Sun roof rattle

[NMBruce]

I tilt the sunroof and put this on then let it sit and apply daily for a few days. Keep it dry and in garage. Helps.

nextzett 91480615 'Gummi Pflege Stift' Rubber Care Stick - 3.4 fl. oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B8GTQG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5dX3AbCHYJ1PK

I have used that for the last 4 years, every spring in places where clothes might touch and Honda Shin-Etsu grease where I need longer rubber protection. I have used the Honda stuffs for about 10 years. Makes rubber last longer, I also You the Honda stuff on CV boots
https://www.amazon.com/Honda-Genuine-Shin-Etsu-Grease/dp/B006Z9TZ9M

Used the Gummi stuff all over the SLK rubber, there’s a lot for the hard top convertible

 

[nakman]

No worries about leaks or is this a slight adjustment that doesnt really effect the seal?

it is a fair concern, but for me I'm not worried about it. Hoping the swelled rubber would offset any change in the seal. that, and it doesn't rain too much out here.

 

[Sleepy]

Adjusting that screw definitely helped. Thanks!

 

[GonzoShinyPants]

Hi guys, quick question on this. The 2nd piece of plastic trim that you remove, it seems very secure on mine, like it's glued on or maybe has double sided tape. Can anyone verify how that 2nd piece was attached? I have an 09. The first piece came off no problem, but I can't access the front screw with that 2nd piece still on there. On the side I'm working on so far, I can access the rear screw, but just barely and if I needed to slide it up any higher I wouldn't be able to with that 2nd piece of trim still there. Thanks!

So I am in the same camp- can push up on the sunroof to make it rattle, and it got worse when I installed the roof rack. My theory is the wind was pushing down on the glass a little, which was dampening the rattle.. then adding the fairing took that wind away. My other theory is the wind is wrapping up and over the fairing, and creating turbulence on the glass. In either case, I think the real issue is a worn gasket that surrounds the glass, coupled with worn tracks that just don't close the glass as tight as they used to.

So I fixed this today. Started by removing two plastic trim pieces from each side.. just pull them gently and they come off. That exposes 2 T-25 Torx screws per side.. remove those and you can take the glass out. which I did, but ultimately wasn't necessary. What I did discover is the large through hole those screws go through, providing a wide range of adjustment for the glass. So I repositioned the glass at a new, "higher" setting, which I think puts it on a new spot in the gasket. That actually did the trick, I drove around and no more rattle.

I was also reading on a 4Runner forum about someone who just uses the "tilt up" feature to take the slack out of the tracks, so that is also a good tip here had I figured that one out earlier I may have not even dug into the mechanism. So try moving the glass up, see if that makes a difference for you... here are a couple of pictures showing the screw, and the area of adjustment, hope that helps.

View attachment 1683482 View attachment 1683483

 

[runningdrew]

What does the rattle sound like for everyone? An actual rattle or a high pitched squeak? My sunroof was silent until it broke and I fixed it. Then I had a very annoying high pitch squeak on the passenger side of the sunroof rail/assembly. I could easily reproduce it by pushing up on the glass. It was bad. I poked around a bit tonight to find the cause and ended up popping the velcro tabs down on the headliner and shoving some rolled up bubble wrap up in the headliner. Popped the velcro tabs back in place and seemed to solve it..... Hope it lasts.

You can see the rolled up bubble wrap shoved in there, ha.

 

[James C]

Mine was like metal knocking on metal. It was so bad it made me worried the whole thing was going to fall on my head, and no amount of pushing up on it would silence it. I never tried to figure out what was making the noise when I modified mine.

High-pitch squeak sounds more like something's rubbing. Glad you fixed it!

 

[doc_random]

Hi guys, quick question on this. The 2nd piece of plastic trim that you remove, it seems very secure on mine, like it's glued on or maybe has double sided tape. Can anyone verify how that 2nd piece was attached? I have an 09. The first piece came off no problem, but I can't access the front screw with that 2nd piece still on there. On the side I'm working on so far, I can access the rear screw, but just barely and if I needed to slide it up any higher I wouldn't be able to with that 2nd piece of trim still there. Thanks!

