Matt B (fs)
Matt B (fs) UltraDork
10/27/22 2:41 p.m.

Apparently my standards a lower than most as the plastic fantastic interior of our '11 WRX has never really bothered me.  I do have a gripe though. When the stereo is turned up the front doors rattle with any modicum of bass.  This is of course normal for these cars so I'm assuming there's nothing to tighten or fix. 

I'm upgrading the speakers out which is only going to exacerbate the problem.  I'm thinking of applying some sort of lightly padded tape around the contact points between the plastic door cards and the metal door frame and cross my fingers.  It's going to need to be fairly thin because there's not a lot of clearance in most spots where the rattle could possibly happen.

What solutions have you guys used that worked for this? Here are a few I've considered.

  • Electrical tape: seems like a cheap short term solution. In my experience it'll just fall off after a couple of years.
  • Dynamat: I've heard of people doing this, but seems like overkill.  I'm not looking for significant sound deadening, just rattle-elimination.
  • Felt tape: Very thin, but might trap moisture. Something like this
  • Foam weatherstrip tape: Waterproof and not likely to wear out. Hopefully not too thick at 1/16 inches, but seems like the best option. Link
  • ???

 

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) MegaDork
10/27/22 6:16 p.m.

Take off the door panel and see if it still rattles, first and foremost.

If there are still some rattles, you should be able to find and mitigate them.  When you put the door panel back on, use new retainer clips, make sure they are all present, and you may need to put some foam rubber bumpers here and there around the edge to keep the panel under tension against the clips.

Matt B (fs)
Matt B (fs) UltraDork
10/28/22 10:36 a.m.

Great advice. I hadn't thought to test with the door panel off or use new retainer clips.

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