then I'd whip the door card off and have a look for anything out of the ordinary, its a pretty simple procedure.
You might need to pick up a few door trim clips though as they do tend to break.

If you shake the door in isolation there's no rattle at all, not even a squeak, and I was giving it fair old rattle!

It's almost as though the door is pushing on the dash, as you'd expect when it's fully closed, and that in turn is setting something off in either the door or the dash. I did think perhaps the door stay/pull, or something on the bottom inside of the A pillar, as it only occurs when the door is fully closed.

[wurlycorner]

Next time you're driving along and it occurs, pull gently on the door release and / or lock pull, not enough to open the door but just enough to put tension on the rods and see if it goes away.

I'm suggesting this because the bracket that holds the release lever to the door has an annoying habit of causing vibration noises when you have a decent stereo fitted.

Other possible causes are the door weather skin (if it's deteriorated and split/be been badly taped up in the past by some lazy ass mechanic) or the central locking relay box (all behind the door card).

[EddieMunster]

Next time you're driving along and it occurs, pull gently on the door release and / or lock pull, not enough to open the door but just enough to put tension on the rods and see if it goes away.

I'm suggesting this because the bracket that holds the release lever to the door has an annoying habit of causing vibration noises when you have a decent stereo fitted.

The rattle appeared, the day I fitted a decent stereo. and indeed, tension on the pull rods causes the rattle to disappear; so, what's the solution, re-fit 90s sounds?