Job Aid
November 2019

Version 3

Noise Issues Part 1- Identification
INTRODUCTION
Next to intermittent electrical issues, rattles and squeaks are probably the most difficult issues to troubleshoot. When we
asked the best rattle and squeak technicians to name their biggest challenges, they consistently named two difficulty
areas:
•

Duplicating the noise.

•

Isolating the source of the suspected noise.

They also mentioned that in some cases, they repaired a different noise than the one shown on the RO. They also
wasted time in disassembly while tracing the source of the noise.
This resource guide is designed to address these concerns by providing specific troubleshooting techniques to isolate
and repair vehicle rattles and squeaks.
OVERVIEW
There are two rattle and squeak issues, language and location.
Language refers to finding a descriptive word for abnormal noises. For example, one person may call a noise a rattle,
while another person says it is a clunking noise.
This issue is magnified when we add the service advisor to the information loop. Both the service advisor and customer
are probably not technically oriented, so they don't use the same language as technicians.
Location refers to identifying the correct noise. In some cases, technicians repair a different noise than the one listed in
the R.O. This occurs because people hear the same rattle or squeak differently. Every person's hearing is sensitive to
different frequencies, and as people get older, they may lose their ability to hear high frequencies.
In many cars, the technician can hear several abnormal noises while driving the vehicle. Depending on the issues, the
noise complaint on the R. O. may be barely audible over other noises.
To address language and location issues, we recommend driving the car with the customer present to help hear and
identify the noise issue. If a test drive with the customer isn't possible, we've included a chart designed to help improve
communication. You can use it to help standardize body noise names, and to gather hints regarding the sources of
various noises.

©

2019 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. — All Rights Reserved

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NOISE NAMES
Noise Name

Sounds Like

Banging

Slamming a wooden screen door

Bonging

Striking a large gong

Booming

Distant thunder

Buzzing

A swarm of bees

Chafing

Rubbing dry hands together

Chattering

Wiper sweeping a dry windshield

Chirping

A cricket

Clacking

A railroad car rolling down the track

Clanging

A cow bell or triangle

Clanking

Dropping a wrench on concrete

Clapping

Clapping hands

Clashing

Striking cymbals together

Clattering

Dropping wood blocks on a concrete floor

Clicking

Flipping a switch on and off

Clinking

Empty bottles hitting each other

Clunking

Pushing a solid wood door closed

Cracking

Breaking a tree branch

Crackling

Logs burning in a fireplace

Creaking

Opening a rusty hinge

Croaking

A bullfrog calling

Crunching

Walking on gravel

Droning

A prop plane flying in the distance

Drumming

Fingers drumming on a desk.

Fluttering

A flag flapping in the wind

Grating

Raking a shovel over pavement

Grinding

A running garbage disposal

Groaning

Stepping on a loose floorboard

Growling

A dog expressing displeasure

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Noise Name

Sounds Like

Gurgling

Water flowing in a pipe

Hissing

Air leaking from a tire

Hooting

An owl call

Howling

Wind blowing through a door gap

Humming

An energized transformer

Jingling

Loose coins in a pocket

Knocking

Knuckles rapping on a door

Moaning

Saxophone playing a low note

Oil-canning

Flexing a metal sheet

Pattering

Rain Drops on a window pane

Pinging

Marbles rolling around in a can

Popping

Opening a champagne bottle

Pounding

Slamming your fist on a desktop

Rapping

A gavel striking a sound block

Rattling

Shaking a box of loose candy

Roaring

River rapids

Rumbling

Clothes tumbling in a dryer

Scratching

Rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together

Screeching

Running your fingernails across a chalkboard

Slapping

Hitting the water with the flat side on an oar

Squeaking

Wet rubber soles on a hardwood floor

Squealing

Tires making a hard, fast turn

Ticking

A mechanical clock keeping time

Whining

A distant siren

Whistling

A tea kettle at full boil

Zapping

A short, quick buzz

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TROUBLESHOOTING BODY NOISES
This section of the resource guide reviews the five steps required to effectively repair vehicles:

Gathering Information From the Customer
The initial information gathering stage is the most important step in this whole process. As we explained, identifying the
correct noise is essential.
Before performing a test drive, you need to know the exact driving conditions required to reproduce the noise.
In addition, it is also important to find out if there are any special circumstances required to duplicate the noise such as:
•

What accessories are installed?

