My `05 S has had plastic rattles, clicks, and ticks in the dashboard since the day I bought it. Very annoying, since I have put maybe 25 lbs. of acoustic treatment into the rest of of the car to make it more habitable.

I have taken it in for warranty service for interior plastic-noises issues five times. Most recently, Rasmussen MINI replaced the whole dashboard cap, and used almost an entire roll of felt tape while installing it, according to the service records.

It still rattled. More like a BMC than a BMW-derived car, if you know what I mean...

Today, after all that, I solved the issue for once and for all - at least so far, so good.

I had noticed that whenever the dash started making cheap-plastic noises excited by the road, I could always kill the noises by pressing down lightly on almost any part of the dash cap.

So I took some open-cell urethane foam and shoved it into the gap between the black paint at the bottom of windshield and the dash-cap. It puts just enough very-light down-pressure across the dash to shut it the h**l up.

Results are amazing. For the first time in three years, the dashboard does not click and tick on every tarstrip, pot-hole, and patch on the road. If I tap on the top of the dash with a couple of fingers it does not respond with cheap-plastic noises, and I can finally hear the H-K without accompanying road-rattle.

The stuff I used is intended as weather-stripping for installing air-conditioners. You can find it at any hardware store. It's soft grey open-cell urethane foam, 1-1/2" square section, four feet long, with no adhesive - about $5 - comes rolled up in a plastic bag in the weather-stripping section.

I used a credit card to shove it into the gap, where it is basically invisible. Problem solved (three years and multiple dealer interventions later). It is easy to pull it out of there in one piece with a needle-nose, if ever needed.

Hey MINI -- you guys listening ???

 

Very nice. Funny how MINI can never figure this stuff out with all their tools and special schooling huh.

 

I was wondering if something like that would work! I have squeaks, too, and I was considering taking some of the art foam sheets leftover from kid projects and make my own "washers" for placement between the dash cover and dash. Heck...I was willing to start from the top (dash cover) and work my way across & down (3 pc dash, downtubes, etc.) just to get rid of the annoying squeaks!

There's squeaking that definitely originates from behind the center stack (R50) so I'm wondering if the bundles of wiring back there are rubbing against each other & the surrounding surfaces. I guess I'll pull it all apart and use something soft to wrap each bundle and secure the "soft" (whatever it ends of being...felt, art foam, or even an old sock with the foot cut off!) part with electrical zipties. Any suggestion or warning that I should know about? I did notice that my OEM iPod interface box is wrapped in a nice neoprene sleeve...

 

I've never personally taken my dash off, but the plastic downtubes have been the source of a lot of ticking noises all by themselves.

 

Nice job figuring that out.

I've got the rattle on the lower left part of the dash. When I press it down it stops. Dealer looked at it once but their "fix" was ineffective. One day I'll remove the panel and come up with a fix. Maybe Rick's stuff jammed in would work.

 

Can someone take a pic of the area Rick mentioned in his post? I've sat in the front seat of Schultze trying to figure out just where Rick pushed the foam into with the credit card...

Thanks!

 

Look at the windshield, then down to the black paint along the bottom, then at the forward edge of the dashboard - there is a 1/4" gap between the two - that's where I put the foam strip.

The dashboard appears to have an edge going forward at the bottom of that gap, and I think that's what the foam presses on, damping the front edge of the dash and holding it immobile.

 

Thanks!

I'm in the process of reinstalling my 3pc dash & everything that I painted over the past several weeks...I went to Lowe's this morning and purchased a HUGE roll of "Sill Seam" for less than $4. It's maybe 1/4 thick and 30' in length--it's a sky blue color. Anyhow, I've been tucking it under the front & sides of the dash cover, behind the 3pc dash pieces (including between the two pieces that comprise the middle pc of the 3pc dash pieces) and where the downtubes touch the center stack components. I'm also putting it between the glovebox & the dash. If you've ever removed your glovebox, you'll know what I mean.

Tomorrow is the GWR500 Event and I've been "testing" the sill seam insertion by running errands after doing a particular section...little by little the squeaks are disappearing!

