Sunroof Sunshade Rattle

lllRazorlll · 12-11-2022, 09:16 PM

Hi all,

I've recently noticed that my sunroof sunshade rattles a bit over rough roads, imperfections in the road, bumps, small holes, you name it. Me being a perfectionist finds it very annoying.

I was able to narrow it down to the sunshade on the basis of a few things:

When the sunroof is closed and the sunshade is open, it rattles
When the sunroof is open or tilted and the sunshade is open, it does not rattle
When the sunroof is closed and the sunshade is closed, it does not rattle

Ultimately, I notice this rattle when the sunroof is closed and the sunshade is open, which is how I keep it 99% of the time. I was able to identify the fact that it is the sunshade by knocking on it while open and I was able to replicate the noise. Rattle is persistent when the sunshade is open but not when closed or even 50% open.

I don't think this would be related to other sunroof rattles that others have posted before since their issues were related to a bracket in each front corner that was worn out. I might try the velcro/felt tape fix but again, I feel like that won't stop the sunshade from rattling.

Only option I can think of is to remove the headliner and see what I'm working with to then come up with a fix, but apartment life makes it hard to work on cars. Might just have to do it anyway.

Any input would be appreciated. I can post a video that demonstrates the issue if that helps.

lllRazorlll · 08-19-2023, 07:39 AM

Thought I would update this. It turned out to be the metal brace that holds the left and right sunroof tracks together. On the passenger side of the car where the brace and sunroof track meet, the two parts are riveted together and there is a small enough gap where the metal rattles.

The fix: put something in-between the two metal components to get them to stop rattling against one another.

tturedraider · 08-19-2023, 08:48 AM

Glad you found it. I hate rattles, too. How was it taking out the headliner and putting it back?

The day before yesterday I paid my dealership $418 to take care of two rattles. I just moved back into a 2018 340i M Sport. Knowing it seems some F30s are more prone to rattles than others and there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to it I had asked the previous owner if it had any rattles and he said no. Either he needs to have his hearing checked or he wasn’t truthful, because it had a persistent rattle from the right side of the package shelf behind the rear seat and an intermittent rattle from the front passenger side door panel. Fortunately, it appears they were able to fully fix the parcel shelf rattle and I’m pretty sure they got the door rattle, but it’s hard to be certain on that one, because it only happens on certain road surfaces. I actually am pretty okay with the price. They charge a $209 diagnostic fee that is applied to the bill if they find work that needs to be done, so in my case there was no additional charge beyond the diagnostic fee. I’m not super happy they charge a separate diagnostic fee for each rattle, but I could live with it since there were just two.

schernov · 08-19-2023, 11:18 AM

The passenger door rattle is a known issue it's the door lock pin.

Rear shelf could be many things. What did they do for you?
I just started chasing one down. It could have been child seat anchor covers on top of the shelf. But I think there is more to it.

tturedraider · 08-19-2023, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schernov

The passenger door rattle is a known issue it's the door lock pin.

Rear shelf could be many things. What did they do for you?
I just started chasing one down. It could have been child seat anchor covers on top of the shelf. But I think there is more to it.

I’m not sure specifically what they found with the shelf but they added insulation and I’m assuming padded whatever was making contact. And, again, I’m not sure exactly what they did with the door, but the foreman told me it was probably the door lock rod from the pin to the lock mechanism, so I’m assuming they insulated that. I know they put insulation in the door, so I’m assuming it was concentrated on the lock rod. He said the lock rod makes contact inside the door and they can usually see a wear mark where it’s happening. The foreman went for a drive with me and the package shelf rattle happened easily, but we weren’t able to get the door rattle to happen.

lllRazorlll · 08-20-2023, 08:17 AM

I dropped the headliner but didn't actually remove it since the *correct* way to remove it is through the front of the car where the windshield is. There's a lot of panels and trim that have to be removed to drop the headliner which is the worst part about this job. Takes about 30 minutes to actually drop the headliner.

My door lock pins aren't rattling. I even put felt tape around the cylindrical trim where the door lock pins move up and down so that's not an issue. I do however have a rattle in the driver's door that I can hear at highway speeds, so I'll have to take the panel off to figure out what's causing that.

I also removed the rear parcel shelf and added felt tape around the perimeter on the bottom side which eliminated some rattles that could have been heard when the music is up, especially when bass was present.

