Our car has been back to the dealer 3 times now to try & fix an annoying tailgate rattle. I'd already made sure licence plate was tight, and the rear seat latches were 'padded' with tape to eliminate that as a rattle source.
Dealer changed the bump stops, then adjusted them to the point the tailgate no longer sat flush, then claimed they fixed the latch, but the rattle always came back after a day or 2. Very annoying when the loaner cars were tight as a drum.
After their 3rd failed attempt i just wrapped some duct tape around the metal latch bar, rattle gone. Dealers...

 

I am happy to hear that all is well.

 

Posting up what i did to fix the rattle in response to a PM from TomC3
Pink duct tape FTW

 

That is a good repair. I wonder if pink is a more effective repair than gray.

 

Thank you for the pic Martin! I will try it out and hope it works on mine.

 

Update on your fix S'poreSTI : Sun was out and used my Mini today. It works! Rattle gone! Used a black packing tape though Thanks for the tip!

 

Thanks for the reply. I actually figured this solution out myself a few days after I posted. I don't need to remove the trim piece to adjust the latch on my 2011 Cooper S. I just popped the small circular screw covers off, loosened the screws, and moved the latch as desired which I pushed the latch all the way back. After tightening the latch and popping the covers in, I adjusted the rubber bumpers until the hatch was flush with the rear of car and no more rattle!

 

My choice of color (because it was all I had) was gray. 95% of the noise is gone now...and road tested on Vermont country roads. I'm thinking of pre-packaging 3" x 1" strips, labeling them with a BMW part number, and selling them back to my local dealer for $20 a pop. Such a simple fix.

 

I replaced my rear endlinks, three times. After the second pair of OEM ones failed, I went with Detroit Tuned's aftermarket one's for $155. Better route either way since I'm lowered and with a H-sport competition bar.

 

Sorry to bring back a 5 month old thread.
I have this rattle too. I don't think it's my end-links or sway bar bushings since its coming from the upper hatch. It might be my license plate as it only has two screws and not the bottom ones. I'm going to try removing my privacy cover and do the duct tape and see if that helps. I thought it might have been the rear seats too, but you guys seemed to experiencing the same noise as me.

Other rattles in my car:
Transmission Gear selector chrome button thing
Passenger seat-back cover
Passenger side headrest trim piece haha
and of course the door handles creak
I also found loose change in the center armrest behind the phone integration connection. Took me 45 mins to get it all out with tape and a dinner knife.
Any help with these would be awesome!
Thanks in advance!

 

The ball joints on the rear sway bar links seem to develop slop in 30K miles and rattle with my Hotchkiss rear bar. You can get beefier links that are adjustable, but as long as my dealer keeps giving me "free" ones, I am sticking with OEM.

DOC

 

For the rattle of the trunk lid on the lock , the lock can be adjusted. The eyelets can slide the lock around. Its under the rear panel with two bolts. Push it towards the trunk a hair.

#1



http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/51242754528/



Thanks

 

Hi guys...

2009 Cooper.

I suppose it's hard to tell if the sway bar rattle is the end links as opposed to the bushings.

But if I wanted to try the bushings first (cheaper), can someone tell me where to get the part? I have been scouring the web, but it's hard to figure out if the bushing is for the front as opposed to the rear (are they identical?)...nothing pops out as obvious.

Thanks...

 

Heres something that might help you, make sure it is the right part for your car.






http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...58&hg=33&fg=45

 

Any new ideas on rear rattling after I:
1. Replaced sway bar bushings
2. Replaced end links.
3. Replaced shocks and the bushings that go with them.
4. Got rid of trunk lid rattling (for now) the easy way: wrapped a wee bit of Gorilla tape around it. Noticed, by the way, that it is covered with painted black enamel, which chips off, thus leaving some play for it to rattle.

Next, I'm replacing the rubber exhaust hangers, which seem to have a bit of play in them at 51k miles. But the rattling noise going over bumps when driving doesn't seem like the noise when I shake the catalytic converter. And it started very suddenly, not like a wear and tear thing.

 

Yes, the hatch with some duct tape, and for me, it was/is the rear sunroof. I haven't been able to adjust it's height to get rid of the rattle. But...if I open the roof, and then close it 80-90% of the way (which still seals out rain/wind...but which is quite frustrating to get just right), the rattle stops.

--

Bill

 

After spending more time under the car shaking the end of the exhaust pipes and then driving it and listening some more, I'm pretty sure it's in the rear exhaust, probably because the rubber/fabric hangers have a lot of play in them. Not a surprise at 51k. It just seemed to start very suddenly.

 

Did the temperature change rapidly where you are? Maybe thats why the rattle started suddenly.

 

That is a really interesting question. In the mountains where I live, 30- and 40-degree temperature swings happen daily at this time of year. It goes from 50s or 60s in the day to 20s at night almost daily.

I'm pretty sure it's the exhaust hangers, because they seem to have a great deal of play in them.

But I did notice it coming on, and the noise getting louder, when I descended the mountain down to the desert one day this week, where the temperature was 70 to 80. So possibly the temperature swing from the 20s to 80 and back did have an effect on these old rubber and fabric hangers.

 

yes, one quick look underneath and you can see if they are sagging.

 

This is not meant to be a flippant reply, but how much sagging, in terms of the distortion of the shape? The new ones appear to be rectangular in profile. Mine are definitely elongated, and there is a bit of play.

Maybe I should just buy and replace them, and see. They're inexpensive.

In another development: the tone and intensity of the sound have changed greatly since it started a few days ago. So I'm back to thinking that the noise is due to the trunk lid latch. The Gorilla tape which stopped the noise completely for a bit over a month is a bit worn.

 

No problem. The best way is to see it the diamond pattern is more of upper and lower U pattern. Also if you stare at the exhaust tips and they look like they set way below the bumper then the stock factory pics, then its sagging.
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