Sorry I feel like the annoying new kid in school with all the questions..

I'm hoping someone here knows where to look for this one, there's a pretty constant annoying rattle coming from the back seat area. Sounds like from behind the Seats up by window area, don't think it's the blind but I haven't been able to pinpoint and either has anyone who has sat there.

Sounds like a plasticy type rattle if that makes sense and definitely sounds like it's in the interior..

On the other hand I also hear a creak from the rear suspension when going over speed bumps, my mechanic did say there is a tiny bit of play in the front but not the back. Maybe the rear arms just need some lubing?

Cheers guys

 

Best bet is to drive around with someone sitting back there to listen to where it's actually coming from

 

It's a long shot, but I had a similar rattle in my old XFS and it turned out to be a loosely fitting electrical plug just in front of the rear light fitting, underneath the roof lining. It was plugged in OK, but it rattled against the metal of the roof. I shoved a bit of foam between it and the roof and all fixed. The rear light fitting is a cinch to remove and check for this, just lever the plastic lens off with a small screwdriver then the fitting virtually falls out.
Anyways, one thing I have learned from years of chasing interior rattles down across a number of cars (I absolutely hate rattles!) is that the rattle is often caused by something a fair distance away from where you think you are hearing it. Caused by the acoustic properties of car interiors, different resonant frequencies and so on. They can be a real PITA to track down!

 

I had a rattle that was coming from the rear suspension, but it was obvious it was a suspension related sound. No noise on smooth road but anything uneven caused the rattle, even manhole covers. I believe they replaced the shock mount and all good after.

 

Ill have the wife drive it and try locate it, its super annoying .. Thanks guys

 

I had a continuous squeak/rattle when I got mine too, it ended up being a piece of metal in the driver side trunk. I had to remove the plastic trim piece on the lip of the trunk then peel back the carpet liner on the side to get to it. I used a bunch of duck tape to stop it. I figured it out by pushing on that area and heard it so try that before you have to pull everything out. But I had tried everything before including having my wife drive around while I sat in the back.

There are so many areas for noises to come from that I looked at, including taking the back seat out and lubricating all the metal and holes where wires run through under that back seat cushion, around the battery, even the spare wheel and tools.




push in this area and see if you can recreate it

 

Had my neice get in the trunk and try locate it .. She thinks its the panel right up against the back seats but im not too sure, anywhere she put her hands it still didnt stop it.

 

And you let her back out without finding it??? What kind of lessons are you teaching her, to be a quitter???

 

Haha right!! Just to be clear I opened the back seats so she wasnt just stuck in the truck!! I wonder if the neighbors seeing her get in there hahaha

 

do you have a rear sunshade? i am hearing the rattle too. i feel like it could be from that

 

Yea but it's not that, that what I thought at first.. It's something in between the back seats and apparently it was a common issue.. They have to take out the seats and solder something in place..

 

I unfortunately can't help with a resolution on your rattle, but will at least put in some input on the same subject, I have a plastic-y sounding rattle in the front passenger area of my XF, and one thing I have noticed is that with expansion and contraction of plastic due to temperature changes, it appears when its really hot outside, the rattle is REALLY bad, as the outside temperatures cool down, the rattle sometimes completely goes away! Can't track it down though and can't reproduce it when parked

 

I hear this similar type of rattle from my rear passenger window area. It's a continuous plastic rattle and it started over the last few months. This is definitely different from the moonroof rattle, not sure where to look and how to fix.

 

I have a 2009 XF and I'm hearing a rattling plastic sound coming from above the back seats. Opened up both rear seats to expose the sound. It's not the trunk, but I believe it's above the trunk in the console above the rear seats. It sounds like a plastic bubbling something rolling around. It's loud. Does anyone know what I can do to solve the problem, without taking it to a mechanic. I don't want to start tearing it apart without knowing what I'm doing. Is there a loose part, or does something have to be tweaked?

 

Recently reported on another forum: Phantom interior rattle, especially from the rear, traced to blown/broken light globe in the rear light console rolling around in the console. Globe replaced and rattle banished. Diwoman, I reckon this is the first thing you should check, and the first simple check is to test if both rear reading lights are working or not.

 

I checked both of the lights as you suggested. Nothing broken and all in working order. I'm taking it to my mechanic tomorrow. I'm sure it will be "cha-ching, cha-ching", but it's driving me crazy!! If you put the back seats down it's definitely not coming from the trunk but above the rear seats. I hope he finds it. Thanks for your input. If anyone has any other ideas or knows what it might be, please chime in! I'm losing my marbles, because it sounds like popcorn!

 

SUCCESS!!! I'll start by saying that I have a detective for mechanic.
After much back and forth, he put his mechanic in the trunk with the seat backs down. They found the problem. The little plastic round clips that connect the lining to under the rear top were broken. He replaced them, and VOILA. No more bubbly rattle. He also suggested that I put some acoustic foam in between the area, so that it muffles anything. We haven't done that yet, but plan to. It's incredible. I could cry tears of joy. The sound was making me absolutely batty!!!

 

Glad to hear you got it solved. Hopefully your madness will make it much easier for others to diagnose future issues quickly.

 

nice find! i too have a rattle sound, i will check that area

 

I have a rattle from the right rear that surfaced after the TBS work to replace the gas tank fill neck.


I have looked and all my push pins are intact and good.


The noise is getting worse so hopefully I can pinpoint it soon and either fix it myself or have the warranty (dealer) fix it, depending on what I find.


BTW - I have already had both rear struts replaced due to leaking. Did not fix the rattle.