S213 Rattle From The Rear Interior

[Rigby]

Hi all does anybody have an E Class estate with a rattle coming from the rear interior.
I have had my S213 for a month and have tried to eliminate this rattle without success, by a) removing the load cover altogether, b) securing everything in the boot, c) raising the rear seat arm locaters (10 degrees). all to no avail!!!
Is there anything else I can try?

 

[simon1963]

I had the same on mine. Lower the rear seat back rests and put them back up very firmly. That sorted my rattle. Also check the warning triangle isn’t loose, mine was so I put some strips of 1mm self adhesive rubber where the triangle sits.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Not sure if it's the same but i had similar - though mine's an S212. It drove me mad for about a year. I tried some electrical tape on the pins that lock the rear seat back in, not that. Tried all kinds of foam bits around the load floor and storage tray, and the removeable side panels, checked the luggage hook things. I thought i'd cracked it when i found the cable for the tailgate actuator hits the rear left bodywork behind the cover - so cable tied it and spaced it with foam. Not that. Then i realised it doesn't rattle when people are in the back. It turns out in my case it was one side of the rear bench fixing/hook. On mine there's a metal bar/wire on the seat base that hooks into a hook on the rear floor. One side just didn't hook very firmly so rattled. You could actually see where the rattling had started to wear the metal hook. I added some thin rubber and lo' the noise disappeared!

 

[Rigby]

Thanks guys, I will try your suggestions over the weekend

 

[Rigby]

I tried sitting in the back seats this morning but it didn't make any difference, The rattling seemed to be coming from behind the rear seats or perhaps in the roof lining...very difficult to tell.

However, when I got home I lowered the backrests and started tapping on the three back panels and there is a metallic rattle coming from each one. How to rectify this, I have no idea as they (the black panels) appear to be sealed into the leather trim.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

I tried sitting in the back seats this morning but it didn't make any difference, The rattling seemed to be coming from behind the rear seats or perhaps in the roof lining...very difficult to tell.

However, when I got home I lowered the backrests and started tapping on the three back panels and there is a metallic rattle coming from each one. How to rectify this, I have no idea as they (the black panels) appear to be sealed into the leather trim.

Sounds like you're homing in on the source! That's 90% of the challenge i think!

 

[Rigby]

Sounds like you're homing in on the source! That's 90% of the challenge i think!

Yes fingers crossed, but if it is that it will probably have to go into the main dealer for diagnostics.

I read your previous post with interest but could not fathom how to get under the rear seat bench.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Yes fingers crossed, but if it is that it will probably have to go into the main dealer for diagnostics.

I read your previous post with interest but could not fathom how to get under the rear seat bench.

Ah well on the S212 i's surprisingly easy - you just grab the front edge of the bench at each end (basically where the front of the seat starts to curve round to the side - so imagine if you're sitting behind the driver it's just to the right of where your right knee would be if that makes sense, and the same on the opposite side) and pull sharply up. There are (from memory) just two kind of plugs that hold the seat front down. When these are free you can free the whole bench from the hooks at the back. From memory you push the bench to the rear of the car and then lift and they unhook. I was surprised there was nothing more fixing the bench down - but i guess that's why in my case it was rattling.

When i first removed the bench in mine i also found £1.20 in loose change so that was an unexpected bonus!

 

[Rigby]

you just grab the front edge of the bench at each end (basically where the front of the seat starts to curve round to the side - so imagine if you're sitting behind the driver it's just to the right of where your right knee would be if that makes sense, and the same on the opposite side) and pull sharply up

Many thanks for that @ChrisHGTV, I would imagine mine is pretty much the same.

I have just found another possible cause this time in the tailgate, I will upload photos later

 

[Rigby]

Pretty sure I have found the cause of the rattle/vibration...It's coming from the tailgate, please see attached photos. If I tap where indicated there is a very loud rattle from either behind the trim or that part of the roof is loose!!

I think I will drive down to the pub for a pint with the rear seats folded down with weights placed on the backs for the purpose of elimination.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Apologies for coming to this late, but the best way of identifying these things is just to get some willing soul to kneel in the back while you're driving on a quiet, safe road. Then they can move their ears specifically to the source and maybe press panels to see if they can reduce the noise.

That backrest noise is a perfect example: you found something that "could" have been a rattle, but more likely wasn't. Someone in the back would have been able to tell immediately that the problematic noise wasn't coming from it. There are always many things that "could" rattle - the question is what is actually rattling.

Finally, as a BTW, presumably it's not the numberplate? Badly fitted plates regularly make noises.

 

[Rigby]

but the best way of identifying these things is just to get some willing soul to kneel in the back while you're driving on a quiet, safe road. Then they can move their ears specifically to the source and maybe press panels to see if they can reduce the noise.

Great advice, thank you @MikeInWimbledon

Finally, as a BTW, presumably it's not the numberplate? Badly fitted plates regularly make noises.

No, I have definitely ruled that out by fitting Wurth number plate holders together with their anti-vibration grommets.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

No, I have definitely ruled that out by fitting Wurth number plate holders together with their anti-vibration grommets.

I guessed that you had, given everything else you'd said, but can't take things for granted.

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[Rigby]

I finally took the car to my main dealer who had it for a day to sort out the rattles and vibrations.

They took the headlining out and found loose cables for the tailgate and the pano roof. The cables are now insulated and tied down....Sorted.
Just glad the car was still under warranty and I had bought from a main dealer or it would have cost me a small fortune.