Is200 Problem - Suggestion Welcomed

[trevman]

Hi all,

I have this silly problem with my IS, as follows:

It sounds as though a screw, nut or even a coin is rolling around in a well of plastic behind the dash. It's not a rattle, but an object moving from side to side and back and forth with the movement of the car.

Here's the wierd thing, I can't tell where it's coming from. It's pretty loud and from the drivers seat it sounds like the passenger vent at the corner of the dash.

From the passengers seat it sounds like the vent on the drivers side corner.

If you put your head down in front of the centre console it sounds like the rear of the car.

If you sit in the back it sounds as though it's coming from the dash between the driver and centre console.

So I've had the out the glovebox, pollen filter, centre vents/tray, Air con controls, stereo, heated seat switches, instrument panel and steering cowling. I drove it like that and the noise is just the same. I've thumped all of the vent tubing hoping to hear something bounce around inside but nothing.

It's really starting to drive me mad now.

I've taken out all I can without removing the dash itself. I don'y wont to take it to the dealer as the labour charges will be huge.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS ?? Please, I'm Desperate :(

[Parthiban]

No idea what's going on there, but if you're in staffordshire, perhaps send a PM to Chris.S on here - works at Lexus Hanley and should be able to help you :)

[P38Aaron]

anything in your ash tray? side pockets? sunroof inner sliding thingy? have you got a standard stereo or an aftermarket? Is your bonnet holder up bar supported correctly?

[ChrisH]

Does the noise occur when accelerating and braking? or turning corners?

[trevman]

thanks for your replies,

I've emptied the ashtray, door cards and boot just in case. Stereo is standard, sunroof checked. Everything underbonnet is secure.

The noise will occur with any movement of the body ie/ when you first accelate or brake but mainly when turning corners or going over speed humps. Also if somebody stands outside and rocks the car it will do it. You can't hear it outside the car only inside, and it's very audible.

[Pumatron]

Hi, I had this noise on a clio phase 3 once, sounds very similar to what your describing, took ages to find it as well but turned out to be a piece of plastic in the bottom of the heater box (which is also plastic), I drilled a 12mm hole in the heater box and took a look inside with a torch and could see the plastic piece, retrieved it with a metal grabber and put a nice rubber grommet back in the hole...problem sorted. I would suggest that you lay with your head in the footwell of the passenger side and your feet up by the head rest and get someone to rock the car to see if you can locate it low down in the car. If you are having trouble locating noise why not get someone else to listen and make an opinion, having 'new ears' listen to a noise could shed light on its location. Other than that it sounds like strip,strip,strip until you have located it....i do feel for you as rattles and knocks etc drive me mad as well. :)

[chan_chung]

i had the same probs as you.. only when i changed my batt i found that there was water under the batt where the batt sits on its like a hole in the middle with water inside, so i soak up the water out and the sound from in inside was gone.. hope that helps

[Unitee]

Trevman,

I have exactly the same problem. Only noticed it really on acceleration ... sounds like something rolling around, does sound like water or possible as suggested some little plastic thingy. Does drive you bonkers. I think I'll try and lift out the bateery to see if any water is collecting.

My car is standard, so can't be any mods.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Try putting some tape or even cling film over all the vents and see if the moise quitens, if so take off one at a time to indicate the culprit. That's when the fun starts ;)

[trevman]

update. Over the weekend I had another go at finding the cause without success.

I drove with three other people in the car and everyone agrees it sounds like it's coming from behind the dash, but everbody seemed to think it was coming from a different part of the dash.

I lay down with my head in the passenger footwell but still couldn't tell, I also used a stethoscope to try and pin point the sound but I couldn't hear it anywhere with that.

It doesn't sound at all like water or plastic, it's heavier than that. If you get a 1p coin and slide it about on the plastic surface under the cup holder, you get the exact same sound. I can't help but thinking that somebody has put a coin down one of the vents and it has got lodged in a deep casm somewhere.

It's so annoying, I can't even drown it out with the radio.

Short of tipping the car upside down I can't think of anything else to do. :(

[jay m]

similr thing happened to me once with my old 306, turned out there was a screw loose in the vent for the windscreen and every time i went to go find it it hid in a corner, wasn't till i drove over a speed bump at 40 it jumped out lol.

Would't recomend this but worth checkin out everythin around that area as the noise came from a diffent place all the time which seems to be whats happening with you.

[trevman]

HOOOOOORAAAAARRRRRRRR :)

Finally I have found the cause of this pain in the @rse. Just days before having it booked in at Lexus.

Turns out it was nothing more than a small screw, which had fallen out from inside the interior light and was trapped there and constantly sliding about.

It's amazing how such a small thing can make such a loud noise, and after six people had tried to locate the origin of the noise nobody managed it. I found it by chance in the end.

Anyway the screw is back in place now and it seems wierd driving the car without the noise, I keep expecting to hear it at every turn.

Very happy, :)

[Continunity]

Another win for LOC :D

Glad its sorted mate :D

[Unregistered_User]

Result - relief at last then eh?

[trevman]

Result - relief at last then eh?

Yeah, I've never known such a simple thing cause such annoyance. The worst thing is when you can't find out what the cause is.

It's funny cus it's like driving a new car again. :)

[Unregistered_User]

Good good :)