Just did the two steps to this fix on my 2007 4Runner and its working so far. The 2nd plastic piece is harder to get off and it felt like it might break. But mine did not. I started from the rear using a screwdriver and pried slowly. At the rear and front are arrow shaped clips, in the middle there is are two cups that grab the bottom of the metal.
I used plumber's grease, which is waterproof and good to 350'F. Cleaned and greased the tracks with the moon roof open to the back. Cleaned and lightly greased the rubber seal all around.
**Dabbed some

grease on the flat surfaces to stop the rattle.

Then with the moon roof popped up removed the plastic, adjusted the glass upwards using the T25 bit. Mine were in pretty tight. Used a small channel lock to give me more torque.

With the 1st cover off, the rail it attaches to can be moved forward and back to clean and grease the track.

 

[isthatalexus]

Hi, I'm a Neanderthal and therefore not very sophisticated. Much respect to doc-rando for the great instructions and annotated pictures above; you should probably do that. Since I did not have the patience to fiddle with the greasy bits, I used what I call 'the topical fix.'

Patient: 2006 GX470 w/ my beloved KDSS
Site Notes: ARB full basket roof rack

Symptom: mechanical-sounding sun roof rattle, especially pronounced when driving on even lightly uneven surfaces, as well as at speeds in excess of ~30 mph. Noise can be manually replicated by gently bumping under side of sun roof from the interior of the vehicle.
Annoyance Level: on a scale of 17 to potato, this rattle was an Ikea

Hypothesis: some jiggly metal thing getting jigglier with age, and rattle significantly increased because of wind buffeting due to roof rack messing with factory aerodynamics (something something venturi effect something)

Experiment 1 Test: use some super strong flexible magnetic material (SSFMM) to cover sun roof from the outside (roof). Measured sun roof. Purchased literal super strong flexible magnetic material from our commerce overlords in 24"x 60" size. Waited anxiously on the front porch for 24 hours. Cleaned the metal around the glass a few times. Received, unpacked, cut, and installed SSFMM.
Experiment 1 Result: rattle virtually completely gone.

Experiment 2: did not do; solution achieved 'good enough' engineering status

Follow-up Optimization: the sun roof glass sits ever so slightly lower than the roof, so while the SSFMM had plenty of purchase on the metal for hearty and lasting contact, the portion of SSFMM that covered the glass had a slight depression. Not a uuge issue, but worthy of some engineering time to pull out that little extra bit of aerodynamics to improve fuel economy. Something, after all, has to make up for the bull bar and roof basket on the brick. (NB: no improvement in fuel economy was noted after this mod) I removed the SSFMM and placed a thin, cut-to-size sheet of packing material directly on top of the glass, cleaned the metal edges again, and reinstalled the SSFMM. (Note: during SSFMM removal, a small corner of the magnetic material pulled away from the SSFMM and remained stuck to the metal/paint on the roof. Remnants promptly removed. Thoughts of long-term implications quickly and deliberately suppressed.)

Outcomes: no more rattle; SSFMM no longer depressed; everybody happy.
Unexpected side-effect: I now have the rooftop equivalent of that cool sticker people put on their hoods, but in white

Final Thoughts: I live in Arizona and spend most of my time staying out of the sun, so sun roof is not used. The Topical Fix™ with SSFMM was not as messy as replacing the glass with drywall. Yes, I know, ventilation and all. But I'm going to use the muchly powerful Nav-integrated AC until either AC or Nav screen die. OMGyougotthenavOneTerribleideaDude! Disclaimer: it's your paint job, so read many internets if you think this might perma-ugly the roof rim around your sun hole.

 

[runningdrew]

Purchase is my new favorite word.
I watch too much Aussie Man Reviews.
You're welcome.

 

[runningdrew]

I didn't have a rattle, but after dropping the while headliner tonfix a jammed sun roof track last Nov. I've had a constant squeek in my roof. Finally opened it back up last night and found the bolt on the sun roof unit I forgot to tighten down. Squeek gone.

 

[MNGX]

I love everything about the magnet sticker. I'm not gonna do it but I love it.

 

[isthatalexus]

I love everything about the magnet sticker. I'm not gonna do it but I love it.

Update to MagnaStick5000 approach: if you leave this non-adhesive magnet sheet on long enough, the non-adhesive properties convert to maniacal adhesion. Everything 'buffed right out' in the end, but there were some serious pucker moments when it was unclear if I had inadvertently summoned some chemical bond demon. I removed the roof rack to properly wash and wax the roof, at which time I also took the magnet off, in case you were wondering. I have not reapplied the magnet, and the rattle is back full-time. Might try just to fix it properly...IDK.

