question about car vibrations

[lildeez84 10+ year member]

ok, so i got a new system put in my car last week. and i noticed it rattled like crazy, so i dynamatted the whole car, doors and trunk... definitely eliminated the rattle, bass sounds so good now without overdoing it. but now i noticed there was still a rattle. i couldnt figure out what it was coming from.. low and behold it was my interior lights. like the light panel in the ceiling. when i hold the panel still it doesnt make the noise, but when i let it go it rattles... i can move it back and forth a little with my hands... does anyone know anyway i can tighten it? and if not. do you think if i took it to like my mechanic he would be able to tighten it? thanks for the input

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[audiobahnuser18 5,000+ posts]

what kind of car is it?

 

[lildeez84 10+ year member]

^its a 2000 mitsubishi eclipse

like i said, after the dynamat it sounds great, its just that stupid light panel in the ceiling. when i hold it down its fine.. iwas hoping it would screw in or something and i could screw it down tighter, but it doesnt.. so i dunno how to tighten it

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

did ya mat your ceiling? whats rattling against what?

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

ensolite can help reduce the rattle. Maybe a piece of gum if you are a cheap-***

 

[lildeez84 10+ year member]

nah didn't mat the ceiling, but im not sure that would help cause its not like there's metal rattling inside the ceiling, its the plastic light switch or whatever thats shaking back and forth. like if i hold it with my hand it stops... i was just wondering if there was something i could do to hold that in place.

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

you mean like an on off switch on the light itself rattling?

 

[lildeez84 10+ year member]

^ its the actual light panel.. not the on off switch.. like the actual casing for the whole light panel... like if i hold the sides of it in place it doesnt rattle. but when i let it go, it rattles, and i can move the whole unit a little bit back and forth with my hands.. i'm sure there has to be a way to tighten it in place somehow, i just don;t know how

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

not sure if i understand ya, pics would help but not really a good time ot go snap pics hehe. umm find out what its rattling against, casing to light, or console to metal, whatever, and just get something in between em or something. Anything that will stop two things hard coming in contact with each other sohuld help.

 

[j3bus2k3 5,000+ posts]

Do you really need it? Just remove it and get your headliner redone. Places around here do headliners for $75...

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

I would use some sort of matting where the screws meet. Rub your finger around the perimeter and see where it stops when pressure is applied. Apply your favorite matting there.

 

[lildeez84 10+ year member]

k, ill check in the morning on the way to work. its too dark out now

i mean no matter where i hold it, it stops rattling.. and i dont see any screws... but then again i cant see whats behind the headliner so who knows.. i would dynamat the roof too, but id be pissed if i did that, and it didnt help.

 

[Flipx99 5,000+ posts]

You can use silicon on the screws as well.

 

[lildeez84 10+ year member]

silicone on the screws? i don't see any screws, im assuming they are under the headliner and hidden from view? i guess i'd have to get under the headliner or something.. and even then, just put silicon around them?

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

You should be able to disassemble the light unit without removing the headliner. In fact I think you have to take it off in order to get the headliner out.

On my car I just had to pop off the plastic reflector type cover off with a screwdriver and remove the bulb, then the screws were on either side of the bulb. Take it out and have a look, you probably just need to tighten it down really well, or perhaps use a very light layer of something to keep the hard surfaces from directly contacting.