Hi guys
have a 2003 4S,the sunroof has a rattle when i hit bumps,only does it when it is completely closed,if i tilt it or open it i dont hear it,i have checked everything i can see and cant figure what is the cause,any ideas,it is driving me nuts

 

Mine does it too. I've had it "repaired" multiple times, but it always comes back. I've found that if I don't open it for a while, it settles down and doesn't rattle as much.

 

Check if you may need to replace the sunroof felt; it may help a bit. my SR has a mild rattle, but after the Service tech mentioned taking apart the headliner and disassembly, I told him, "no thanks", if it's not broke, no need to go messing around with it.

 

I had the same issue on my 04, mine rattled when the sunfoof was open (sounded like a cable rattling against the shell, just behind the sunroof opening). dealer fixed it under my CPO warranty, but I noted it was only 1 hr of labor to fix.
No rattles now which I am pleased with as it was driving me crazy

 

It's a common issue on pretty much every car made by VW/Audi (and apparently Porsche) in the late 90s/early 2000s (along with bad window regulators).

There is no single cause but it's often the plastic guides for the roof breaking/wearing out.

 

You can fix it yourself by adding very small pieces of black foam with adheasive backing on each end and the center. Do a search, I did and another member did a write-up on how to do the fix. I did it exactly the way he wrote it and the rattle stopped. It took me 15 minutes.

 

Dealer fixed rattles in my Turbo's sun roof (for the 1st owner) by using thin pieces of felt.

Sorry but I do not know where the pieces were placed, but I managed to learn the tech had to ride in the car a few times and listen enough to pinpoint where the noises were coming from.

He got it right though for the car is quiet at 95K miles as it was at 10K miles when I bought it.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

Lift up on the headliner of the sunroof on the back corners. Chances are the rattle will quiet down. Place the felt or foam pieces where the overlap of the headliner of the sunroof rests. You do this by using the tilt of the sunroof control and nice and carefully place little rectangular pieces on the corners in the rear. Search it there is a writeup on it.

 

I had the same problem on my turbo and found a TSB that mentioned the Edge Protector missing and to replace it. Found it (the 996 part was replaced by the same part but with a 997 number : OEM-9975646467100. Ordered from pelican parts and installed with CA glue like the TSB said - no squeaks or rattles from the sun roof anymore!

 

Mine rattled for a year until the sunroof started make a loud clunk when I opened it. I stopped using it at that point and took it to the dealer before it broke outright. They replaced the motor: $1100. But it eliminated so many buzzes & rattles that were driving me crazy, I was glad to pay the money.

 

I have had this same problem for a while. Yesterday I finally tracked down the source of the rattle, and it was a really easy fix. (sorry, no pictures).

At the rear of the sunroof opening, there is a thin metal strip that goes all the way across the opening. It is sprung, so that when the roof is tilted up, the strip elevates a bit. No idea what the thing is for.

Anyway, this piece of metal has a rubber strip that runs along its edge. The rubber strip on mine had detached. It seems that the source of the rattle was the bare metal vibrating against the other metal components in the roof. I wonder if the rubber strip is there specifically to prohibit this rattle.

So, the easy fix is just to reattach the rubber strip to the edge of the metal piece. It's not a tight fit, so you may want to use some glue.

Hope this helps.

 

Look at the rear window deflector thing when the sunroof it pitched up - there should be a strip of rubber that resembles the squeegee part of a windshield wiper ("Edge protector"). If it's not there, the plastic deflector piece bumps against the metal sunroof - I found mine pushed way in the back of the headliner, apparently it slipped off at some point.

There's a TSB to fix that with some CA glue.

Edit: Looks like mjdavis, clorigo and myself are all talking about the same part.

 

...perfect description ' the squeegee rubber thing' . Went out this AM and voila it was 1/2 off. Ran a bead of black silicone in the rubber channel and pressed it back in place.

Many thanks.

Bill

 

I re-glued my squeegee, the dealer took the sroof apart thrice and allegedly replaced broken plastic clips, also they stuck bits of felt. Every time I go over something like uneven pavement or a railroad crossing, even at a crawl, it sounds as though the entire sroof is slapping against its moorings. Additionally, there is a light, ticking rattle that seems to be intermittent and varies with ambient temperature (less when it's really hot, which stands to reason as things expand to fit tighter). At this point I see only three un-tried solutions:

1. Stick bits of felt in my ears

2. Seal or weld the sroof permanently shut

3. Do what drivers of American cars have done for ages: get a louder stereo.

 

Yeah really annoying rattle! I was also glad to get rid of it! A squeegee - that does describe it well!