Mk5 Air Diffuser Rattle

[April]

So, I went into Burnsville VW a couple weeks ago to have them fix the center console air diffuser rattle in my car. Sadly, after around for a bit, I realized that the TSB fix they had done made absolutely no difference. Given my completely rational hatred of rattles, I decided to take things into my own hands and fix it myself. These images were taken from vwvortex; I just added some stuff - most notably, those aren't my hairy arms in the photos... just in case you were wondering.

Took my cheapo HF plastic trim tools and peeled up this piece in the front and the plastic bit in the back.


Then, pried up the air diffuser grill...


Once I got in there, I tried to suppress my anger, for the VW mechanic had not only broken both of these clips by trying to force the diffuser back in (I remember watching him try to force it at the dealership), but he also forgot to put the torx screw back in where the arrow points. Grrr!


Anyways, then I started cutting up some 3M velcro bits. I end up wasting half the container since I don't use the scratchy pads, but I find that the adhesive is stronger on the velcro pads than on the felt pads.

So, I put down a piece of padding everywhere the red blotches are. I used the diffuser as a pattern - you can see where the plastic grid crosses, and I put the pads down on those spots. I don't think these spots are where the rattle was coming from, but it definitely made the diffuser area feel a lot more solid when I reassembled it.


I then pulled up using in the direction of the arrows in the photo above and yanked that plastic bit out. It makes a pretty terrifying sound coming out, but was otherwise painless. I then put in pads underneath all the areas colored in with blue. This fixed almost all the flexing in the diffuser area, and is almost certainly where the rattle was.


After reversing the procedure, I drove down alleyway after alleyway to the blissful sound of the 2.0T. Mmmm, no more rattles.

[audivwdave]

Yeah I think I had this too. I put some foamy rubber stuff under things and tightened it down super hard. I havent heard anything from it since.

[magilson]

I had the rattle a few days after getting my car. I got so pissed that my brand new car already had a rattle that I slammed my fist down on the diffuser. Problem solved, apparently.

[audivwdave]

Yeah that too. Dont be afraid to smack stuff....it deserves it.

[SlimMJS]

dave, I remember you tearing the dash apart 13,000 times looking for the rattles!! hahaha

[April]

Just realized that one of the images in my past was missing. Argh! In any case, if I what I did hadn't fixed the rattle, I would have punched the stupid thing. Rattles make April go crazy!

[MisdemeanorMatt]

Once I got in there, I tried to suppress my anger, for the VW mechanic had not only broken both of these clips by trying to force the diffuser back in (I remember watching him try to force it at the dealership), but he also forgot to put the torx screw back in where the arrow points. Grrr!

But of course, you took it to burnsville, VW

[schwarz kaninchen]

Mine hasnt rattled since the day i got it, and ive taken my dash apart a few times. Its weird cause this is the first time ive heard of this part rattleing on out cars. The minnesota weather doesnt help either.