tap tap tap what the hell is that

[alfonso]

Ok so when driving along all I could hear was a tapping sound , something like a wire hitting metal.
I had just installed a dual battery system, so is one of the wires hitting the body? Big no after many cable ties and cursing. Ok is it the suspension squeaking? jack up car clean and spray with silicone ,No not that either . OK is it the vinyl behind seat flimsy as it is , at this point I should explain I have a 2012 ute dx leaf sprung. After 3 months of tap tap tap and one lobotomy, I do most of my driving on dirt so I hate rattles the problem is solved. Turns out to be the air vents at back of seats they have little rubber flaps 4 of them and when you drive along flap flap flap .The faster you go the louder they get which is why I thought it was a wire or something . I took them out and put foam between the flaps and the external grate problem solved.........
Just wondering if this fix will affect the cabs ability to stop dust entering, are they just pressure vents.
Ps when I took out the vents I checked inside and there were about 6 small stones in there and some dust , the car has only done 16,000 km the bloody sill would be full after 300,000 .
So if you hear a tap flap tap this could be the culprit . Yours truly Anal Retentive

[Col.T]

G'day Alfie,
Interesting. I've never found a diagram of the air inlet piping on either of the models I've had.
Always thought that having the outside air inlet open and the fan running when on dusty roads SHOULD keep the cab pressurised and so keep dust out. Only question was always, where's the outside air coming from and is it loaded with crap. From what you're saying, with dust and pebbles right up in the system, what I thought may well be wrong.
Don't believe the vent flaps you're describing are on the wagon. Can't picture what they're for either. Surely they can't prevent outside air entering as that would defeat having the air inlet and fan. Maybe they work in reverse and allow excess air pressure to vent from the cab. If that's the case the way they hinge should give the clue. Bit surprised though that you've got dirt right back there.
Wish life wasn't stuffed full of mysteries though.
Let us know if you work the system out please.
Luck,
Col.
p.s. hope the retension problem works out, to coin a phrase.

[alfonso]

hey col the flaps go out so they are for pressure release . the problem Is that the flaps are too light and when air circulates around the cab they open and close letting dust and stones into the inside of the sill . Maybe there are a lot of people out there with annoying rattles and this is their problem.

[Robo]

Why dont you ask Mr Nissan if they are a warranty.
claim to him/her it's driving you nuts.
shouldn't have to put up with that.
just cleaned these out on inlaws truck, full of wasp nests. ouch!!
one way to stop em flapping about

[Cuppa]

Hey Alf, nip down here to Vic & check out my car will ya. I need your anal retentive detective skills. I have one similar noise to what you describe & have tried everthing to stop it.....unsuccessfully. It's not the vent, it's forward & left of the pasenger seat but I'm stuffed if I can find the cause. Several times I've been excited thinking I had it sorted, but no.

Cuppa

[rkinsey]

Hey Alf, nip down here to Vic & check out my car will ya. I need your anal retentive detective skills. I have one similar noise to what you describe & have tried everthing to stop it.....unsuccessfully. It's not the vent, it's forward & left of the pasenger seat but I'm stuffed if I can find the cause. Several times I've been excited thinking I had it sorted, but no.

Cuppa

Hey Cuppa, its not that boy scout you ran over the other week and is stuck up under the guard and he is tapping for you to get him out....!!??

[Cuppa]

Hey Cuppa, its not that boy scout you ran over the other week and is stuck up under the guard and he is tapping for you to get him out....!!??

Nah, I kicked him out, bloody hitch hikers! Has been going on for longer than that.

[alfonso]

hey cuppa maybe its the stones in the sill that I was saying I found when I took the vents out rattling on the metal id go park on a hill bounce the car a couple of times and take the vent out . I found a driver bit for a drill and vice grips worked best on the top screw . Also keep the vent out and go for a drive you never know I dismissed this as the issue at my peril until I got fair dinkum as the void inside the framework is quite large the sound is amplified And can shift making you think it is somewhere else . Alf

[threedogs]

@ Cuppa start a thread buddy we'll nut it out for you. lol

[alfonso]

we all hate the dreaded rattle hey threedogs

[alfonso]

just had a thought cuppa ,could it be that someone has changed or had a look at the speaker in door . Maybe they didn't fix the wire back properly . Or it could be a damaged air conditioning filter.

[Cuppa]

Sounds like a loose wire knocking on something when I go over rough road, I thought that the speaker wire was the most likely, but not so. It seems to be around that area though. Have had my wife trying to locate as I drive, but no success. Thought I'd found it when I had an inner wheelguard cover off, there was a prime candidate wire, wrapped a bit of foam around & was confident I'd finally found the cause, but again not so.

[alfonso]

I definatly now think its the stones in sill thing

[nissannewby]

Try removing the mud flaps and see what happens.

[Cuppa]

Changed mud flaps (& mountings) when I had the new tyres put on recently. The tapping precedes the wheel change.

Alf when you say in the sills do you mean underneath the strip of plastic which pulls off?

Cuppa

[nissannewby]

Sway bar links?

[alfonso]

If you take the vent out from behind the passenger seat outside of vehicle between pod and cab body there are two one on either side It is a little hard as gap between two is slight , they are fixed with 4 Philips head screws . Completely remove vents to expose void between inner and outer skin of main body , put your hand inside and have a feel around there will be all sorts of crap down there . Now hold up the vent next to your ear and give it a shake the four flaps made out of vinyl plastic slapping on the rigid plastic outer casing sound just like a wire tapping on metal . The two things I did was vacume out the void between the skins on main body and I then placed foam in each of the four cavities between the vinyl flaps and outer slat like vents locking the flaps against inner frame. my patrol is now quiet as a mouse . Hope this helps you as it did me cuppa Alf ps As I said my ute has only done 15000 km so god knows what a ute wich has done 100,000 ks has in there pps go for a drive with the vent out see how it sounds then

[NP99]

Something in or on tyre tread?