Rattle from the back, aka mystery rattle

Wanted to pass some information along. I had both Libbys in today for the recall and I had the dealer look for my rattle again in the rear. Appears to be my drivers side rear seat latch. It is not loose and it fits tight, but appears when conditions are just right it rattles like crazy! Jeep is trying to figure out how to fix it because it is not adjustable at the latch or the "loop".

Anyone else notice this in their ride?

Svc manager is a close friend of mine so I know he will do his best to identify a solution for it, I will let everyone know what fixes it when and if we get to that point. I did tell them that a new Libby would take care of the problem. (whistle)

Check your swing-gate bump stop. That was my rattle.

Perhaps a cause and a solution

My 2004 did not have a light over the rear seat like the 05's & 06's, so I added one. The light installed about a foot (11.5") in front of the cargo light, there was a flat spot in the headliner. I ran the wiring from the power point (cigarette lighter) in the cargo area. I was careful to zip tie my new wires to the existing wiring harness so they wouldn't flap around and make noise. But there was a horrible rattle. So yesterday I decided to undertake the project of taping down every inch of new wire that I ran. A little more work than I wanted to do, because I would have to take the trime pices off around the top and bottom of the swing gate and right rear passenger door, and all the weatherstipping, just to remove the interior panel on the passenger side of the cargo area.

I really wasn't in the mood to do all that for a rattle, so I checked some of the easier things it could have been. When I installed the light I left several extra inches of wire so I could pull the light down and replace the bulb if the situation ever arose. I just tucked the excess back under the headliner. I pulled the excess out to pull the wires tight and just let it rest about the light.

When I was putting the light back up in the headliner, I noticed that it hit the roof. The roof the is just bare metal and there is a raised part on the back of the light where the wires come in. I hade some foam tape, about 3/8" thick, and put on the metal just about the raised area of the light. Problem solved, and I didn't have to rip the interior out.

The light is held in by two tabs on opposide ends. To remove the light, there will be a slot (on the passenger side) of the lens. Insert a small screwdriver, the lens will swing down, causing one of the tabs to swing up and you will then be able to remove it from the headliner.

I hope this helps, I don't know what year your Jeep is and if you have a light over the rear seat. I know it's long and drawn out, but I'll get a full write up of the install, hopefully this week. I'll get some pics too.

Have checked the bump stops on the swig gate it it doesn't make a peep. We rode around in the back searching for the rattle. It is definately coming from the seat when it is latched. Seat down, no problem. Thanks for the pointer. I suspected the lift glass , then the swing gate, we even replaced a rattly tail light. But it always comes back. At it's the same sound. Been hard to pinpoint but I think we are o it now. Just not sure how to fix it since it isn't adjustable. I am concerned that the body is drilled slightly off where the seat mounts or the latch striker mounts. #-o

I have a strange rattle coming from the rear too. I'll have to check my seats. Thanks for the tip.

mystery noises

In my '03 I had a mystery rattle although it was more of squeek. If I pushed the Jeep up and down it would make the noise from the back. When I drove it it would squeek. Drove me nuts. I put lube on the rear window seal and rear door jam. Thought it would help but sound would come back. Frustration. If I remember right it ended up to be a loose rear seat hinge or catch. Mechanic tightened it down, and no problem since.

Thats a thought. I should tighten everything down too just to double check. I also accused the side panel in the driver side back as well, but it didn't pan out.

it is the seat dougbenn.

i have the same rattle, mine is the passenger side... only because the steering wheel is on the other side down here!

i fold the seat down, then slam it back up & that stops the rattle for a while. when it comes back i slam it again

Me too, slam the seat back into the locked position and it quits for a day or two. Annoying little rattle isnt it? I now just keep that seat folded down unless I need it for one of the kids. What a fix huh? Bet were not the only ones with this problem.

I have contemplated "adjusting" the loop to make it fit a little tighter. But I am not sure if the loop position or something internal to the latch mechanism is to blame.

DougBenn said:

Anyone else notice this in their ride?

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I can't believe it! I've heard that too, and it was driving me c-r-a-z-y.

So, it's the driver's seat, eh?

Mine is the rear seat on the driver's side.

don't know what the fix would be dougbenn... nothing in the latch looks adjustable, but i could be wrong.

my back seat is okay for a good couple of months or so before it needs another slamming, yours sounds worse.

have never been able to reproduce the rattle when i need it to rattle. it's really quite random... made me go nuts until i worked it out...lol

Re: mystery noises

maureen58 said:

In my '03 I had a mystery rattle although it was more of squeek. If I pushed the Jeep up and down it would make the noise from the back. When I drove it it would squeek. Drove me nuts. I put lube on the rear window seal and rear door jam. Thought it would help but sound would come back. Frustration. If I remember right it ended up to be a loose rear seat hinge or catch. Mechanic tightened it down, and no problem since.

Click to expand...

Well I had the exac t same thing....I wish i could explain it, but it was just soo difficult... I mean this is the smallest thing ever and probly the hardest thing to explain over the Internet.... But i Will try. I had a squeak everytime i jusped up and down on my Liberty....So i got under the jeep and lubed and messed around with just about everything. But towerds the back in the middle there is an Eye Screw and a wire with somtype of metal outside. Well everytime you jump up and down this eye screw and this wire thing seem to RUB? So i just put a lot of tape and some lube and miraculously it went away?!


Might help might not? But its hard to find

I have two rattles on occasion.

1 my rear gate will rattle if the latch is not kept lubed with lithium grease, I have a bad habit of cleaning all of it off and it will rattle.

2 this one was a mystery for a while until my 10 year old found it. The back seat has two seat belt latches side by side in the middle they can be pushed down in to the seat but in the up position they will touch and rattle making a sound like it is come from the rear. I push one of them down that way it quits.

Other than that the rear gate plastic did rattle but I replaced the plastic clips and it stopped.

Rear seat rattle

I've been noticing a rattle coming from the rear seat on the drivers side. I know it is something in the seat, only because I hear it when the seat is latched, then when I fold the seat down, the rattle is no more. Has anyone found a fix to this problem, or know the steps to fix it.

Thanks

I've had a rattle in the rear passenger side. Always thought it was the seat belt buckle vibrating against something. Being a Jeep, I tend to not notice the rattles much.

I went on a little adventure thru mud, lots of ruts, over a few big rocks, and a couple of downed tress, and you know what happened, YES that mystery rattle stop and has not come back since.

The past two times Ive came home from college, Ive been fixing noises.

The first time the rear gate started rattling, so I fixed that.

This past time, one of the rear e-brakes was rubbing just a tad(I adjusted them a week prior) and I was getting some kind of chirp everytime I hit a bump or took a turn, it was annoying the bajesus outta me. I figured it could of been the rear glass, so I cleaned the rubber along the top of it and put some silicone spray on it. Ohh, and the front sway bar bushings were making some noise but I dont care about that.

I just bought a 2004 Jeep Liberty Limited. There is a little, but extremely annoying rattle coming from the back, I suspect the rear gate. If I grab my spare tire and sort of wiggle and shove it around to get the gate to move I makes a noise, so I figure this is what is happening, but I need some advice on fixing this problem.

maureen58 said:

In my '03 I had a mystery rattle although it was more of squeek. If I pushed the Jeep up and down it would make the noise from the back. When I drove it it would squeek. Drove me nuts. I put lube on the rear window seal and rear door jam. Thought it would help but sound would come back. Frustration. If I remember right it ended up to be a loose rear seat hinge or catch. Mechanic tightened it down, and no problem since.

Click to expand...

Same thing! High pitched squeak. Drives me nuts!