Statman, could you attach a photo of what you are talking about? Dealing with a rattle currently and it is coming from the back door area but I haven't been able to isolate it. I would greatly appreciate it.

 

NoriGreenGX460, did you ever figure out what was causing your rattle?




Statman, could you attach a photo of what you are talking about? Dealing with a rattle currently and it is coming from the back door area but I haven't been able to isolate it. I would greatly appreciate it.


Sorry for the semi-double post. I saw NoriGreenGX460's post after I posted my question for Statman and thought I was just editing my initial post.

 

Check your toolbox sitting inside the rear door, also check if any of the tools inside is loose. I had to put a rag in front and at the back of mine, I really doubt its that part you are pointing in the photo.

And just out of my curiosity, is your rear shark tail antenna loose by any chance? there is a nut inside the headliner that holds it, maybe its loose from the factory? I really doubt it but could be..

 

Nope, I even took it to a second Lexus dealership and they couldn't find it either. Last thing I'm going to try is spending a weekend pulling the third row seats and all the rear panels to look for the rattle. Once everything is pulled I'm going to add resonix sound proofing to it for good measure.

If that doesn't work to get rid of the rattles I'm trading the thing in.

 

My 2015 had a rattle and I could not isolate the problem until one day happen to sit in rear when wife was driving. That day I found the rattle as it was coming the plastic shield in the left rear wheel well. I believe it got loose after the tech installed the OEM hitch. I am guessing because it started few days after that install. Used clear flex seal and no more rattle after that.

 

I am not laughing at your situation by no means. The rattle will put me in an asylum if I don't find it. I am laughing at your response, because it is the same as mine... although you are putting in a lot more effort than I think I will. I love how my GX just works and runs, but I'll trade it in on a new Armada Pro 4x that I have been eyeing up.

 

I don't have a photo, but you should be able to see the trunk door metal latch, rectangular shaped. It is what the mechanism in the door connects to. Just wrap it in electrical tape.

 

FINALLY fixed my rattle(s). The solution: Shin-Etsu silicone grease on all the door/window rubber.

I randomly came across a video mentioning Shin-Etsu grease, and how its not just for reconditioning weatherstripping and rubber, but it actually could solve some rattling issues with sunroofs and doors. Its cheap so I figured it was worth a shot.

I got some rubber cleaner/prep and cleaned all of the rubber stripping on the doors, then applied shin etsu grease to all of it, then let it dry.

When I drove an hour later, the rattles were 95% gone. I figured the 5% tiny bit of rattling I could still hear over certain bumps is because I missed some contact point or didn't apply enough of the stuff. I re-applied some to the back door where it sounded like it was coming from, and the noises were GONE.

If anyone else is having rattling issues they can't figure out this one is worth a try - worst case you end up with well-conditioned rubber seals that'll last longer and look better.

Here's the video I came across. I followed his directions to clean the seals and apply the Shin-Etsu:

 

Glad you were able to solve it! ShinEtsu is a legendary product. It was a total game changer when i discovered it.

Living in such a humid environment close to the ocean, the rubber seals on my vehicles take a beating. I’ve made it a habit to treat every seal especially the sunroof at least twice a year. It really does wonders for longevity and noise.

For anyone looking to grab some, be careful because there are several versions (like for HVAC systems) that look almost identical. Here is the correct one:

https://amzn.to/4rTuweV

By the way Ithere is a Toyota branded grease. If anyone here has used it, please drop a line and let us know how it compares to the shin etsu

https://amzn.to/4lNbi9x

 

So what's the theory here? The grease makes the rubber more compliant, allowing better vibration attenuation (lower frequencies) or other?

 

As far as i know the grease eliminates stick-slip friction the microscopic jerking that sounds like a rattle while restoring the rubber's viscoelastic ability to absorb vibrations as heat instead of transmitting them as noise.

 

Gotcha. I was thinking the rattle was "metallic" in nature. But yeah, rubber is visco-hysteretic, and if the grease helps it be that, then good things happen. The rubber acts as rubber and not plastic.

 

So I think you're both right, however its worth mentioning the rattling was actually metallic-sounding. I think the rubber was compressed or something to the point where metal was hitting metal somewhere on the barn door or rear passenger door during bumps, and greasing the seals dampened whatever contact points were the issue.

On my second coating of the barn door I actually applied too much grease, closed the door, and then opened it, and you could see where all these little contact points were marked with the white shin-etsu grease.

However it works, I think anyone with rattling issues should give it a shot

 

Speaking of damping, that dashpot strut rattles. The ball socket ends are the culprit on mine (mostly). Small cable ties tightened them enough to help via removing a degree of freedom.

 

Thank you for following up on this! I seem to have a very similar rattle that just started and it's exactly as you describe. It appears to be coming from the rear hatch or rear seat area and sounds metallic. I'll be ordering some of this stuff and will use it on the seals, contact points, etc.