Buzz/rattle/vibration noise coming from passenger dash/pillar/glovebox area?

B

B Feelgood

Member
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Whenever I go over bumps, uneven road surfaces, or sometimes just at idle I get a noise coming from the passenger dash/pillar/glovebox area. It is not really a rattle, it sounds more like a "zzzzz" vibration noise and is very annoying. I remember reading that a few people had a similar noise come from around the vent area. Also remember seeing something about a loose parking brake cable that made noise. Any suggestions on what I can try or if this is a common complaint/noise?
 
long shot but...

the source of my annoying vibration noises in the car was actually sunglasses in the holder...
 
I have the same sound and I've been advised by another member that it's most likely the center dash speaker. The POS bose paper cone breaks down and does this occasional buzzing thing (at idle sometimes, at specific cruising RPM's) that makes you want to beat it into submission with a bat. Removing the speaker is an altogether different issue tho, any input on how to pull the speaker or does the dash have to come out?
 
[ST]You can gain access to the center speaker if you remove the radio console I believe.[/ST]

EDIT: I am wrong, just have to pop off the speaker grille

speaker.png
 
Damn, twice in one week, first the over head console removal, now the speaker grill removal......thanks again Jeff, going to check that damn speaker tonight!
 
Thanks for the instructions on that removal. Before I left work today I popped the grille cover off and completely removed the center speaker from the dash. The noise was present even with the center speaker completely removed. I started to feel around and press in on stuff trying to isolate the noise on the way home. Whenever I pressed hard on the passenger seat cushion wheere the seat controls are "as if I was trying to force/push the seat out the passenger door" the noise pretty much stopped! I am going to try and tighten the passenger seat bolts that hold it to the floor later this evening. Is there anything else on the passenger seat that can be tightened besides the 4 floor bolts?
 
Here is the seat diagram from the manual (I didn't see one for the passenger side, but they should be pretty similar)

front-seat.png
 
B Feelgood said:
Thanks for the instructions on that removal. Before I left work today I popped the grille cover off and completely removed the center speaker from the dash. The noise was present even with the center speaker completely removed. I started to feel around and press in on stuff trying to isolate the noise on the way home. Whenever I pressed hard on the passenger seat cushion wheere the seat controls are "as if I was trying to force/push the seat out the passenger door" the noise pretty much stopped! I am going to try and tighten the passenger seat bolts that hold it to the floor later this evening. Is there anything else on the passenger seat that can be tightened besides the 4 floor bolts?
Click to expand...

Cool, you are narrowing down your search. I removed my speaker at lunch, looking froward to the drive home to see if it makes the difference. Point in passing - See if you like the stereo better minus the center speaker. Some have said removing it improves the "sound stage", that the center speaker muddies up the stereo sound.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:44 PM ----------

Well, my tinny/buzzy/rattle WAS the speaker......Chedman suggested the center dash speaker as a potential source, I couldn't figure out how to remove it, FXlr8 steps up with a diagram, I remove the speaker in 3 minutes. INCREDIBLY annoying sound is now gone, gotta love iS.

Even better Humberto said some time ago that the stock system sounds better minus the center speaker, and yeah, less the speaker the sound stage is cleaner. Gonna toss that POS speaker and use the grill to mount my electronic antennae (minimal material interference and only glass above) so I can yank my stock antennae =)
 
Logan said:
Cool, you are narrowing down your search. I removed my speaker at lunch, looking froward to the drive home to see if it makes the difference. Point in passing - See if you like the stereo better minus the center speaker. Some have said removing it improves the "sound stage", that the center speaker muddies up the stereo sound.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:44 PM ----------

Well, my tinny/buzzy/rattle WAS the speaker......Chedman suggested the center dash speaker as a potential source, I couldn't figure out how to remove it, FXlr8 steps up with a diagram, I remove the speaker in 3 minutes. INCREDIBLY annoying sound is now gone, gotta love iS.

Even better Humberto said some time ago that the stock system sounds better minus the center speaker, and yeah, less the speaker the sound stage is cleaner. Gonna toss that POS speaker and use the grill to mount my electronic antennae (minimal material interference and only glass above) so I can yank my stock antennae =)
Click to expand...

Ha, my guess was right!

Could you visibly see if the speaker was bad? I didn't know it was that easy to pop off the center dash speaker grille cover!

Time to check -- and I'll be replacing mine with a better one from my local best buy most likely.
 
Logan said:
Cool, you are narrowing down your search. I removed my speaker at lunch, looking froward to the drive home to see if it makes the difference. Point in passing - See if you like the stereo better minus the center speaker. Some have said removing it improves the "sound stage", that the center speaker muddies up the stereo sound.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:44 PM ----------

Well, my tinny/buzzy/rattle WAS the speaker......Chedman suggested the center dash speaker as a potential source, I couldn't figure out how to remove it, FXlr8 steps up with a diagram, I remove the speaker in 3 minutes. INCREDIBLY annoying sound is now gone, gotta love iS.

Even better Humberto said some time ago that the stock system sounds better minus the center speaker, and yeah, less the speaker the sound stage is cleaner. Gonna toss that POS speaker and use the grill to mount my electronic antennae (minimal material interference and only glass above) so I can yank my stock antennae =)
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks for figuring that out. I will have to take mine out and see if it is the same problem...I sure hope so. I can't believe the sound is actually better without the speaker.
 
Chedman13 said:
Ha, my guess was right!

Could you visibly see if the speaker was bad? I didn't know it was that easy to pop off the center dash speaker grille cover!

Time to check -- and I'll be replacing mine with a better one from my local best buy most likely.
Click to expand...

Couldn't see that the speaker was bad, no noticeable tears in the cone or the rubber surround membrane but I am on day two of driving with the stereo off and its frigging heaven, no buzzzz.

---------- Post added at 05:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:58 PM ----------
drew855 said:
Awesome, thanks for figuring that out. I will have to take mine out and see if it is the same problem...I sure hope so. I can't believe the sound is actually better without the speaker.
Click to expand...

It's incredibly easy to check, both for the buzz and the sound layout. You can tell the center sound is missing but its not quality sound and the sound now comes from the four corners, excluding the bass that's where it should come from in a small environment IMO....maybe a better speaker might make a difference.....
 
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