 

[GXO]

I'm probably going to get a whole new sunroof assembly later this year. I owe it to the truck for all the abuse lol

 

[Alain1020]

I know this is an old thread but I'd just chime in. I had the same issue the last few months where when I'd hit a bump or uneven roads I get that rattle from the sunroof and it just got louder. Thought about following the good advice here to remove the side plastic trim pieces which cover the rails, loosen the T-25 torx bolt and readjust the glass. I was afraid to remove the plastic trims so this is what I did instead. I set the sunroof glass on tilt mode, loosened the T-25 bolt one on each side, pushed the glass up from the rear as high as high as the bracket adjustment would allow it to raise and I tightened it real snug. Went to the driver side this time and did the same. Drove around my neighborhood on the street that usually causes the rattles and it fixed it. Saved me a trip to the dealer and from breaking any plastic pieces. Good luck.

 

[ogsuv]

I just did this adjustment too and based on the first test drive is seems to be successful.

I highly recommend using a T25 socket. I started with a torx bit on the end of a screwdriver and almost stripped the driver side bolt. I dug a little deeper in my toolbox and found I owned a craftsman set of torx sockets. Broke the semi-stripped head loose with no problem at all.

 

[Alain1020]

I just did this adjustment too and based on the first test drive is seems to be successful.

I highly recommend using a T25 socket. I started with a torx bit on the end of a screwdriver and almost stripped the driver side bolt. I dug a little deeper in my toolbox and found I owned a craftsman set of torx sockets. Broke the semi-stripped head loose with no problem at all.

What exactly did you do? Did you loosen torx lift glass and tighten or did you actually remove the glass? I posted above you that my fix worked but unfortunately it didn’t last long.

View attachment 2850101

 

[Alain1020]

I know this is an old thread but I'd just chime in. I had the same issue the last few months where when I'd hit a bump or uneven roads I get that rattle from the sunroof and it just got louder. Thought about following the good advice here to remove the side plastic trim pieces which cover the rails, loosen the T-25 torx bolt and readjust the glass. I was afraid to remove the plastic trims so this is what I did instead. I set the sunroof glass on tilt mode, loosened the T-25 bolt one on each side, pushed the glass up from the rear as high as high as the bracket adjustment would allow it to raise and I tightened it real snug. Went to the driver side this time and did the same. Drove around my neighborhood on the street that usually causes the rattles and it fixed it. Saved me a trip to the dealer and from breaking any plastic pieces. Good luck.

Edit: My fix didn’t last long maybe only a few days. I’m thinking it might be the runner seal that does around the sunroof. Unfortunately I went to Lexus and they said they only sell it with the glass for $758. I’ll order elsewhere and see if it helps

 

[Jstawgn]

This rattle seems to come from the gasket that shrink and harden. I successfully get rid of this by putting a couple layer of gorilla tape around the perimeter of the glass.

Unfortunately Toyota decide that it's not feasible for most customer or even mechanic to replace the rubber seal on the field. It only comes as complete glass assembly P/N 63201-60081. It cost about $500-600

There is a vendor on aliexpress that sells replacement seals. It still cost about $100 and I cannot find any documentation of anybody successfully use it to replace OEM seals.

113.79€ 15% OFF|Voor Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 120 LC120 150 LC150 2003 2019 Rubber Zwarte Auto Dak Zonnedak Afdichting Strip Waterdicht strip|Afdichtingen voor auto's| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

 

[ogsuv]

What exactly did you do? Did you loosen torx lift glass and tighten or did you actually remove the glass? I posted above you that my fix worked but unfortunately it didn’t last long.

Yes, exactly. I did not remove the glass. I just loosened the back bolts and shifted glass as high as it could go. will continue to hit the seal with this stuff too. It is not 100% quiet yet, I'll keep trying other things people have mentioned.

 

[morbs gx]

Hi gang, recent GX owner here. I've noticed the rattle when the sunroof isn't properly closed, and then I noticed another issue which is that I don't think I even know how to properly close the sunroof to begin with. :embarassed: Sounds dumb I know, my other car just has a dial I twist to a "close" position, in the GX however it's like I have to release the button just at the right time or I'm stuck fiddling between tilt and open a couple times. Am I doing it wrong? I must be doing it wrong..