I recently fixed the notorious window rattle problem on my 2G for the drivers side and wanted to do a thorough writeup because it seemed all the previous tutorials had missing pictures and steps. My drivers side rattled a tiny bit and I wanted it gone, so here is the fix.
Tools you will need:
-Phillips Screwdriver
-10mm socket
-12mm socket
-Hex wrench (do not know the size)
Step 1: Open the door of which you are going to fix the rattle
Step 2: Remove the (2) phillips screws holding the door panel on the rear side of the door panel.
Step 3: Remove the (2) phillips screws holding the door panel on the side toward the front of the car
Step 4: Remove the cap in the handle to reveal the phillips screw holding the door panel to the door frame, and the phillips screw underneath the cap.
Step 5: Open the interior door handle to reveal the phillips screw that you need to remove.
Step 6: Remove the handle surround by 'sliding' it towards the front of the car
Step 7: Now you will pull the door panel off the door. Starting from the bottom left corner of the panel. Slowly work your way around the bottom of the door panel popping the clips as you go.
Step 7: Pull the door panel away from the door. **SLOW DOWN, YOU NEED TO UNCLIP THE WINDOW SWITCH PLUG IF YOU HAVE POWER WINDOWS/LOCKS**
You can see the harness in this picture. The clip pulls straight down towards the ground away from the window switch box.
Step 8: Remove the door panel.
Step 9: Remove the speaker held on with (4) phillips screws. You can set this on the ground, the wires should be long enough.
**You will need to either remove the window switch box from the door in order to plug it back into the harness to raise/lower the window, or you can just have the door panel very close to the door and plug it in in order to use the switches, I suggest removing the window switch box from the door panel to make it easier to raise/lower the window with the door panel off**
Step 10: Looking through the hole that you just removed the speaker from, roll the window down enough so that it looks like mine did. You need to be able to reach a 10mm nut on this piece that is bolted to the lowest part of the window and connected to the window track.
Step 12: Using your 10mm socket, unbolt the metal piece shown below.
Once removed you can see that the window track slides in between this white piece of plastic.
Believe it or not, this white insert had completely fallen off of the metal bracket and was laying in the bottom of the interior door panel.
This is how I found it.
Now I'm using the glass as an example of how this piece makes such a racket. In the picture below, pretend the "glass" is the "window track". Without the plastic insert, like mine was, the glass rattles back and fourth between this piece. In most cases, the plastic piece is so worn down that it has a large enough gap to rattle back and fourth.
Depending on what you find with yours, you can figure out what to do. In my case I firstly, inserted the plastic back into the bracket and then squeezed the bracket together with a vice to close the gap in the plastic piece, resulting in a closer fit to the window track.
Once you fix this problem, repeat the steps in reverse to put your door back together and live life rattle free.
**IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER TO ENSURE YOUR WINDOW IS IN TIP TOP SHAPE AND WILL NOT RATTLE IN THE LEAST BIT, CONTINUE ON TO STEP 13 BELOW**
We are going to rejuvenate our felt window stoppers to back to OEM spec or better, because I do not want any rattles or the chance of rattle for a very long time.
Step 13: Remove the top window trim piece, this just pulls straight up and off the door.
Tools you will need:
-Phillips Screwdriver
-10mm socket
-12mm socket
-Hex wrench (do not know the size)
Step 1: Open the door of which you are going to fix the rattle
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Step 2: Remove the (2) phillips screws holding the door panel on the rear side of the door panel.
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Step 3: Remove the (2) phillips screws holding the door panel on the side toward the front of the car
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Step 4: Remove the cap in the handle to reveal the phillips screw holding the door panel to the door frame, and the phillips screw underneath the cap.
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You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Step 5: Open the interior door handle to reveal the phillips screw that you need to remove.
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Step 6: Remove the handle surround by 'sliding' it towards the front of the car
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Step 7: Now you will pull the door panel off the door. Starting from the bottom left corner of the panel. Slowly work your way around the bottom of the door panel popping the clips as you go.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Step 7: Pull the door panel away from the door. **SLOW DOWN, YOU NEED TO UNCLIP THE WINDOW SWITCH PLUG IF YOU HAVE POWER WINDOWS/LOCKS**
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You can see the harness in this picture. The clip pulls straight down towards the ground away from the window switch box.
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Step 8: Remove the door panel.
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Step 9: Remove the speaker held on with (4) phillips screws. You can set this on the ground, the wires should be long enough.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
**You will need to either remove the window switch box from the door in order to plug it back into the harness to raise/lower the window, or you can just have the door panel very close to the door and plug it in in order to use the switches, I suggest removing the window switch box from the door panel to make it easier to raise/lower the window with the door panel off**
Step 10: Looking through the hole that you just removed the speaker from, roll the window down enough so that it looks like mine did. You need to be able to reach a 10mm nut on this piece that is bolted to the lowest part of the window and connected to the window track.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Step 12: Using your 10mm socket, unbolt the metal piece shown below.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Once removed you can see that the window track slides in between this white piece of plastic.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Believe it or not, this white insert had completely fallen off of the metal bracket and was laying in the bottom of the interior door panel.
This is how I found it.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Now I'm using the glass as an example of how this piece makes such a racket. In the picture below, pretend the "glass" is the "window track". Without the plastic insert, like mine was, the glass rattles back and fourth between this piece. In most cases, the plastic piece is so worn down that it has a large enough gap to rattle back and fourth.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Depending on what you find with yours, you can figure out what to do. In my case I firstly, inserted the plastic back into the bracket and then squeezed the bracket together with a vice to close the gap in the plastic piece, resulting in a closer fit to the window track.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Once you fix this problem, repeat the steps in reverse to put your door back together and live life rattle free.
**IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER TO ENSURE YOUR WINDOW IS IN TIP TOP SHAPE AND WILL NOT RATTLE IN THE LEAST BIT, CONTINUE ON TO STEP 13 BELOW**
We are going to rejuvenate our felt window stoppers to back to OEM spec or better, because I do not want any rattles or the chance of rattle for a very long time.
Step 13: Remove the top window trim piece, this just pulls straight up and off the door.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.