Help...sunroof Rattle

[MikeP]

Need some advice, please. Today I took my car in for its 30 day inspection and also reported a rattle from the sunroof when it is open. The rattle seems to occur because of the way the wind comes into the opening. The noise is like a vibration, especially when the roof is about 3/4 open, all other windows closed and going about 25mph, the noise and pressure almost hurts your ears. I can relieve the pressure by opening a rear window, but the rattle does not stop.

I took a ride with a tech today and he said the rattle was indeed caused by air pressure and there is no adjustment for the sunroof when it is in the open position. I do use my sunroof a great deal and can't believe this is normal. Most all of my cars in the last 10 years have had sunroofs and none have rattled like this. The LS430 is perfection in every other way, I can't believe Lexus would have approved a design like this. Can anyone else with an LS430 confirm that your sunroof rattles when it is open? My next move is to ask to drive another LS430 to see if the sunroof acts the same way. If not, and there is no adjustment that can be made, I'm going to ask that it be replaced. What advice can you give me? Thanks.

Mike

[TMaxxTim]

This is actually common in most cars with sunroofs, just crack a back window about 1" and you'll notice it completely gone. My dad's escape does the same thing, and other cars I've test driven also do it, its not really a design flaw but something thats unavoidable.

Replacing it will do absolutely nothing, and I'm pretty confident another ls430 would do the same thing.

[92Lex]

Why dont you try one of those wind deflector things, not really my taste but may be yours.

[SW03ES]

I agree with Tim that is very common. Mine doesn't do it with the sunroof but it does if one of the rear windows is open.

[GRAND_LS 4]

Its more noticeable when i lower my wind deflector by hand, maybe your isnt adjusted right? Im talking about the small black plastic part running across your sunroof.

[MikeP]

Thanks guys for all your input. I can understand some wind buffeting, especially since the sunroof is so large, but I'm talking about a rattle also. When the sunroof is rattling, I can put light pressure on it and the rattle stops. Seriously, all my cars since 1972 (at least 20 in all) have had sunroofs and none have had a rattle as "normal". The tech checked the pop-up wind deflector and didn't say it was not working properly. Also, in the tech's defense, when we went for a test drive, the rattle was very minimal (as usual when you try to demonstrate a problem). I suppose the only way I will satisfy myself is to test another LS430 to see if the rattle can be duplicated. As I said in my original post, there is so much attention to detail in the design of the LS430, I can't believe this is normal.

Mike

[UCF3]

Thanks guys for all your input. I can understand some wind buffeting, especially since the sunroof is so large, but I'm talking about a rattle also. When the sunroof is rattling, I can put light pressure on it and the rattle stops. Seriously, all my cars since 1972 (at least 20 in all) have had sunroofs and none have had a rattle as "normal". The tech checked the pop-up wind deflector and didn't say it was not working properly. Also, in the tech's defense, when we went for a test drive, the rattle was very minimal (as usual when you try to demonstrate a problem). I suppose the only way I will satisfy myself is to test another LS430 to see if the rattle can be duplicated. As I said in my original post, there is so much attention to detail in the design of the LS430, I can't believe this is normal.

Mike

Wait, is it the sunroof glass or the sunroof shade that rattles? I think if the rattle continues after you've dropped the back window, then you should take it back. The pressure issue has been addressed, but the rattle hasn't.

[MikeP]

Wait, is it the sunroof glass or the sunroof shade that rattles? I think if the rattle continues after you've dropped the back window, then you should take it back. The pressure issue has been addressed, but the rattle hasn't.

Exactly. As far as I can tell, it is the sunroof, not the shade that rattles. When I put light pressure on the shade, the rattle continues, but with light pressure on the sunroof, the rattle stops. It's been impossible, while driving, to determine the location of the rattle, i.e front or rear of the sunroof. I would suspect if the rattle was from the rear, the sound would be more subdued because that part is above the headliner. I'm going to do some additional testing on the streets around the dealer so I can be sure I will be able to duplicate the rattle. It will save all of us some time.

Mike

[SW03ES]

I get a better picture of it now, I agree it doesn't sound normal...

[90LS400Lexus]

They should have kept the same "design" that the 90-94s had. I have never heard of any complaints of a rattling sunroof on the 90-00 models. My 1990, even at 233K, the sunroof has no rattles/vibrations. I wonder what they changed.....

[TMaxxTim]

Thats different, I bet something is just tapping, might be hard to find though but maybe they can retighten everything for you on the sunroof.

[wcoyjr@pclient.ml.com]

regarding sunroof rattles . I spent one year looking for the rattle on my 96 400 and I finally found it . The wind deflector pops up when the sunroof opens so to control the movement of the deflector at either end of the deflector two pins travel in a guide . The sunroof pushes on the guides to control the deflector . Mine had grease on the pins and when the grease finally wore off the pins rattled in the guides . It drove me crazy but the fix is easy . bILL

[MikeP]

Since the rattle was intermittent, I did some experimenting to see if there were factors that would always cause the rattle. I found that if I went exactly 25mph with the sunroof about 3/4 open, it would constantly vibrate and make the noise. Now that I was able to duplicate the problem, I made another appointment and brought my car in for service. I took a ride with a tech and he heard the sunroof. We then took another '04 LS430 for a drive and checked if it also had the vibrating rattle. It didn't. The tech called Lexus for direction since I was told there is no adjustment possible for the sunroof in the open position. Lexus approved replacing the entire sunroof assembly and it was ordered on Wednesday of this week. The Service Manager thought the parts would be in by today, so they removed the headliner to ready my car for the new sunroof installation. When the Service Manager asked the Parts Dept. to check the ETA of the parts, they were told Oct. 7. The Service Manager then called Lexus and asked them to check around for the parts to speed up the delivery. I got a call back and the Service Manager told me the parts would be in Monday or Tuesday of next week. Whichever day the parts arrive, they would install them the same day and have my car ready.

As much as I hated to leave my car at the dealer over the weekend, I thought it would be worse if they had to reinstall the headliner just to let me take the car for the weekend, then have to remove it again to install the new sunroof assembly. I'm really missing my car a lot :cries: but I guess when I pick it up early next week, it will feel like I'm taking delivery of it all over again. I just hope that when all the parts are reinstalled, other rattles aren't introduced. Except for the sunroof, I have not heard the smallest rattle anywhere else.

Mike

[99lsguy]

Good Diagnosis Mike!!!

As usual, one has to do it himself to convince the service department - (I could go into an entire essay about service...... <_< )

Good move keeping it at dealer........it should be made perfect!!

[90LS400Lexus]

Yes, it will be interesting to see if any other rattles crop up after the headliner is installed. I am sure many interior parts have to be removed and there is the chance that some panels may not be properly aligned or tightly in place.

When we had the major hail storm here in early May of 2002, my aunt had to have the headliner removed in her 2001 Nissan Altima (only 1 year old at the time, with 12K miles), because that is how they "work" the dents out of the top. The shop ended up breaking some clips/trim and had to re-order from Nissan. It took nearly 2 weeks for some of the parts to come in. Luckily, no rattles after the headliner was re-installed.