My Maxima, ever since I bought it, has been a symphony of squeeks and rattles... but after some research, I found out they are coming from 3 main places, my two a-pillars, down at the bottom, and my dash in the small space above the climate control panel.

I went to Home Depot yesterday and bought some "Mr. Freeze" "Air Conditioner Weather Sealer"- $2.14

It's designed to stick to window-unit airconditioners to keep the outside air from coming in, and to keep the air conditioner from vibrating against the window.

It's kind of like packing material, and is around 3 inches wide and 3 inches tall, and comes in a 3-4 foot long strip. But it can be compressed to an incredibly small amount of space.

I just took a foot or so of the stuff and stuffed it in between the dash and each A-pillar. It's kind of tought getting it in there, you will need something to push it in there, you can't just do it with your hands. I used a pair of siscors, and they worked just great.

You squeeze the strip in the crack, and then it expands as much as it can back to its normal 9-square-inch size. It eliminates any and all rattles coming from that region, and I know almost all 4th gens have major rattles coming from that area.

I was even able to get it to fit in the tiny space in the dash where the climate control is. I was having a lot of rattles coming from there as well.

Best of all, the stripping is a dark grey color, so it matches my interior, and it is so easy to conceal, you can hardly see it!

So now I stand before you, $2.14 poorer, with a 100k mile '95 Maxima SE that is 100% rattle free.

I highly recommend everyone here make the same investment.

 

I have a lot of rattles from the center dash too. Can you describe in more detail where you put the foam?

 

There is a ~2-3mm horizontal gap in-between the bottom of the clock and the top of the climate control console. I used a small hook to temporarily widen the gap so that I could get the foam in.

 

Thanks...

 

Nice....

 

based on your good advice, i have temporarily
stopped the a-pillar rattle with cardboard, but
will now look for that high-density foam as the
permanent solution.

i've endured that rattle for the last year and
managed to take care of the other numerous ones
at the base of the windshield where it meets the
dash with my cardboard solution (yech!)

the final and impossible one to find was the
one in the a-pillar because it sounded as if
it can from inside/bottom of the dash.
i've shoved all sorts of stuff and tightened
every bolt and screw i could get to, but still
the "thunck" everytime i went over a bump.

so threxx, thanks again for sharing your insights
to the solution...i wonder if the new 5th gen's
develop so many rattles?

 

Glad to have helped you! Definitly get the A/C weather sealer foam though... looks much nicer and I would imagine, works a little better too.

I've wondered the same thing about the 5th gens myself, especially the '02 models as my dad is looking at buying one... and hates rattle just as much as I do. I've asked on the board, but never gotten a solid answer out of anyone.

 

Good work Threxx,
I love your tenacity. I know the feeling when you find a solution to a problem and want everyone to share your discovery.
I've been fortunate with my 95GLE. Haven't had any rattles, and it was an early build. But I am always prepared to hunt one down when it raises it's ugly head. I made a note about Mr. Freeze and will pick it up at H.D. tomorrow. I like being prepared.

I'd love to add something also ( collaboration is great ).Sometimes I have scratched an area that I was trying do something similar. I was always frustrated finding the right tool to use to stuff something in a seam. Recently I discovered that using a Credit Card is a great tool. The plastic is less likely to scratch than using a knife or screwdriver that I usually do. And if the standard credit card is too thick, I have used the thinner more plyable plastic cards (similar to credit cards) that are frequently sent to me from some kind of medical insurance companies. You know, the kind you have to peel off the paper.

 

The air condition foam works great.
Thanks for the tip.

My rattle was coming from the Climate Control module.
Took a screw driver and shoved a bunch of it on all four sides.
No more rattle, it's orgasmic.
It's black foam so you can't tell it's there.

The only bad thing is the buttons on the climate control don't
illuminate anymore. They were pretty dim before, but after cramming
the foam in there I have no light. No biggy.

 

hmmm...i think i'd rather have the rattle in that particular case.

 

i take apart my dash too many times..lost a screw, and my dash rattles so much now don't know if i should do the a/c seal, since i am still working on the car...maybe afterwards.

 

Something to consider about the A-pillars is that it might be better to remove the A-pillar trim and apply the foam to the backside of the pillar trim. That way it is invisible.

 

That would work except the A-pillar rattle usually comes from the very bottom of the pillar trim piece rattleing against the dash cover down where they intersect. The idea is to get something between the A-pillar and the dash.

 

I took A-pillars off, and used some duct tape on the dash surface that faces the A-pillar piece. No or rattle.

 

I took A-pillars off, and used some duct tape on the dash surface that faces the A-pillar piece. No more rattle there.

 

Threxx, thanks for the tip. it helped my rattle woes too!

Lkldraw,

i had the same problem as you. try checking the glovebox door. after stuffing the a-pillar there was some sort of rattle whenever i drove over washboard surfaces. after poking around a bit i found play in the glovebox when it is closed. when i lift the right-side bottom edge of the glovebox up it clunks. i stuffed a few pieces of foam between the inner glove box and the dash and closed the glovebox. the rattle is gone! this is only a temp fix. i'm going to dismantle the glove box tomorrow and inspect it for damage. i hardly open that damn thing!

 

the plastic around the passenger window button rattles on mine, anyone know how to fix that?

