Hey all!

Don't know if there are people as **** as I am with rattles and creacks..just noticed a rattling noise coming from the dash..finally pin pointed it and the rattling goes away when I hold the shifter..

Now the shifter feels loose...

As any oneone experienced this..planning to go into this weekend..can't take the rattling anymore!

 

I'm not real sure what to tell you on this one but, I would recommend this...

Try removing the dash piece that covers the steering column. You can access where the shifter actually goes in and potentially be able to find something to tighten.

It's very easy to remove this piece. Just get a grip under it and pull up and back towards you. It's pretty easy. Good luck with that.

Not sure if you're under warranty still (I can't tell if it's an 01 or 02 or what your mileage is naturally) but, if you are, I'd let the stealership mess with it... just what I'd do.

Oh yeah, btw, speaking of your truck... VERY CLEAN... looks good! Gasp! Is that a Chevy on the other side of your garage!?! HAHA!

One more thing, I can totally relate to being **** about rattles and creaks. They drive me BONKERS (SOME CANDY! -- Anyone remeber those stupid commercials?)

RP

 

Hey RP,

Yes that is a chevy...but I have a good excuse for that..really..

it's my wife's car to haul the kids around

I worked for GM and was always a GM guy...I left GM a few years back and purchased 2 new vehicles under their employee purchase plan before I left...

The main reason I will no longer buy GM is the poor workmanship..I last vehicle I actually attempted to sue GM for the rattles and exessive noises, water leaks, etc etc...they attempted to fix it the waterleak numerous times and at one point the dealer had it for over a month! Ii the process of getting them to buy it back thru arbitration someone wanted to buy it...I lost my *** on the deal but it was worth not having to spend anymore time with arbitration hearings etc etc...

From that day I swore I would never buy GM again...

That Chevy is "marked" to be upgraded to a new expedition this fall..

My truck is a 2001 and it has 43K miles...I don't like the dealer touching my cars unless it's something major..I boiught the truck in 7/00 and it has been great! No complaints at all...except for this damn rattle..I will find it!

I will do what you recommend this weekend..it must be something loose as the noise has progressively gotten worse in the last couple of months..

Nice truck..how do you like the King Ranch..

 

Alpha,

I understand having a Chevrolet (especially from the stand point of 'room'). I owned one a few years ago myself and had a similar experience. Mine, a 1997 Blazer LT, was also a rattle trap, the fuel guage never worked right, and it would randomly fall into 4lo and 4hi ON IT'S OWN! Talk about getting your attention going 45mph down a city road and it dropping into 4lo on it's own. Lucky I didn't blow a tranny or eight. I had that vehicle 5 months and it was in the shop 2.5 of them. Sad thing, I wasn't the only person having the EXACT same problems. I, to this very day, get emails about my problems from people having the same ones with 96, 97, & 98 blazers.

I traded the Blazer in on an Explorer XLT loaded to the teeth. Loved it. Great vehicle and well manufactured by the fine folks here in Louisville, KY. I had to let the Explorer go when I ran across my KR though. I had never laid eyes on one until I saw this one and I fell, head over heels, in love with it. I bought it the day I saw it.

Thus far, I haven't had any problems (outside a few piddley things) and it's been an excellent truck. I'll definately buy another Ford and, like you, will never own anything GM ever again.

Good luck with that rattle! I feel your pain.

RP

 

Alpha,

It doesn't sound like you're the only one with this problem. Check the 'WARRANTY WORK' thread that I started. On the 3 or 4th page, B-MAN mentions a rattle in his column. I wonder if this is a problem that is a little more wide spread?

RP

 

Good eye, RP !! I do have the shifter rattling problem as well.

Alpha -

This is what I've found so far:

I took the column cover apart. First thing I noticed is that there is a rubber/plastic boot that is sealed to the shifter handle itself. It is affixed to the column via a little spring steel clip that is simply pressed down onto a little metal "tit" (for lack of a better word). Mine was loose so I used a large screwdriver and pressed it back down. This applies constant pressure onto the shifter handle, but does not cure the issue.

So, I then crawled under the dash with my MagLite, looking for anything that is loose. From what I can gather, there is a spring-loaded arm that the shifter pulls against when you change from Park to any other position (the spring pressure you feel as you move the shifter towards you) and it is not pushing fully back against the shifter mechanism. If you look and move the shifter back and forth, you can see something WAY UP in the bowels of the column moving. I think there is something broken inside there that has allowed slop into the whole mechanism.

However, I'm not positive because sometimes I hop in the truck and drive for a half-hour and it doesn't rattle at all. I've also noticed that if I lower the tilt to the absolute lowest position that it seems to reduce the rattle as well. I just don't like it that low and it blocks my view of the tach and speedo...

I have been postponing a trip to the dealer, hoping to see something both here and in the repair manual. I travel a lot and have not had time to dig any deeper into it yet. I may cry uncle if you don't post an amazing revelation after your investigation...

I know that a couple of folks replied that they have the same issue when I posted about it some time ago. Yours is the first incident I've seen since I posted, so I don't think it is too common a problem??

Please post any follow-up you can. I promise to do the same. This coming Sunday seems to be the day of dismantlement for me...

Good Luck !!!

 

Hey B man..

it's been awhile since I have been at the forum..

I did take the column piece out and inspected it..I didn't see anything out of the ordinary..I also took a look under the dash and could not pinpoint anything either.

I have been avoiding taking it to the dealer as well..

We just bought a new expedition for my wife and needs to go back in for new brakes..the brake dust is horrible! But that's another forum!

I will talk to the service manager to see what he thinks. I will also have my brother take a peek...he install car stereos and is very handy in working inside dashes..

The bummer part is while I was working in trying to find the rattle, I backed my truck in my garage to get enough lighting as I decided that this was a rainy day nothing to do day...anyway I accidentaly hit the garage door opener and the door came down just enough to put a 1" paint scrape right above the rear tail light. aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

That rattle is going to kill me!

I'll post the result with meeting with the service manager...I will fix it!

 

bump

Anyone been able to solve this problem?