I have 1 more piece of the 3pc dash to reinstall, plus that half of the dash cover front & side, plus the glovebox to do. If there's any squeaking left and it originates from the center stack, I'm fairly positive it's coming from the wiring bundles that are tucked behind there.

I looked for the product you used, but I couldn't find it. Would you be able to do me a favor & see if it's listed online at one of the big box stores and post a link? A pic of the actual product would be helpful.

 

wow, a seemingly common issue, that has yet to plague my MINI....*knocks on wood*

 

I attribute it to the fact that Schultze is a Friday car. The decrease in
squeaks that I've been able to achieve so far has been very pleasant on the ears...and my nerves!

 

Nice solution, OR

 

Looks like this, but is smaller - 1-1/2". I got it at Ace hardware.
http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com...l-p-52137.html

 

Thanks for the link!

This is what I used for under the dash cap, between the downtubes & stereo and behind the 3pc dash:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...403&lpage=none

This is what I used instead of the square stuff you used (I had some around the house from a previous MINI project):

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...egoryID=502027

I cut a piece to fit the width of the dashcap where it meets the windshield & I angled the ends for a finished look. I did a test fit and then pulled it out and used some of the Duplicolor Vinyl & Fabric spray that I used on the dashcap to paint the foam piece so it would match the dash cap. Reinstalled it and absolutely no squeaks!

 

My rattling right side downtube drove me nuts. After a few attempts, it was finally solved by applying stick-on felt where the downtube contacted other plastic, especially at the bottom.

 

I've since discovered that on a sufficiently bumpy road, the dash cap rattles anyway, although less that it was before the foam insertion.

Seems that the open-cell urethane foam doesn't hold its shape for long, and takes a set when squeezed for a while.

I'm now trying some stuff called "caulk backing" which is a closed-cell foam supplied in a roll of 1/2" round foam. So far, so good. I'd have used 5/8" if it were available.

 

you know, with this type of rattle, I really have to wonder if the dashboard carrier needs to be tightened up a wee bit...

I have an '03 and have a terrible rattle that is on and off in the section spoken of. I know that the '05 got a revised dashboard carrier and dash pad, however, this still leaves me wondering. Has anybody actually gone in to see if their dashboard carrier is actually loose? I am considering doing so when I take my gauges apart to replace the faces....

-Chase

 

As another sidelight on the issue, yesterday I removed my OMP strut-top brace, to see whether it made any difference. Went out for a run and confirmed that the effect on handling is pretty minimal.

However, the effect on dashboard noises is considerable, so I re-installed it, and confirmed that it reduces the plastic noises coming from the dash cap a lot. I'm guessing that it damps out vibrations in the frame, by tying the two sides of the car together. All I know for sure is that it is a big help in killing dashboard rattles.

 

I've almost got all the rattles/vibration noises fixed on my car. Oddly enough, I noticed that some of the vibration noises went away when I installed some cabrio braces in the engine compartment.

I plan on pulling the a-pillar cover off (driver's side) to see if I can isolate a subtle, yet annoying noise from there. Strangely enough, it only makes noise when I have a passenger in the car.

 

I've got the Cabrio braces, and the OMP lower brace - both help with the noises.

I also located and ordered, some 5/8" round closed-cell poly foam, which I should have next week.

I may have to move to someplace where the roads are smoother...

 

The 5/8" round closed-cell caulk backer is what I used & it works like a charm. If I'd known you needed some, I would've been happy to send you some in the mail.

I finally did find the square open cell foam you originally used--it probably would've continued to work if there had been something solid under the dash cap where it meets the windshield. On Schultze, there's solidness for a few inches from either side but then I'm able to actually hook a finger under the dash cap for the remaining width.

 

Oh, Yeah! The 5/8" "caulk backing" is just right.

I can now thump on the dash top with my fist, and not get any ticks and cricks, just a nice dead thump. The dashboard noises on rough roads are basically gone. I sure hope this stuff doesn't go dead and stop working so well, but if it ever does, I've got another 15' of caulk backing...

 

Can anyone post a link to the 5/8" caulk backing or somethign similar at Home Depot, etc? I can't seem to find it.