 

I oftenuse the duct tape to wrap around some inserts, like the one next to the dim turning **** on the dash, to reduce the play virtually to zero. I would think it'll do the same if used to fix window switch plastic.

 

aske them about it
they were lookin at me like i was from a different planet..

any part numbers???

 

Just go to Home Depot and go to the weather-stripping section... there is a whole 10-15 feet on one side of an isle that should be dedicated to it. Look at all the different bags that they have there, one bad should say that it is for window-unit airconditioners.

 

Does anyone experience trunk rattles?? I do. Drives me nuts!
I've tried to find a permamnet fix, also did a search on the org to no avail. Every couple of months I have to un-do the bolts that fasten the trunk latch down, and then tighten them again. The trunk rattle goes away, but not for long. I wish I could get a more permanent fix.

DW

 

i couldn't find threxx's brand. what i found was "frost king" air conditioner weather seal (part # AC42)

click on the attachment for a pic of the bag.

 

I just finished putting duct tape around two front door panel openings for power door and window control modules. Although I don't think they gave me rattles when driving, if I grab the module and move it around, it creates noise, not any more now. And they fit in tighter. Just an elimination of some possible noise sources.

 

so did u put it under the plastic out of sight and it held tight, otherwise you would have a big silver thing of tape that would be quite ugly

 

I popped out the module first, then cut tape and stick the tape from outside, aligned tape edge just a bit inside where module outline is, wraped tape inward and downward around the panel opening. Put module back in and the tape is well hidden.

 

hmmm interesting, i may have to try this if it keeps shaking

 

sounds like a good idea but unless u want to put it in for me, it aint happening

 

Toyota makes 2 great kits for helping with interior noise problems. One is called an interior noise kit, the other is called a wind noise kit. I'll post the part #s if I can find them. They both include an assortment of foam and felt strips of different sizes and thicknesses. Also, they include felt and foam tapes. they work really good. you should be able to order them from any Toyota dealer and most Lexus dealers should stock them.

 

I checked my local Home Depot and thats all I found too. Frost King??? Anyway, I'm gonna check my local Sears also just to see what they stock. I think you get the idea that you need a long piece of foam (cut to size as necessary) with adhesive on one side so it will adhere. Threxx, thanks again for your finding. I've been meaning to do this for a while but now that its winter this is probably the best time for me. Do some work on the car in my nice warm garage.

 

I bought two packs of the A/C foam, 1 pack of low density foam tape, another pack of a smaller version of the same thing, 1 pack of high density foam tape, and some expanding foam.

I spend about three hours applying all of this. I applied the A/C foam to the back of the A-Pillars (FINALLY! I got them off!!) and about a 7 inch strip of it between the pillars and dash.

With the experience of installing my own HU, I lined the inside of the dash with a thin strip of foam tape, all over. I compresed anything that would rattle (harnesses, dash pieces) to prevent movement or absorb movement.

And let me say, it's made a huge difference. I have a friend who has a pretty crappy street, and I've been through that street plenty of times. I used to expereince rattles from all over then place. Now? Just ONE rattle. It comes from my Alpine HU, but I can't do anything about it, since it's a detachable face type. Other than that...everything is rattle free...and it's a big relief. Any of those road imperfections (except the very severe ones) don't cause any more squeaks.

Anyway, I was just bored, and I decided that maybe my procedure would help anyone looking to improve a crappily-built Maxima interior (the 95-96 years at least).

 

But, but, but we have such high quality cars (not like those tinny Fords) they can't possibly rattle. It must have been coming from that Contour that just passed you.

 

In my car, it SOUNDED like the bottom of the A-Pillar, but was actually the side defroster vent INSIDE the dash rubbing against the main part of the dash.

I took the vent cover off, got some dynomat and stuck it between the vent and the dash....and then did the "cardboard" trick on the seam between the A-Pillar and the dash, and no more rattle.

I'm heading to HD now!!!

 

Hmmm, I thought this might only happen on earlier Maxes but it looks like the later ones have it too from the replies. Mine has some sort of stripping around the edges of the headunit for Bose so it doesn't rattle. My A pillars don't make any noise either. The only noise I hear is Wind Noise and road Noise...Does any one have a cure for that?

Are you certain it's not that Contour that you are passing?

 

Can't help ya with the wind noise, but you can DynoMat your car to get rid of road noise.

The stuff is expensive, but woeks sweeet.

 

Since my radio got stolen and it’s very quite in my car now. I hear a rattle. It sounds like it comes from the front near the steering wheel. I don’t know where it is from. When I drive in the city I don’t hear it but when im on the highway doing about 75 or 80 I hear it. Anyone know where it is coming from?

 

This sounds like the best mod for the day

 

I've heard that Dynamat works well for eliminating road noise. Has anyone tried this? Also, has anyone used brownbread from www.B-quiet.com?

 

anybody think this weather stripping could work on my rear dash to stop the rattles from my speakers??? or behind the door panels for my front speakers??

 

i went out brought cheap dynomat. it work the same. i got them for like 2 bucks a sheet and it fits over a specker whole and then you just cut out the whole with a razor blade. and put the specker back in. takes 2 seconds. i brought 4 sheets and did them to all for speckers. they are fine now.

 

the specker huh?