12-11-2022, 09:16 PM	#1
lllRazorlll Private 22 Rep 83 Posts Drives: 2014 435i Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	Sunroof Sunshade Rattle Hi all, I've recently noticed that my sunroof sunshade rattles a bit over rough roads, imperfections in the road, bumps, small holes, you name it. Me being a perfectionist finds it very annoying. I was able to narrow it down to the sunshade on the basis of a few things: When the sunroof is closed and the sunshade is open, it rattles When the sunroof is open or tilted and the sunshade is open, it does not rattle When the sunroof is closed and the sunshade is closed, it does not rattle Ultimately, I notice this rattle when the sunroof is closed and the sunshade is open, which is how I keep it 99% of the time. I was able to identify the fact that it is the sunshade by knocking on it while open and I was able to replicate the noise. Rattle is persistent when the sunshade is open but not when closed or even 50% open. I don't think this would be related to other sunroof rattles that others have posted before since their issues were related to a bracket in each front corner that was worn out. I might try the velcro/felt tape fix but again, I feel like that won't stop the sunshade from rattling. Only option I can think of is to remove the headliner and see what I'm working with to then come up with a fix, but apartment life makes it hard to work on cars. Might just have to do it anyway. Any input would be appreciated. I can post a video that demonstrates the issue if that helps.
	Appreciate 1 abayramov13.50 Tweet Quote

08-19-2023, 07:39 AM	#2
lllRazorlll Private 22 Rep 83 Posts Drives: 2014 435i Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	Thought I would update this. It turned out to be the metal brace that holds the left and right sunroof tracks together. On the passenger side of the car where the brace and sunroof track meet, the two parts are riveted together and there is a small enough gap where the metal rattles. The fix: put something in-between the two metal components to get them to stop rattling against one another.
	Appreciate 1 tturedraider5127.50 Quote

08-19-2023, 08:48 AM	#3
tturedraider Major General 5128 Rep 6,336 Posts Drives: 2018 340i M Sport Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Chicago, Edgewater (via Texas & Tennessee) iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW 340i M Sport [8.58] 2020 BMW M340i xDrive [9.00] 2018 BMW 340i M Sport [7.38] 2006 BMW 330i Sport [5.83] 2004 BMW 330i ZHP [7.13] 2000 BMW 328i [6.17]	Glad you found it. I hate rattles, too. How was it taking out the headliner and putting it back? The day before yesterday I paid my dealership $418 to take care of two rattles. I just moved back into a 2018 340i M Sport. Knowing it seems some F30s are more prone to rattles than others and there doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to it I had asked the previous owner if it had any rattles and he said no. Either he needs to have his hearing checked or he wasn’t truthful, because it had a persistent rattle from the right side of the package shelf behind the rear seat and an intermittent rattle from the front passenger side door panel. Fortunately, it appears they were able to fully fix the parcel shelf rattle and I’m pretty sure they got the door rattle, but it’s hard to be certain on that one, because it only happens on certain road surfaces. I actually am pretty okay with the price. They charge a $209 diagnostic fee that is applied to the bill if they find work that needs to be done, so in my case there was no additional charge beyond the diagnostic fee. I’m not super happy they charge a separate diagnostic fee for each rattle, but I could live with it since there were just two. __________________ www.bmwcca.org member #388003 - Use me as a referral & you could win a one day ///M Driving School!! ___________________________________________
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08-19-2023, 11:18 AM	#4
schernov First Lieutenant 80 Rep 306 Posts Drives: 2018 340zhp, 2009 135i Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: chicago,il iTrader: (0)	The passenger door rattle is a known issue it's the door lock pin. Rear shelf could be many things. What did they do for you? I just started chasing one down. It could have been child seat anchor covers on top of the shelf. But I think there is more to it.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-20-2023, 08:17 AM	#6
lllRazorlll Private 22 Rep 83 Posts Drives: 2014 435i Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (0)	I dropped the headliner but didn't actually remove it since the correct way to remove it is through the front of the car where the windshield is. There's a lot of panels and trim that have to be removed to drop the headliner which is the worst part about this job. Takes about 30 minutes to actually drop the headliner. My door lock pins aren't rattling. I even put felt tape around the cylindrical trim where the door lock pins move up and down so that's not an issue. I do however have a rattle in the driver's door that I can hear at highway speeds, so I'll have to take the panel off to figure out what's causing that. I also removed the rear parcel shelf and added felt tape around the perimeter on the bottom side which eliminated some rattles that could have been heard when the music is up, especially when bass was present.
	Appreciate 0 Quote