Hi folks. My otherwise perfect CS has developed a rattle and am hoping someone may be able to help me identify the cause and cure. On sharp bumps or bad roads I get what sounds like a plastic on plastic rattle, coming from the mid-back part of the car on the passenger side. It is not the trunk clunk, which I had fixed, nor does it come from the privacy screen, which I removed. It sounds like it could be the top of the storage compartment in back of the passenger seat, but I get the noise whether the top is closed or not, even when I insert a towel between the lid and the bin itself. Anyone have any idea what might be causing it?

Thanks much,

Steve

Someone else found that to be the oil filler cover. Worth checking.

Hey Steve,

I had a similar plastic on plastic type of "squeak" and it turned out to be the 3rd brake light. It has the tendency to vibrate at a certain resonant frequency and it was bugging the heck out of me. It took me quite a while to narrow down the problem but I'm so much happier that I have tackled that problem. I did see someone post on this site that their dealer replaced or did some modification because it was a known problem but I can't recall the specific details. You might want to do a search to find that thread.

I'm not sure if this is what you are experiencing but I thought I would mention my experience just in case we had similar problems.

Good luck!

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Tracy
San Jose, CA
2007 Cayman S
Artic Silver/Black

Thanks, guys. It is not the third brake light squeak - it is clearly a rattle coming from further forward in the car. It could be the oil filler door, though I checked that and it seemed secure. I'll check that out tomorrow.

Anyone had any issues with the storage compartments in back of the seats? This is probably the cheapest plastic in the car and the sound seems to be coming from that general area - just can't figure why I'd get the noise whether the cover is open or closed.

Thanks a million!

Steve

YS, I put some microfiber towels in those cubby holes for emegrency use and to dampen any plastic on plastic noise.

I have the same rattle but from the drivers side. If I recline my seat back too far apparently it places pressure on the plastic housing surrounding the storage compartment behind the seat and an annoying rattle ensues. I just move the seat back forward when I hear the rattle until the noise disappears.

Thanks for the ideas, guys. I will put some towels in the cubbys to see if that helps. It's not the seatback - I thought of that in my original attempt at diagnosis and it is not the cause in my car. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

Steve

Yell Sub...I seem to have exactly "your kind of rattle" , although mine is behind the passenger side (Left) of the car...

I took it to the dealers twice with no diagnosis...

If you notice, the lid on the little storage area behind the seats has four small rubber cushions ... They seem to get dislodged pretty easily.... Make sure you still have some of them on the lid ......

Mine has, but the rattle is still present.....

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Mine had a similar rattle on the driver's side, behind the B-pillar. It turned out to be a loose clip behind the plastic trim above the side window, a few inches behind the B-pillar. The dealer pulled all the interior parts out on that side, found the problem, and fixed it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I continue to have no luck "seeing" where the noise is coming from, so this explanation sounds like a real possibility.

I appreciate everyone weighing in here. What a great forum...

Steve

I have fixed mine. Gone through 3rd brake light, privacy screen, hatch etc but still there. Mine ended up being the metal piece between the front and rear fixed window that rattles below/behind where the seat belt comes out and sounds plasticy but it actually isnt.

Try this fix. When driving, hold onto the metal vertical upright in between the windows really hard, I pushed mine out against the windows and rattle disappears. If this works then unclip top cover on seatbelt and tighted the bolt holding the bottom of this metal piece in place....no more rattle. Did it on both left and right sides and both bolts were loose enough to cause rattle over undulating surfaces.

Easy to do, just follow your nose to bottom of that metal piece and tighten bolt

Good Luck

its probably the same as my rattle. when you are driving put pressure on the vertical black thing that the vertical part of the passenger window rests against. i bet you it goes away while your hand is pushing on it. drove me crazy until if figured it out.

These are great ideas, guys - thanks. I'll run through these tomorrow and hopefully resolve the issue once and for all.

Thanks!

Steve

My rattle was definately the oil filler lid. I only found it by driving w/ the lid open and the rattle went away. Closed it and it came back. An easy test to do. I have had some trouble getting it to stop and now just drive w/ it open all the time.
If this is your problem and you find an easy fix-share it!

Hello, Steve. After getting several noise problems fixed (or mostly fixed) in my Cayman S, another one recently appeared. It's very similar to what you've described, except it's sometimes definitely a squeak not a rattle. When I have it looked at I'll report back here.

For all the inherent excellence of these vehicles (I had similar problems in my former 987 Boxster), it's these little defects, the ones you endure at the edge of the main driving experience, that get me wondering whether Porsche can't do better or if they simply won't.

Snaxster

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2008 Boxster Black/Black/Sand Beige, 6-speed, PASM, 18" Boxster S wheels, Preferred Package Plus,
Sport Steering Wheel, Automatic Climate Control, Windstop, Hardtop, Porsche rubber floor mats,
deleted model designation, clear side markers, 3M clear bra, set of winter tires and wheels.