Door Rattles

Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm assuming the leather is from an aftermarket kit? As I don't believe they were available with leather seats, at least in models available in the US. If aftermarket and not installed by a pro or maybe they reused some of the old clips - could cause the panel to loosen up over time.

Could try removing the paneling, though it may make the sound worse - could be as simple as a weakened clip holding the panel to the door or a loose or missing vapor barrier, could also be the back of the panel touching something on the dooor, or even something loose inside the door (window regulator, wiring, loose trim, etc.)

Hi Fish, thanks for the welcome and for replying. The leather was actually a factory option from my understanding. I don't think it's real leather as it feels like leatherette. I looked at other used '04 Corollas with leather so I'm assuming (and hoping) it's not aftermarket.

So the panel is held to the frame with clips, does that mean it's relatively easy to take off? I'd like to pop it off and check for myself, but would I need to replace the clips after taking the panel off (if they're single use)? If you're aware of any instructions or anything online I'd love to be directed towards them. Or, perhaps this process is documented in a third-party repair manual (like Haynes) or something.

Thanks!

So the panel is held to the frame with clips, does that mean it's relatively easy to take off? I'd like to pop it off and check for myself, but would I need to replace the clips after taking the panel off (if they're single use)? If you're aware of any instructions or anything online I'd love to be directed towards them. Or, perhaps this process is documented in a third-party repair manual (like Haynes) or something.

the clips are not single use ,but they are kind of hard to release without damaging the panel or the clips unless you slide something between the panel and the door frame like the tool made for removing them.don't just pull them apart. it looks like a slim jim for breaking into cars. i think harbor freight sells one.a small pry bar like the ones used for trim molding will work too.

the door handle, the arm rest must be removed first. your rattle is probably a lock mechanism rod or a window regulator. should be easy yo see once the panel is off.

I think the rattling is probably inside the door and is the rod that goes to the door handle.

To fix it you will have to take off the door panel.

First unscrew the armrest (two screws) and then use a special tool to take off the window crank.

It is available at most auto part stores - it pops the clip off holding the handle on.

Then you have to slide the door handle so that it pops away from the door.

If you have electric windows and power door locks, it is different.

You will have to pop the panel off and then rotate it, so the door handle goes in the panel hole.

You can tape the rod to the plastic liner, or put a clip or two on it, so it will not rattle.

Put it all back together and it will be fine.

Let me know if you have any trouble with it.

Hope this helps.

Might be that the P.O. swapped leather interior out of a destroyed donor car?

And when it was done, scratched or broke something behind the door trim.

I agree with Fish & Bike. Most likely that something mechanical behind the door is rattling. Not the actual trim itself.

good luck!

tdk.

Wow, thanks for all the great feedback guys, I really appreciate it.

It seems the next best move for me would be to take the panel off and see what's going on. I can't tell if it's potentially missing clips, or if it's something inside the door, but I'm leaning toward the latter. When I push on the door as it's rattling, the rattling actually gets louder and worse (more constant/frequent, like it's pushing against something). It makes me think that there's something just on the other side that's vibrating against the door panel, so that would tend to support a few opinions here. After I take a look at things I can see if it is missing clips.

I'm really surprised that the leather is an aftermarket job, but then again did Corollas ever come with heated seats either? Because my Corolla has them on the front two seats, and they work great. Perhaps that's what necessitated getting the new interior, or vice versa and because he was getting heated seats installed he decided to get leather too. I will never know. The switch is located on the panel where the power plug is located, so maybe that's custom too? If the seats are custom, they look great and I can't tell. Here's a few pictures:

Corolla Interior 1

Corolla Interior 2

*Edited because it won't let me show direct images for some reason, or maybe I'm just stupid...

That's all good information to know, I didn't know there was such a large market for car interiors. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The leather is pretty decent and the heated seats work like a charm, but if they ever break that may be fun to fix. I'm going to pry off the door in a few days and I'll get back to you guys with the results.

A couple questions, too, if you can answer them (you guys have experience and knowledge so forgive me for wanting to take advantage of them). There's a few things I've noticed on my car since I got it and I was curious to know your opinions. First of all, the Corolla idles at about 2k RPM when it first starts after being cold all night. It doesn't seem high to me but I thought I'd ask because it's about 500-700 RPM faster than my old car (a 1999 Malibu, POS edition -- piece of snip). Also, every once in a while and particularly after I've been driving, when I get out of the car or into it the suspension squeaks slightly. It doesn't happen 100% of the time and it's not very loud but I'm not sure what the problem might be. Maybe this is common.

