[EmanueleUK]

Hi all, I have an i30 1.0 SE Nav.

The car is almost 3 and 23k miles on the clock.

Over the last few months, I have started hearing noise coming from the front pillars. The passenger one first, and the driver one too now.

I can see that the plastic covering the pillars is not very firm at the bottom and I believe that is the reason. If it is, though, I would not see an easy solution, as that would seem to be as a design fault.

Has anyone had the same problem?

[CraigB]

Not hard to remove the interior pillar covers, pull the rubber seal away and pop the cover off gently and check whether the bottom clip has popped off...or broken

[Lorian]

Mo click noises from the windscreen to go wit it, when the weather is cold?

[EmanueleUK]

I had the same problem with noises from the windscreen. It took me months and several visits to the dealer with no results to get the problem sorted. Eventually, I found a video of a guy in Germany who showed how o resolve the problem. It seems that the clicking noise seems to come from beneath the front wipers, where some plastic bits hit the bottom of the windscreen. I showed the video to the dealer and they managed to sort it that way. However, I cannot confirm that was the problem.

Link to the video: [How To] Knarzgeräusche beheben / Windshield Noise Fix am i30N - YouTube

[EmanueleUK]

Thanks, I would give it a try but, not being an expert, I would not want to cause more problems.

I have the annual servicing in March, so might mention is there?

[Lorian]

Aye, only if its related to the clicking scuttle clips then  its likely to go away as the weather warms up, until next winter....

[EmanueleUK]

You mean that there is no solution but to wait for summer?

[Lorian]

you can fix it anytime - or the dealer might be minded to do if for you - if its what causing your problem.  you need some rubber padding (bike innertube for example)

You remove the windscreen wipe arms (socket set) and then wiggle them.
pull out the scuttle cover plastic clips in the engine bay (flat screw driver)
Wrestle the scuttle cover out minding not to scrape paint or break then ends off it
pad the slots that the windscreen slots in to with some rubber
reassemble

There are videos somwhere of people doing this - try searching youtube

the PDe also has a common rattle (more of a buzz) from a loose wire in the headlining by the overhead light. probably not related to your noise.

[Lorian]

here is a good thread (elsewhere) if this is your issue

https://n-cars.net/forums/threads/how-to-dashboard-windshield-noise-fix.1935/

[EmanueleUK]

I had seen the videos as I had that problem too months ago. After I took the car to the dealer with the videos, they sorted it out.

This time the rattling noise comes from the pillars. It's like if the plastic of the pillar moves when the chassis flexes. Actually, if I press the plastic with fingers, I can see that is makes noise. It does not seem to be that sturdy. But it did not do that some time ago. What I cannot understand is the actual cause of the rattle, whether it is the pillar plastic hitting the side of the dashboard, something within the pillar not being firm or what.

[Lorian]

Are you sure the clips behind the pillar covers are pushed home fully? 

On the older i30s there used to be a bold that held them in now its just like a big popper.

Do you see a gap at the bottom?

Are the door rubbers properly overlapping those plastic covers?

They shouldn't move

[EmanueleUK]

I tried to remove the door rubbers on both sides on Friday and refitted them. Over friday and saturday, the noise on the driver side was gone. On the passenger side, it is still there. However, on that side, I also have some big rattling when on rough surfaces at low speed.

I think I could either mention to the dealier and have them dismantle that area with the risk of having the car returned with even more problems, or just live with it

[Snookes]

I find it interesting that removing and refitting the door rubbers seems to have fixed the problem, on the driver’s side at least.
Just a few years ago I had a new car with a rattle which I eventually traced to coming from the right side B pillar. Even lightly touching the seat belt height adjuster stopped the noise. On smooth road surfaces there was no rattle but on anything other than that, the rattle was there. I didn’t want the dealer trying to fix it so did my own research which led to door rubbers possibly being the cause. Although I doubted that, I did look into what I could apply to the door rubbers but didn’t want to use something that could harm the door rubbers. The one I thought was safest to use was Gummi Pflege Stift. I applied that to the driver’s door rubbers and much to my amazement, it worked ! The rattle was gone and never returned while I owned the car.

[Dazzler]

Gummi Pflege Stift.... that sure sounds like weird stuff! 

nextzett 91480615 'Gummi Pflege Stift' Rubber Care Stick - 3.4 fl. oz: Amazon.com.au: Automotive

[Lorian]

I tried to remove the door rubbers on both sides on Friday and refitted them. Over friday and saturday, the noise on the driver side was gone. On the passenger side, it is still there. However, on that side, I also have some big rattling when on rough surfaces at low speed.

There are two other places common "passenger side" rattles come from.

1)  When the rattle starts press up on the interior lights. does it stop? If so we know how to fix this. This rattle does sound like it is further away than it really is, towards the passenger side.

2) flip out the covers on the passenger grab handle above the door and give the screws a slight tweak tighter.

Regards

[mickd]

Winner!, good to see & hear of your result.  A few days of thinking and playing and you found the culprit   . 
Just imagine if you took it to the dealer?   

[EmanueleUK]

Thanks all. I repeated the process of removing the seal and refitting it on the passenger side and the noise from the plastic cover on the pillar seems better, though not gone. However, I fear there is something internally withint the pillar that rattles, as the noise keeps being quite strong. I do not want to remove the pillar cover, though, as there are the arbags in there too. God knows if I mess things up even further?

Is the gummi pflege a spray. Would you apply it inside the pillar cover?

[Snookes]

Thanks all. I repeated the process of removing the seal and refitting it on the passenger side and the noise from the plastic cover on the pillar seems better, though not gone. However, I fear there is something internally withint the pillar that rattles, as the noise keeps being quite strong. I do not want to remove the pillar cover, though, as there are the arbags in there too. God knows if I mess things up even further?

Is the gummi pflege a spray. Would you apply it inside the pillar cover?

The gummi pflege isn’t a spray. It comes in a small plastic bottle with an attached foam pad for applying the liquid. ( like some shoe polishes).
I am sure it is for applying to only rubber so I wouldn’t apply it to the inside pillar cover. It comes with instructions but it’s all pretty easy and straightforward. I applied it to the rubber seals on the door and the rubber seals on the car body around the door opening.