Hi all,
I solved all the squeaks, snaps and pops in my 2005 MCS JCW dash very easily. I complained to the dealer a couple years back and they pulled off all the front trim panels (3) and the side panels , hidden by the car doors and installed strips of felt tape. This did not solve the problem but caused more. Like loud snaps and pops when I hit expansion joints and cracks in the road. There was also a constant squeak from the glove box area. I finally decided this isn't rocket science and couldn't believe that BMW would design in so much noise. I removed the tach and the 3 trim panels and quickly identified the problem. When you push at any point on the dash pad or front panels it would creek in 3 or 4 places all over the place. Why? The felt tape they installed to quiet things just introduced stress (high spots) in the panels making the contact points higher pressure so the plastic to plastic would snap when flexed even the smallest bit. I thought about it and came up with the solution. The trim panel's edges lay in channels of the substructure and is a pure plastic to plastic contact. I removed all the felt the dealer installed so the panels fit flush and even as designed. But the P-P contact is still there. Here's the beauty part. I needed to put a barrier in place that would not be thick and introduce distortion. It can't be plastic or rubber, that would squeak too. Fluids won't work as they just get pushed aside at high pressure points. The solution was a very slick and abrasive resistant tape that is made for medical use. It is woven nylon and easy to mold, and very slick so not to catch clothes when used for medical purposes. It's made by 3M and called Durapore. I simply applied the tape around the entire perimeter of each of the 3 panels so that it wrapped over the edge, mostly on the backside and about an 1/8" on the painted side. When installed these edges fall into the substructure channels and don't show at all. I also put the tape over the metal clips that hold the panels in place. I also lined all the edges that contact P-P on the glove box assembly. The constant squeaker on the glove box is a 1"x1" tab that slides into a slot on the right side of the assembly. A simple strip of tape solved the problem. You can find squeaks by pushing on the panels and the flexing reveals the problem areas. The thin tape lets the parts move and flex but now the rubbing is not P-P but plastic to slick nylon tape. Slick like those disco-shirts from the 70's! Two other problem areas to look at are where the middle panel rubs the two trim bars on the side of the center console. The radiused out area of the panel can rub on these bar covers. Also the bottom of these trim bars sit in a pocket of rigid molded foam and flexing causes squeaks. Cover the contact areas in a single layer of this tape and no more noise. My car is now QUIET !!! I still have one rattle to fix. It sounds like a marble hopping in a plastic tray. It sounds like it's coming from everywhere depending on where you move your head. It only rattles over bumps. I found it and now need to devise a way to stop it. It's in the sun roof mechanism inside the roof. It's part of the track and arm mechanism and stops when the vent is open and under pressure but loose when it's all closed up.

Anyway, I can now press on any point on my dash, and no noise, no pops, no snaps, no squeaks!

Good luck,
davros99@sbcglobal.net

 

Sweet... I need to do the same here when it's cooler to work in.

Do you happen to know a good disassembly guide for the dash? My 2006 should be similar to your setup, I believe...

 

I just did a search and found posts that pointed out all the screws. But basically the 3 panels just snap into holes with square pegs with metal spring clips on them. The tach comes off with two screws and a plug. The trim panel on top of the steering column just snaps off. I used a plastic windshield gasket tool to pry/pop the panels out. You probably don't need to undo the top pad but I loosened up the dash cover but didn't remove it. I was searching for squeaks and they were all in the 3 panels. But there are two screws under the lip above the speedo, two behind each side cover, two on each side of the defroster vent, and two under trim covers on the center vent. Those covers are removed with a small screw driver in a slot seen on the edge of the rib shaped cover. But all my taping was on the three panels and the glove box assembly. Thats two screws L&R, two screws top edge and one in the center of the back , and unplug the light. It just slides out as a unit. Find all the contact points and that noisy tab on the right. My box door also had closed door rattle but some thin foam insulation tape took up that slack and holds the door firm when closed. And dont forget those verticle bar plastic trim covers, tops and bottoms. And a small piece of tape on each metal spring clip. Good luck. I'm so happy now. I hate rattles and squeaks. I've owned 3 BMW's and never a rattle.

 

i have the rattle that seems to come from the top of the speedo area - 2005 MCS. I have the chrono package, so it is the big center gauge. I do also have the chrome package.

The rattle seem to stop if I push on the top of the gauge or push down on the center top dash vent.

Do you think that a shot or 2 of WD40 would alleviate some of this, or no?

 

Hi Davross99, I have the same rattle at the back of the sunroof in the head area, coming mostly from the left hand (passenger side - RH drive in our country). I even remove the glass panel but still could not find the problem. Like you said it makes quite a noise but just a blip on the switch to slightly open it removes the rattle. I wish I can find this one, all other rattles have been cured and this one is VERY irritating! 04 JCW MCS - so this was not cured with the facelift. It is as if the mechanism needs tightening to keep tension when closed - if this makes sense. Somebody must have been able to solve this, it is a common sunroof problem?!

 

Great post, and great idea!
In case anyone was reading through your post and didn't see the secret buried in the middle of the paragraph - the product DavRos found that did the trick was called

3M Durapore

You can find it on Amazon at about $15 for 2" by 30 feet. I suppose you can probably also find it at one of those surgical supply stores they have near hospitals for people to pick up post-discharge supplies like crutches and stuff.

 

Davros, could you please, please post a brief picture set of instructions on how to do this?