Thanks guys, I appreciate your help!

After seeing the pictures of your cars interior, I can tell that my description on how to take the panel off is not correct.

You will probably have to pop off the top of the armrest and look for screws under them.

You will also have to unscrew the door handle and take that off as well.

The panel should have several fasteners that will need to be popped off to get the panel off.

I think you will find that the rattle is from something inside the door and not from the panel itself.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Nice leather interior!!

Most cars will idle higher when the engine is cold - part of the computerized warm-up process.

Suspension squeeks depend on shocks/struts/springs. Might be temperature related.

Probably not a major concern.

Thanks for your help guys, I thought I would do a follow up to share my experiences. The good news: I fixed the rattle! Since I couldn't find any decent tutorials on the internet about fixing these door rattles, I decided to create my own. I also posted it at 9thGenCorolla.com, but here it is for you guys too.

Thanks again!

-M

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If you have interior door rattles and want to fix them, I diagnosed and fixed mine this afternoon. It's pretty easy so I'm not sure why I'm posting this, but I was a bit scared to pop off my door panel. People here don't seem shy to play with their cars but hopefully I can encourage someone less confident to do the same. Rattles are annoying and make driving my Corolla less enjoyable. Now they're fixed!

Two things: I have a 2004 Corolla S with leather trim and power windows. Secondly, the directions are almost identical to the Hayne's manual but with better pictures and more explanation.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0627.jpg

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0629.jpg

1) Disconnect your negative terminal from your battery.

2) If you don't have a trim removal tool or thin putty knife, you can do what I did. Take the end of a large flat head screwdriver and tape it a few times. I used duct tape because it was handy. Taping it will help prevent scratches on the plastic.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0630.jpg

3) Gently pry off the power window switch panel using your trim tool. It doesn't take a lot of force as it's only held on by one clip.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0632.jpg

4) Disconnect the power connector from the window switch. I had to use pliers to gently wiggle it out of the connector.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0633.jpg

5) Inside the door handle you will find a small plastic cover that can be swung open by a flat head screwdriver. Open the cover and remove the screw.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0637.jpg

6) Using your trim tool, pry the arm rest off by working around the edge. It's attached by two clips and might require some force.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0639.jpg

7) After you've removed the arm rest, two screws will be exposed. Remove and set them aside.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0641.jpg

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0642.jpg

8) The door is now only being held on by 7 clips. Using your trim tool, start at the bottom of the door and work your way around until you've released all 7 of the clips. These don't take very much force to release.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0643.jpg

9) Once the clips have been released, the bottom of the panel will be loose from the door. At this point the panel is just hanging by a lip near the edge of the window. To remove the panel, simply lift it upwards.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0644.jpg

Once the door panel is off, you can inspect it thoroughly and get a feel for what could be causing your rattling. In my case, there were a few factors for consideration. First, one of the 7 clips fell out of the bottom of my door during the removal process because it wasn't connected. That was a possible source for the rattle since the panel wasn't properly attached to the door.

Secondly, my car has custom interior (which was probably the cause for the push-type clip being loose). This meant that the trim panel wasn't properly secured. The trim panel attaches to the door panel with 9 screws and washers. On a whopping 4 of my screws were loose to the point that I could spin the washers. Once I tightened them all, the rattle was gone and could be verified by hitting the door panel while holding it in my hand.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0646.jpg

Here is the trim panel screws with the washers that were really loose on my car:

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0653.jpg

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0652.jpg

There are other potential sources of rattling. On cars equipped with power windows, the cables are retained to the door by wiring clips. Check these to see if they're loose as there's many potential locations where rattling could occur. The cables for the door handle and door lock are also potential sources of rattling because they're in very close proximity to the metal on the door.

https://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/M...os/IMG_0648.jpg

Reverse all the steps and put it back together. It took me 45 minutes from start to finish to take the panel off, diagnose and fix the problem, and put it back on. Just don't forget to plug your battery back in.

-M

Excellent pictures and detail on the entire process.

Hopefully it will help someone who is timid, to give it a try.

It is amazing how simple a job is, especially after you have done it.

Self-help produces some good satisfaction and also confidence.

You probably saved yourself about $100 that a dealer might have charged.

That is a good incentive!

Never too late to congratulate. Great write up and clear pics!