hey guys,

ever since the last DV trip, i had this annoying sound coming from the rear passenger's side. for months, we could not pinpoint it until today. i took off all the rear cargo paneling and then took down the rear cargo part of the headliner to see if i could duplicate the sound. at first, i thought it was coming from the rear headliner. only after becoming very frustrated and creative, did i figure out the source of the noise.

turns out that its the rear cargo glass. its a little loose. so when i go over lots of bumps, there is this annoying tapping sound. so what i did to duplicate it is i grabbed the passenger side rear hatch piston and compressed the rear of the vehicle by it. the sound came from the bottom rear of the rear cargo window. i would compress my 4runner and make it squeak and then id put my finger on the glass and the noise would stop.

i took some anti-fatigue foam (the kind you stand on in a shop) and compressed/shimmed it into the space between the inner sheet metal and the glass. it works but i know eventually, the foam will lose its ability to stay expanded. either i will have to use a more stiffer foam or fix the window.

i believe that there might be a tear in the window's gasket. so my question (finally) is "is it difficult to replace the rear cargo window and the gasket?" i beleive this will be a more permanent solution

thanks,
bob

 

I can't help, Bob, but I've had a noise that I haven't been able to pinpoint from the passenger side cargo area for the past year that's about driving me nutz, also. Thanks for the info. I'll see if mine is doing it as for the same reason as yours.

 

rick,

if it sounds like a sharp, distinct tap, then i am sure its the same thing. hopefully you find the noise and if you find the permanent fix, post up

bob

 

Bob, it's more of a tap than a rattle?

I've had an annoying rattle when going over a bumpy road that I can't figure out. I first thought it was the tonneau cover thingy but it's not that. Maybe my window is doing the same thing?

 

edwin,

yes, its a tap. some days i dont hear it, other days i really hear it. its really annoying

bob

 

So did this sound like your inside quarter panel was loose and made the noise everytime you went over a bump(for example washboards)?

 

troy,

damn, i thought you might have posted the fix

its an intermittent sound that occurs...whenever. and when it occurs, it sounds like that gremlin from the famous twilight zone episode (william shatner) is rapidly tapping the glass. some days, it is bad. some days, i dont hear it. some surfaces i hear it, and other days on the same surface, i hear it again.

bob

 

bob,
sorry i did not have an answer...I am of course looking for answers on my front power window, and while being a good noobie I was searching for info on that, and saw that you had a similar problem that I am having to my rear end. Hope you find your answer.

 

troy,

if worse comes to worse, i may take the whole darn thing out and buy a new window gasket and securing plugs. that is, if this is a trul DIY thing. i have never messed w/ windows, so i am a little leery

bob

 

bob,
I personally tried it on my old mustang and made such a mess of it that I ended up calling safelite. They came to my house and put it together for me, but from reading almost all of your tech write up's I thing you might be a little more capable of using a hammer than I am So give it a go. Since I am having such a hard time finding this answer...can you tighten power windows...when mine are half way down they rattle

 

hey guys,

ok, problem solved. i went to my friend's auto body shop and he had one of his window vendors come to his shop for some work. while i was there, they fixed my window. they took this right angle cutting tool and cut the window out. they cut straight through the 4 plugs and glue holding the window like butter. they did not reinstall the plugs. all they used was some thick black gasket glue and that was that. no rattles!

so i am going to leave off the interior panel for a few days to make 110% sure that the window doesnt make any noise.

cost? $35. the normal shop cost is $45, so even if i paid the normal rate, i wasn't breaking the bank on this one

bob

 

the rattle issue i have w/ my drivers window is in the (bent)rails and the wheels, rattle is between 1/3 and 2/3 open (closed ) otherwise its quiet. therefore its open or closed, or until it breaks and i have to replace it.
it has fallen out before but it was easy to pop back in.

 

well as i suspected, it was the rear window. i have been driving w/o the plastic interior paneling since i had the rear window redone and not a single tappping noise. therefore, i put all the stuff back on and not a single tap back there. and i drove 120 miles today too!

so there you have it. a $40 fix...and to think, i thought this was going to be an expensive fix :dizzy: oh, definitely let the pros do it. the guy was a mobile auto glass window repair guy. it could easily be done at your work or at your home.

bob