my attempt at the fuel line rattle

[plac]

The TSB pics arent even that good, and i couldnt find many write ups with pics.

First, I removed this really long plastic plate under the car. like 4 feet long. 8 nuts total. The nuts dont come off, they just loosen, and stay in the plate. You also have a mini-plate near the front of that panel you remove first, which has mini torx screws.

Then when you remove that big panel, you see the fuel lines running in the frame rail underneath.

So this pic is left to right, back of car towards front. Just to the left of my pic at those lines is the fuel filter. So the lines go up towards engine, and then into that metal tunnel you see. The first possible noise point I saw was the lines tapping up against the metal they were resting on. so I inserted some bubble wrap there for a buffer, taped it down. I wish i had foam, but i made do.



Then if you follow that tunnel up towards the engine, there is a oval hole where you can see up into it. THIS is the proper fix area. The fuel lines are loose from that oval hole up to the engine, and they slap on the frame rail the whole way up. (Hence the sound is heard behind the glove box).




Since I didnt have foam, I again used bubble wrap for now, really tight in there. Not gonna fall out, but i can get it out if needed. You just shove something soft up in hole as tight as you can. Use a one piece buffer so you can take it back out someday. Don't stuff styrafoam peanuts in there!

This fix solved my rattle on my 2006 GTI. It again solved my rattle on my 2008 GTI a couple years later.

[wes]

does this rattle sound like a clicking coming from the rear seats/trunk?? I've been getting something like this at random in the past few days in my rabbit...the clicking speeds up and slows down, usually when at idle, but sometimes while i'm moving...

[plac]

naw.

this one sounds like its coming from the glove compartment. cuz the lines run under it to the engine. And the bottom hole is where they rattle. then it resonates up past the glovebox.

but this noise def is nothing to do with the rear.

[Moose]

I think mine's starting to do this when its cold... never had the problem with it in the summer.

[plac]

well my idle rattle hasnt come back yet. maybe this worked a bit.

[CalBoyTex]

bubble wrap is madeof extremely thin plastic... when the engine bay gets hott... wouldnt the plastic bubble wrap melt?

[plac]

no, this wrap is no where near a hot area.

[absoluteczech]

you wont have rattles you'll have popping now lol

[HACBassoon]

Hate to bring up a dead post, but Im curious. I have two rattles that seem to come from the dash. One is very constant, like a good 4 or 5 times a second, that ONLY happens at idle. AC has no effect on it. I have another that happens every 5-10 secs, seems fairly random, but only happens when AC is on. Please help!

[335 Trojan]

The 5 times a second one is prob the upper dash vent. The one that can be replaced by the dash tray (which takes away the rattle supposedly).

[HACBassoon]

I thought that, but I kinda have that one too. If I push on the top vent, it will stop. The fast one that I was talking about isnt effected by pushing on it. Sorry, but thanks for your help. For the first 10k miles, I was rattle free, now I have like 3. Ugh.

[MHS216]

Originally Posted by Moose

I think mine's starting to do this when its cold... never had the problem with it in the summer.

I just hit 13k miles and just got the rattle as well. I feel like it might be related to cold too. It's been in the single digits for temp. recently at night, and it literally just started when the cold weather came.

[fastfast]

Heck yeah I got to 10K miles and BAM, some wierd rattle that sounds like it's coming from behind the glove box. It's a quick rattle, and only when I'm at idle. Has anyone figured out what that rattle is and how to fix it? Sorry if the answer is in another forum; I'm just too busy to search right now... Thanks

2006 GTI 6speed

[newmk5]

After 4 trips to three dealers to have a rattle at the passenger floorboard when the engine idling fixed, I got to work on google and diagnosed that it was probably the fuel line rattling. When I went to the dealer today and told them I suspected this, they found a technical bulletin whose description is "fuel line resonance perceived as rattling noise from passenger side floor/dash area." The number is 20 06 04. This is an update to an earlier tech bulletin from March 30, 2006!!! I really wonder how exactly these guys "diagnose" these days. I mean all the arguements I've had with service reps who have insisted on changing other parts (including the serpintine belt tensioner) and tightning bolts inside the car when from the beginning I've said the sound is at the floorboard, and is louder if I climb under the car and listen in this same area!! Hope this helps. I was freaking out because I am at 11,000 miles, and they were telling me the warranty only covers squeaks and rattles (not described in a service bulletin) for the first 12,000 miles, and after that it would be on my dime.

[plac]

Fixed this on my 2008 today. Totally stoked.

[GTI_GRL]

yes, i realize this is an old post, but im looking for answers so i dont re-post. SOOO, im looking for some help...

i have an '07. i've had a rattling noise before...but it kinda died down. just this week, the noise is getting louder! it seems to be the same as what everyone is having: rattling under/near glove box. BUT i have noticed, the rattle happens when the car is at idle AND when the A/C is off. could if be the same issues as above?!

[plac]

Originally Posted by GTI_GRL

yes, i realize this is an old post, but im looking for answers so i dont re-post. SOOO, im looking for some help...

i have an '07. i've had a rattling noise before...but it kinda died down. just this week, the noise is getting louder! it seems to be the same as what everyone is having: rattling under/near glove box. BUT i have noticed, the rattle happens when the car is at idle AND when the A/C is off. could if be the same issues as above?!

you'll only know when you fix that issue and find out. only takes 15-20 mins.

[plac]

I made some edits to this to make it clearer.

[ShutItDown]

Originally Posted by wes

does this rattle sound like a clicking coming from the rear seats/trunk?? I've been getting something like this at random in the past few days in my rabbit...the clicking speeds up and slows down, usually when at idle, but sometimes while i'm moving...

HOLY CRAP! I have this same problem! I forget about it until it happens every now and then. I hope someone has an answer for it. I'm glad there are others experiencing this same problem and I'm not going crazy.

[quickblack_06]

Originally Posted by HACBassoon

I thought that, but I kinda have that one too. If I push on the top vent, it will stop. The fast one that I was talking about isnt effected by pushing on it. Sorry, but thanks for your help. For the first 10k miles, I was rattle free, now I have like 3. Ugh.

I have 3 rattles as well. The fuel line is one...I know what it is, I just haven't fixed it yet. Sounds like rattling from the glovebox.

Number 2 is the center top airvent...and it is very minor. And doesn't do it very often. I'm thinking about getting the storage cubby to replace it, but it's not that bad, so I dunno.


Number 3 I think I just figured out today. It sounded like it was coming from somehere inside the center of the dash. Fast rattle, very annoying...and was occuring during 75% of my driving. I had tried different things like changing where the fan was blowing, etc, but didn't stumble across the solution until today when I closed the center vents. I had always left the center vents open for airflow, even when I had the blower on my feet. Today, I closed the two center vents, and the rattle 90% dissappeared. I can still barely hear it...but I think that something in the vent mechanism was making the sound whenever the vents were in the open position.

[NoIfCustoms]

Originally Posted by ShutItDown

HOLY CRAP! I have this same problem! I forget about it until it happens every now and then. I hope someone has an answer for it. I'm glad there are others experiencing this same problem and I'm not going crazy.

not sure if you found your answer or not. It's the car self testing the Evap/return system for the fuel. Weirded me out the first few times I heard it. Very sparatic, and almost like a count down. I did this fix today but needed more foam. Can definitely tell I am on the right track though.

Also, 1/4" socket with a long 10mm, and pull the 2 torx if you want. no jack needed. Honestly if you feel you have to have a jack under it, take the car in to the shop. My 8 year old can do this