Maybe it is just me - but does anybody else have various rattles/bumps/noise coming from all sorts of places? I drove with the radio off and windows rolled up (like I did the first day I bought it) and it sounded awful. I have a rattle behind my left shoulder; a rattle behind the passenger seat head area; a funky noise coming from under the steering column; and a rattle coming from the dome light area. All these rattles come only when going over quick sharp bumps. And for the record, Danville, CA has some of the worst freaking roads in terms of potholes and uneven pavement.

I really hope my car isn't falling apart. I could easily take it into the dealer and have them poke around - but I don't think that would accomplish much.

I still love the car, I can put the top down and all those rattles go away (probably because I can't hear them over the wind noise) but hey; it's a start!

 

i guess from your last line that you mean rattles top up only...
i have only driven a couple of times top up and experienced the same thing. very noisy top up.
i think thats because its a roadster... roadsters are designed to be topless!!

 

Some suggested that the rattling is in the window area. But not mine. It's coming directly from the seat itself, I can simulate the rattling by pressing or shifting the back support around. My problem is much worse it's constant, imagine driving on the highway for hrs with the noise on your left ear. Occasionally I can hear it with the top down.

 

My experiences:

The driver seat rattle could come from the headrest being too close to the roll bar.

The passenger seat rattle could also be the headrest being too close to the roll bar, or it could be the seatbelt buckle rattling against the door.

The domelight rattle could be caused by the plastic cover covering the nase of the mirror. Check to make sure the cover is securely in place.

-Spoon

 

I have tons of rattles as well with the top-up. I took it to the dealer once, they fixed some of them, but given the fact that the top goes up and down constently, those rattles keep coming back.. I just gave-up and enjoy the car with the top-down more often... I think that all convertible tops rattles or eventually will...

 

One possible source for the popping sound over the drivers left shoulder is the seatbelt rubbing against its guides. Try to clean the 2 seatbelt grommets/guides. (Plexus did the trick for me)

Also, the windows when in the up position can vibrate/rub against the seals. If they have not been properly conditioned, then the two components rubbing together will make a popping sound.

An easy solution for the passenger side seatbelt clip rattling against the door frame, I suggest you buckle it even when you have no passenger.


Good luck,

Skip

 

2 Factors in whether a car rattles or not:

1) ROAD CONDITION:

The fact that you live in an area with potholes and lousy roads has probably CAUSED the rattles. If a car is consistently taking a pounding by being driven over potholes and on bad roads something is bound to loosen up or mis-align. This will cause rattles.

2) TEMPERATURE

The other factor is temperature. It seems that in warm temperatures, like here in AZ Summer, all the plastic pieces of a car expand slightly, thus they all fit together tighter, so there is no rattling. In colder temps, plastic contracts, thus creating a situation where 2 plastic pieces could rub together.

Here in AZ it's 100 degrees, and the roads are perfect in my area of town, so I have not heard one rattlle in the 40 days I've owned my 2002 S2k.

 

The rattle over your left shoulder could be coming from the seatbelt rubbing against the leather of the seat.

You pretty much have normal sounds. This car is one of the noisier Hondas that I have owned, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

My 2002 Suzuka Blue seems to have massive rattles as well. I am really not concerned because every single one of my cars that i've owned has rattled. I'm just glad that my car isn't squeaking since I can tolerate rattles, but I can't tolerate any types of squeaks. It's probably due to the fact that we have every type of drastic variances in weather patterns, and the fact that we also have some of the worst roads in the world.

 

Mine rattles too. If it makes any difference, they are common with roadsters, and they aren't coming form any important areas. All of the body is rock solid. If you're having fun the car is making too much noise to hear any of that anyhow....