Resolving squeaks & rattles

[Error404]

I'm on a mission to silence my interior.

I'm not sure if its due to age, but all of the interior plastics seems to squeak and groan more than they used to. I'm sure lower profile tyres and stiffer spring rates don't help, nor the state of the roads these days!

I am pretty fastidious about the correct fixings and I'm sure that I have replaced all of the screws and clips (where available ) with new as things have been apart over the years.

I think most of the squeaks seem to come from the pillar trims - have you guys got any bright ideas how to stop these from squeaking?

I've noticed my seat bases are creaking quite a bit so I think the electric adjustment mechanism needs stripping down & greasing.

The parcel shelf seems to rattle quite a bit - can't get to the bottom of how/why?

The centre console squeaks too.

All in all it adds up to quite a cacophony of irritation at town speeds and it must stop!
Audis are supposed to be quiet and civilised

Anyone got any BTDT or helpful ideas before I tear into it?

[LHD_Kid]

When you manage to quieten it all, I'll book you for a month and you can come and do mine!

The worst creaks and squeaks on mine come from the centre console - where it joins to the main body of the dash by the aux gauges. I've tried silicon grease, felt ( which helped) but it still makes a noise. You can feel it moving if you rest your fingers on the join...

I agree a stiffer general setup doesn't help...

I found some silicon based rubber and vinyl lubricant helped on my boot and door trim / seal squeaks and careful adjustment and lubrication of lock and stops on the tailgate managed to quiten the boot (have to clean and regularly re-lubricate stops to keep it quite)

Good luck......!!!!!!

[recurveandy]

On the c4 cars, there is cloth tape to the inside edges to a lot of the trims, where they might rub together

[irishs2]

Felt pads and cloth loom tape did wonders for stopping a lot of the plastic on plastic squeaks in the coupe. Never let any two bits of trim touch without a bit of cloth tape between them. I have been addressing this in more detail on the avant as I go.

[Error404]

Good call I have a couple rolls of cloth tape
Maybe a solution to the pillar trims is to get them trimmed in Alcantara

[A80Avant]

I have also covered all pillars with fake black alcantara. Looks nice and eliminates pillar squeaks.

The felt tape is helpful but needs careful fitment so as you don't see it everywhere

[macspring]

As others have already said.

The factory felt tape tends to fall away / get throw away by previous parties having been there before you. They also tend to leave out the 'odd' nut / screw which does make a difference because they don't 'care' like we do.

I know this is not the same but, on mk 1 Golfs they can be got not to have a dash squeak by putting felt tape on the four dash brackets on the steel of the body that the dash clips mount into. The other 'trick' was to push a length of black rubber pipe along the top of the leading edge of the dash and the bottom of the windscreen.

Buy a couple of rolls and be generous with it's use when reassembling interior stuff.

I seem to recall on my S2 that the outer edge of the inner seat squab would 'rub' / squeak on the centre console and so a smear of vaseline does the trick. This can also be the case with the seat belt receivers beside the centre transmission tunnel.

My C4 with 57k miles on it and H&Rs with 35 series doesn't squeak as no one has ever taken the interior apart. The same with my 110k miles S2 Avant.

Audi didn't make them with any squeaks, they didn't squeak when they were new, so it can be done, and it is worth chasing them down as the car is so sweet without them.

One squeak the C4 did have recently was a squeaking clutch pedal. It is really complicated and tight up there, more so than an S2. The cure seemed to be to tighten the two allen head bolts that secure the hydraulic cylinder. Thank goodness it turned out to be that easy.

If anyone can be **** enough to get it right it has to be yourself Alex.

I'm sorry my replies are always so long and wordy.

In summary - felt tape / vaseline / every nut and screw that is supposed to be re-used, also use black zips to further tighten things up.

HTH.

[macspring]

I have been addressing this in more detail on the avant as I go.

Glad to see you're continuing to 'enjoy' your S2.

Will you be updating your build thread, I feel I need a fix / more impressive posts.

[macspring]

Maybe a solution to the pillar trims is to get them trimmed in Alcantara

In black Alcantara would be a good upgrade past the RS2 spec standard. for the various A, B, C, (D) pillars.

[Error404]

I've just ordered some self adhesive closed cell foam to line the rear of all the pillar trims. I'm going to try and use some felt tape on the mating surfaces and see if that helps.

I just remembered AndyP's solution to broken tabs on the A-pillar trims

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=736509&highlight=pillar#post736509

[AndyP]

Hmmm must get round to fitting those

[irishs2]

Glad to see you're continuing to 'enjoy' your S2.

Will you be updating your build thread, I feel I need a fix / more impressive posts.

Yep, was working on it today and will be doing more tomorrow. Nice getting back into it but a bit slow finding my tools again lol

[nip]

I'm going to use loom tape when I put it all back together again , on every panel where plastics guide on to the body

[A80Avant]

Got pillars I have a 2nd set of all of them as I got anxious of non available parts about 5 years ago. So I have accumulated spares for the odd occasions such as when refitting the roof.

Just by using black cloth on the pillars eliminates all squeaks though.

[Error404]

So any ideas on silencing the parcel shelf? I wondered whether the spring mounts & clips for it were just worn and could do with being replaced?