•

Does the car need to sit before creating the noise? (If so, how long?)

•

How warm is the car when the noise first becomes noticeable?

•

Does the car need to be driven for a period of time before the noise appears?

•

What types of weather conditions are present when the customer hears the noise?

•

What are the ambient temperature and humidity levels?

•

How much weight (people, passengers, and trunk contents) is in the car when the noise occurs?

•

How is the weight distributed?

All of these factors can have a dramatic effect on the success of your noise duplication and isolation efforts.

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Duplicating the Noise
Next, you need to duplicate the noise. Duplicating a body noise is usually difficult; you need to get as much information
from the customer as possible, and be able to consistently duplicate the noise. If you can't recreate the noise, you can't
isolate the issue.
The idea is to find a way to duplicate the noise and make the noise repeatable. If you accomplish this, you can isolate it
and identify the source.
Sometimes you may have trouble duplicating the noise on a consistent basis, but you heard the noise at least once. In
this situation, look for an alternative way to consistently turn the noise "on". You have two options: Dynamic and Static.
Dynamic approaches require you to drive the car. Look for roads and locations that create the noise in a consistent
manner. Once you find a location that reliably creates the noise, you can return to the same spot after repair and confirm
the noise is gone.
You can create creaks and squeaks dynamically by entering or exiting a driveway with an elevation change. If your first
try does not work, try the same action at different angles, or use the driveway ramp to place one wheel on the curb.
Another option is to slowly drive over speed humps. All of these actions are designed to make the body twist and
generate noise.
Other dynamic options include driving the car backwards, quickly applying the throttle or brakes at low speeds, and
applying the parking brake with the car stopped, and then loading the engine with the throttle in both forward and
reverse.
Static approaches are used with the car parked in your stall. This could include applying loads to the chassis with a jack
or bouncing the car up and down to move suspension components.
In your stall, you can try several static duplication techniques. For certain types of noises, such as buzzing and rattles,
putting the car on the hoist and hitting each tire with a large rubber hammer may duplicate suspension noises. In the
interior, you can pound on the suspected area with a closed fist.
Body pops and creaks usually require flexing the body to apply stress to the body joints. To do this in your stall, place
someone in the driver's seat and lift each corner of the car with a hydraulic jack. With a corner fully lifted, "bounce" the
other corners of the vehicle while someone else listens for noises. Once you've checked that corner, quickly let it down
and repeat this check for the other corners of the car.
Static techniques are extremely helpful since they don't require you to drive to a test spot, and you don't need to remain
in the driver's seat during your checks.

Locating the General Area of the Noise
Body noise issues may be caused by interior trim rubbing together, or from exterior subassemblies, chassis
components, or sheet metal issues.
The difficulty lies in isolating the noise down to a specific location. For example, what sounds like a noisy spot weld
could be caused by a metal bracket touching a body panel. In addition, a noise generated at one spot may broadcast
from a different location. For example, a noise heard near the top of a "B" pillar may actually occur at the base of the
pillar.
In fact, noise is transmitted throughout the body in much the same manner that sound carries between two cans
connected with a string. Body sheet metal is an excellent sound transmitter, which means the driver's seat receives
sounds from all directions.

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Isolating From General to Specific
Once you have duplicated a noise issue, there are two methods to locate the source.
The first method is to isolate using your ears, and then press and probe suspected parts until the noise disappears. You
can also remove parts and drive the vehicle to see if the noise goes away. We call this the push, pull, or remove option.
The second method uses a listening tool to narrow down the location of the noise. From there, we are back to the push,
pull, or remove option.
When looking for the source of a noise, it is important that you only remove one part at a time whenever possible. If you
remove multiple parts and the noise turns off, you don't know which one caused the issue.