 

I'm sorry I did not take any pictures while I worked it. If you remove the three panels you will easily see how their raw edges fit in the sub dash channels. By applying the tape to cover these edges and not show when installed, you got it. It keeps the edge from squeaking in the channel. And don't forget the trim on the center console bars. It sqeaks in the bottom pocket and at the center panel where there are radiused clearance cut outs. And the other killer is the tab on the right side of the glove box assembly. You must remove the whole thing to see it. Anywhere you push and hear noise while not driving, is a piece that needs tape. good luck

 

I just did this fix on my 5 piece dash and dash cover. All I can say is wow. After I tear down the console for my amplifier and line output converter install, I will use this tape on all plastic to plastic contact in the center console and by the shifter.

 

Paragraphs............

 

Your problem has probably already been found...but in case it hasn't, the noise you describe is probably coming from the two plastic 'wings' that pop up when your sunroof is open. When the roof is closed they just lay flat, and rattle against anything they hit. If you open your roof up and examine the 'wings' you will probably be able to see smooth spots on them where they have been rubbing. I solved mine with a couple strips of the felt with adhesive on them. Good luck, I know the noise can be some what distracting.

 

Hey,
I have a box of 20 of the 1/2" x 10yd rolls and 11 of the 1" x 10yd rolls- PM me and you can have a roll if you send a SASE (84 cents should do it). I can't wait to get rid of my squeaks...

 

Seriously... I hope the OP uses them in the future. I learned how in grammar school.

 

so far 65K squeek, rattle, and pop free miles from my dash.
the only rattle I get is from the overhead center light cover!

 

I took apart my dash even further than last time today. I got off the center gauge surround - the air vents are attached to it, the dash cover, airbag cover, the glovebox, and the rest of the dash pieces. I used a bit of eDead on the large bits of dash under the cover, as well as some on the cover itself.

For the 5 dash pieces, I put some eDead on the backside. Finally, I put nearly a whole other roll of durapore tape on damn near everything. As I was putting everthing back I put some eDead on the exterior of the glovebox to stop a rattle.

Now that is back together, everything feels really solid, expensive, and doesn't make any noise at all, no matter where I press or pound. Before with just durapore on the 5 dash pieces, the noises were reduced but not entirely eliminated. The test drive went well, and my interior was less jarred by my engine bushings than before.

 

You must be so proud.

Thanks for the detailed post davros99. I've bookmarked it for future reference. Don't have a lot of rattles yet on my '05, but I know I will soon now that the car lives in Brooklyn. I'm glad I'll have a way to combat them.

 

Great post! Thank you for the detailed educational experience.

 

Dear Davros99,
It's been 7 years since you wrote this post, but this week it's alive again for me at least. I followed your advice with the Durapore. I've disassembled everything in the dashboard, clock trims, panels, air vents, radio legs, gear stick console, etc wrapped with the tape, assembled back and... Peace. No sounds what so ever.
Then I did the most hard test: took two of my mates, both of them also have 2006 JCW R53, in a long ride across the city to pick their cars to the Workshop garage. Bounces, gaps, holes, and nothing! They both look at me with envy eyes and at some point the the only sound I heard was "I f@*# hate you and your car!" So test completed and approved! Thanks a lot for the post!

 

Glad this thread was bumped! I made a pretty big dent in my dash noise by jamming foam underneath everything, but it still occasionally squeaks a bit... I will have to try this next!

 

Stumbled on this thread from years ago..
I have an 07 R52 and its time to get the interior rattles to stop!
Can anyone share exactly where to to put the tape suggested in the posts above?
I'm cool with tear down and re-assembly of the whole car, but I'm not sure I want to just start taping stuff until I'm a little more confident of where it should go.
Does anyone have photos to help?
Thanks!

 

The design of a Vert is less structurally stiff and therefore anything in contact with the front windshield structure or tailgate is subject to more vibration. I was able to eliminate allot of rear rattles by applying rubber strips to the top of the body x-braces where they come in contact with the gas tank straps. I also took some old rubber roof that I had, cut some 2"x2" squares out, punched a 1/2" hole in the middle and then placed them where the front passenger side motor mount bolt sleeve goes through the frame so that the mount body was resting on rubber.

My front console pillars nor glove compartment rattles. The pillars are connected to the console via screws (two at the glove box and two on the opposite side that you gain access to via removing the panel below the steering wheel. IMO if the pillars are rattling then it is as the bottom where they rest into the frame that forms the shift lever panel that runs between the front seats.

After I installed a Dominator Cam, my toggle bank (windows, door locks etc) starting coming loose. I do have more low end vibration now but as I am pushing 240 BHP, a rattle is not that bad. I did take care of the toggle bank buy using some double sided tape where the rear of the toggle bank contacts the console frame.

I was chasing another rear rattle and during the search I found that on the driver side, below the rear window and behind the plastic trim, there are plugs that do move around. I used some rubber hose that I put between the plug and the body, then used snap ties to hold them in place. I also removed the tail gate lid. I found the rattle was actually the rear sway bar end pin connection, but I think the tailgate trim could be isolated better that I will do with some rubber cushion pads.

One of my "to do" items is to replace the harmonic dampener with an ATI. I don't think the ATI is the answer, but will be another portion of the process.

 

Dear Davros99, thank you for making my life better
I came across this tread 2 weeks ago, and yesterday, I finally found the time to remove the panels and apply some kind of isolation tape on the edges.

Cheers!
Lior

 

I ran the felt side of the velcro tape all under the dash, except near the airbag, when i took it to MINI back in the day in 2005, they used velcro felt tape and did all the corners.