I did some searching and it looks like most people take their cars in and have service repair their rear hatch rattle. I'd like to avoid the dealer and fix it myself. Any ideas on what they do to fix it? All I could find when I searched for this is some had the latch assembly replaced and one was fixed simply by lubricating.

I love this car!! Other than the rattle mentioned above my car runs great. Oh and people in the passenger seat telling me to slow down... Can the dealer fix that???

 

I wrapped some black vinyl electrical tape around the “D” ring to eliminate the metal to metal contact, something the factory should have done there and at the vertical rear seat attachment “D” ring. They could have used a nylon/Teflon/plastic insert and saved at least two of the rattles that developed in my MCS in the first few days of ownership.

 

I will try that tomorrow and report back.

 

Worked very nicely.....Thanks!

 

>>I love this car!! Other than the rattle mentioned above my car runs great. Oh and people in the passenger seat telling me to slow down... Can the dealer fix that???

 

On the left and right side of the hatch are thimble-sized black stops. Try adjusting them by turning them slightly. Adjust them a 1/4" at a time.

 

That rattle (more like a scritch scritch sound) from the hatch is from the d-ring (door) rubbing on the rubber part of the latch (chassis.)

I took mine in & got no relief. Adjusted the latch itself, the rubber stops, etc., and while I could make it quieter, it never went away. The rattle madness finally got to me and I disassembled the entire thing to figure out which pieces were making the noise.

Verdict: tape on the d-ring works beautifully.

You'll note newer cars have a chrome d-ring, which apparently gets along fine with the other half of the latch.

Jeff

 

The tape on the D ring worked for me also. Had a rattle at about 1000 miles over some pretty rough road. I looked and looked couldn't find the problem.

Then I used the search function here at MCO, looked for the rattle thread, and seen that the D Ring on the boot could be the problem. It was. Fixed it! No more rattles.

Heck on a lot of stuff you don't need to go back to the dealer. The answer is right here on MCO. :smile:

 

Is there anything electrical tape can't fix? The rattle has been driving me to drink... while driving, just to get the rattling to stop driving my nuts. ESPECIALLY with the seats down. I'll be trying the tape tonight. Thanks fellas

 

My car has the latch sound too, thanx for the tip. I hear the crackel crackel from the latch during the first couple of stop and go takeoffs then I don't hear it anymore. I do however hear the sound of a 15% reduced pulley super charger breathing thru an alta intake. The stumble on my car was bad and is not completley gone but after the mods the car simply is awesome to drive. The one or two times my car stumbled I had just completed a left turn and was trying to hurry across the road while on coming traffic headed towards us. Not fun. I certainly hope the stumble gets a fix so I don't have to spend money on the ecu. I'm at 7600 miles and the car is starting to feel broken in. My mpg has remained at 30.1 comute 95% hwy on rolling terrain. Changed oil & filter at 6000 miles, using mobil1 now. When spirited on the pedal mpg drops to 29.7, sweet.
Sorry bout ranting, just my 2cnts.
thanx
:smile:

 

>>Is there anything electrical tape can't fix?

It is only so-so on ducts.

 

Mine only rattles at idle. I did the electrical tape and it lasts for a couple of days and then wears down to the point the rattle starts up again. Any other ideas out there to cure this?

 

First of all... is that what that rattle is?! I've heard it so often and I always wondered where it was from!

Second, if electrical tape wears off, what about plumber (teflon) tape?

 

I complained of the back hatch rattling to my dealer when I had the car in for another service. They fixed it over 2 years ago - I have an '03 MINI. Looks like they changed the rubber stops to slightly longer ones and greased/adjusted the latch. Hasn't rattled since.

Alan

 

Just found the tape trick at Michigan Mini two weeks ago . My 2004 rear latch has moving parts plastic coated. When the coating wears out ...rattle . Two or three laps of electrical tape around the catch make things tight and cushy, and no sign of ware yet

 

And I thought I was going crazy thinking I was the only one with the hatch probelm. I have sent the car to the dealer twice and they haven't been able to fix it. They pretty much lubricated it the 1st time around and then changed the assembly, however that didn't help matter.

Now, I just live with it. I also have another crackle noise coming from the front dash board on the passenger side where the dash meets the windshield. I can't get it stop and it drives me crazy sometimes.

The baad part is my car now is out of warranty and can't take it to dealer and have them do anything to it without being charged.

 

Just recently discovered another fix that probably has been posted already but here it is:

The position of the latch is adjustable. Remove the plastic trim over the boot threshold by popping out three barbed rivets and dislodging four clips. Then loosen the two torx screws to adjust the latch. I moved mine inboard, which served to pull the hatch more tightly against the rubber bumpers, and all rattling ceased!

 

MBTB has the right idea, but for the older models the process is a little different. If you look at the rear threshhold trim, you will see 2 plastic buttons, one on either side of the latch. Pop those out and there is a 10mm bolt hiding inside. Loosen those bolts (slightly; just enough to move the latch) and push the latch toward the front of the MINI a little. Start with ~1/16 inch. Snug the bolts down gutenteit, ang give it a test drive. Repeat as necessary, but don't go too far. The latch is 2-stage; safety position and latch position. If you move the latch too far inboard, you will only engage the safety and your little light (boot ajar) on the speedo will stay lit.

Sound complicated? It took longer to type this than it did to make the adjustment!
Also check your rear seatbacks for rattle. A couple of wraps of E-tape on the square loops will quiet those suckers right down.

 

I've got a 2004 S with a trunk rattle from hell. I've tried the tape, which works for a while until the latch cuts through it. I've tried about 20 different adjustment positions. Some are better than others but none eliminated it. I've tried combinations of the threaded adjustable rubber stops AND the latch. If it does work it always temporary. I have the chrome D-ring, so I think it's an updated part. I've removed the latch just to confirm that it IS the latch. Any ideas?

 

I've also got a 2004 MCS that had a trunk rattle when I first purchased it.

Had a dealer in California fix the rattle when I had the car in for its last maintenance warranty service. No dealers here in Alaska...

They replaced the d-ring (formerly chrome) with one that has a black coating on it.

No more rattles from the boot, even on rough Alaskan dirt roads! And so far the new d-ring doesn't have any evidence of wearing through.

I'm pretty sure they listed the part numbers on the service paperwork. So if you need them, let me know!

 

i have the same problem,

where is the D ring exactly ?

 

Are you guys outside of warranty that you want to avoid the dealer? It's a known problem, and you need only replace the striker (I have an '03 that was done recently on my last day of warranty). Problem solved, no stupid tape flapping about down the road... easy. I don't think this is any more difficult to fix than removing 2 screws, putting in the new piece, and installing 2 screws.

 

Open your hatch and look up. It's the loop looking thing smack dab in the middle that the latch hangs on to in order to keep your hatch closed.

 

aha .. ok i got it

thank you = )

 

3 years later...after pretty much disassembling the back end of my 2004, I finally googled the latch problem and found THE ANSWER...THANK YOU! Used gaffer's tape, but hey, it was in the boot. Will try the adjustment route next (no dealers close by). Cheers!