Listening Tools
Listening tools include the automotive stethoscope, along with an electronic stethoscope or Steelman ChassisEar
listening tools.
Automotive stethoscopes are similar to doctor's stethoscopes, but come with special tips to help probe the vehicle.
These include a solid contact probe, or an extension tube to listen inside boxed sheet metal sections.

Electronic stethoscopes are also available to probe for noises. Using this electronic tool, you shut out surrounding noise
with the headphone cups, and can adjust or amplify vehicle sounds.
If you wish to use these stethoscopes during dynamic testing, it becomes a two-technician job. One tech may have to
move all over the passenger compartment while the second tech drives the car under the conditions required to
duplicate the noise.

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To help locate the source of transmitted sounds, we recommend an electronic listening device with multiple microphones
such as the Steelman ChassisEar. During use, the technician can choose one microphone at a time, and compare noise
intensity from point to point. This allows technicians to identify the loudest test point, and then move other microphones
closer to the noise source to narrow down the transmission point. The goal is to find the spot where the noise is loudest
and clearest.

The ChassisEar microphones mount on large alligator clamps. The microphones rely on sounds transmitted to the
component they are clamped to, rather than sounds transmitted through the air. This makes them very effective when
listening for body creaks caused by noisy spot weld and metal contact issues.

Isolating the Specific Cause
Regardless of which listening method that you use (stethoscope, ChassisEAR, etc.), here are some common noise
isolation techniques:
•

Visually inspect the part for correct alignment and positioning.

•

Physically check the part for loose mounting tabs or bolts.

•

Place tension on the part to see if the noise goes away during the test drive.

•

Remove the part from the car and retest for the noise.

To help with these isolation techniques, we also interviewed our factory, engineering, and service operations people.
Based on this information, we created the noise example chart on the next page, which provides another resource to
narrow and isolate vehicle noises.

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NOISE EXAMPLES
Interior Noises
Noise Type

Possible Causes

Noise Examples

Buzz

Rapid movement of light components
at a high frequency due to looseness
or touching another component.

Combination-meter to meter panel

Chirp

Rapid movement of parts that are tight Combination meter to meter panel
and close together.

Creak

Two materials moving together at a
slow speed while in firm contact with
each other.

A & B pillar noises

Squeak

Two pieces of material in contact with
each other. The type of material
contact can be described as follows:

Rubber pieces rubbing together

•

Plastic material to plastic material
contact

Combination meter to meter panel

•

Metal parts to metal parts

Bearings and seat tracks

•

Plastic material to metal parts

Door liner touching the metal panel
with the felt missing

•

Foam material to metal parts

Seat back

Jingle

Very loose parts or detached parts.

Very loose center dash bolt (washer
rattling around)

Rattle

A clearance issue between two parts.

Door lock rod rattle

Rolling Object

Detach parts such as bolts rolling
around.

A detached bolt rolling around the
trunk

Stick and Release, Pop

A soft material that sticks to a harderinflexible material when undergoing
slow, moderate to large movement.

Instrument panel support

Tick

See Stick and Release

Twang

Steel or spring steel vibrating.

Knee bolster

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Exterior Noises
Noise Type

Possible Causes

Noise Examples

Clunk

A heavy object hitting another heavy
object (one object is usually solidly
mounted).

Strut damper, loose or broken mounts

Clatter

Loose parts inside another part.

Brake pads and shoes

Squeak or Creak

Rubber to metal movement.

Stabilizer bar bushings

Groan

Metal to rubber (partially lubricated) A
longer noise.

Damper assembly issues

Grunt

Metal to rubber (unlubricated), a brief
noise.

Stabilizer bar bushings

Knock

Similar to a clunk but more sharp.

Loose fuel filter bracket

Rattle

A clearance issue between two parts

Moon roof loose

Screech

Unlubricated metal to metal contact

Disc brake dust shield

END

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