Hi all,

My S has just developed a VERY annoying rattle coming from the front area of the sunroof. It occurs at nearly all speeds and gears. If I jamb my fingers between the plastic part at the front of the sunroof and the roof glass I can get it to stop. Also if I pull down hard on this plastic part(its the part that has the slot that the screen locks into) it will also stop. Anyone else have this problem and how do you fix it? Its driving me nuts!!

Thanks,

Paul

 

Hi and welcome to MCO. The sunroof rattle is a known problem. If you do a search on the forums you will find a couple of threads im sure. But from what i remember, most people shoved dunkin donuts napkins in the window and that solved the problem until you can have it looked at. :smile:

 

>>Hi and welcome to MCO. The sunroof rattle is a known problem. If you do a search on the forums you will find a couple of threads im sure. But from what i remember, most people shoved dunkin donuts napkins in the window and that solved the problem until you can have it looked at. :smile:


:smile: That's a good one!

Fuzzy side of Velcro tape has been used with good success, applied to the top of the "plastic part" (wind deflector) where it touches the sunroof.

Good luck,
JS

 

It is a known problem as was said before. My Cooper was in about a month ago for the rattle. they adjusted the sunroof.It was nice and tight didn't make sound the whole 200 mile drive home. Next morning rattle was back. She returns to the dealer in about 1300 miles for an oil change and some other minor issues. I will have them try and adjust the sunroof again then. If that doesn't work I am going for the sticky velcroe

 

Paul,

I've got the same problem, but I only experienced the rattle when the temp. dips below 35 degrees. Yesterday I went to Home Depot and bought sticky velcro strips and stuck 2 4-inch strips on each of the wings (at the top) that touch the sunroof glass and the problem has gone away.

Chris

 

Put the fuzzy side of the velcro where the sunroof hit (and makes marks) on fold over flaps. Works brilliantly.

 

I just took my car to the dealer and they said there is a kit the dealers have from Mini to fix this problem now. We'll see if the rattle stays away after this manufacturer kit is installed.

 

How much do we bet the "dealer kit" is a hunk of velcro?

 

I got the car back (a longer story in itself) and the dealer sunroof kit is ....

4 pieces of velcro tape. They put the velcro tape on each flap where they touch the sunroof glass and also on the inside (not on the flaps) underneath where the flaps touch down.

 

we'll that's all i needed to hear.
i just picked up my OEM sunroof rattle fix
from the desk next to mine at work!!!
time to run out to the parking garage!

 

>>I got the car back (a longer story in itself) and the dealer sunroof kit is ....
>>
>>4 pieces of velcro tape. They put the velcro tape on each flap where they touch the sunroof glass and also on the inside (not on the flaps) underneath where the flaps touch down.
>>





See ya,
JS

 

All it really needs is a little lube job where the contact and pivot points are. If you look up where the flaps are, there'll be a spring set up from side to side. Lube that rea that moves around, and good bye noise. I had the same issue. Lubed it up, and haven't heard a peep since, which was like 5 months ago.
Cheers,

 

>>All it really needs is a little lube job where the contact and pivot points are. If you look up where the flaps are, there'll be a spring set up from side to side. Lube that rea that moves around, and good bye noise. I had the same issue. Lubed it up, and haven't heard a peep since, which was like 5 months ago.
>>Cheers,
>>
>>

Unfortunately, there seems to be a fairly wide tolerance in the manufacturing process...sometimes the gap between visor/flap and glass can be closed by lubing the springs (and letting the flaps settle tighter to the glass), and sometimes the gap is so big that you need the velcro fix. It depends on the particular car as to how much extra padding you need.

To continue along that vein, I'll note that on my S, the velcro too was eventually too thin -- or it got too compressed over time -- and I have now moved to a highly compressed foam strip. This is a bit thicker and has less give than velcro and seems like it may last longer. I seldom get a rattle now...but then again, it's winter and I haven't opened the roof lately. Maybe the Germans will eventually move on to foam...assuming they can't get the factory to sort this out.

Also, since it hasn't come up in this particular thread yet, some dealers have been addressing this by toying with the actual height adjustment of the sunroof's moving panel. From all accounts, this doesn't work to stop the rattle, and it sometimes makes matters worse. My dealer did this, and the rattle was worse than ever 2 minutes after driving away from service. Plus, I developed a groaning from the roof in its last couple of inches of travel. Velcro/foam/dunkin donuts napkins seem to be a better fix.

 

The rattles people complain of, are they with the roof open or closed? I just started to get a rattle last week (4500mls on the car)n and it happens when the roof is open and it sounds like it is coming from right a bove my head. Anybody else with the same prob.?

 

I had the "primary" sunroof rattle. It's the one where the wind deflectors rattle against the closed or partially closed sunroof. The fix is to apply the soft velcro to the backside of the flap (facing back of car when open) and sometimes also to the horizontal surface in front of the flaps, in the channel. Mine was solved with just the velcro.

The "secondary" rattle is where the black plastic sunroof control housing rattles against the frame where the blind achnor point is. That sounds like what you have Skrutzen. This is the one solved by the Dunkin Donuts napkins, or similar such padding.

R

 

Davbret, thank you. I will check it out in the morning.

 

I figure I had to revive one of these sunroof rattle threads... I've been hearing this buzzing sound, at first thought it was a loose item in my glove box, but then did a search and read all about the sunroof rattle.

Amusingly, I too have a Dark Silver MCS. Has anybody actually gotten this fixed at the dealer as opposed to the velcro method? If so, what did they do?

Thanks!