Whether it is a long, boring journey or just a short trip, music always adds more fun and excitement while driving. But, if the music is also causing your door to rattle, then the overall experience would not turn out to be great.
Your speakers and subwoofers are the main culprits of these rattling sounds, and you can take care of these problems without breaking the bank. There are different ways through which you can deal with the issues so that you can once again enjoy listening to your favorite songs while you are driving.
What are the Causes of the Car Door Rattling?
Perhaps understanding the causes of the car door rattling from your speakers and subs can help you in dealing with the issues. Foremost, to enjoy your music without any form of problems, it is essential for the environment to have acoustically dead surfaces.
An acoustically dead surface is a surface that is not directly affected by the presence of source waves. In other words, it is vibration-free despite the effects of sound waves. Notably, a surface with loose items is not acoustically dead; hence, it will rattle when sound is produced from speakers and sub.
When the frequency coming from the speakers and subs is at a particular volume, it may cause the panels of the car body to start vibrating with the sub and speakers.
The vibration of the car body panels usually occurs when the sound pressure coming from the speakers and subs is causing the resonation of the surfaces as well as vibration of the loose items. It should be noted that it is not only the car door that can rattle; the dashboard, interior rim piece, car bodywork, and headliners cannot rattle due to the effects of the sound waves.
How Can You Stop Car Door Rattling from Speakers and Sub?
To stop the rattling that is caused from music coming out of your speakers and subwoofer, there are four main considerations/steps which will help solve the problem.
- Adjustment of Audio Systems and Settings
- Adjustment of the Mounting of the sub and speakers
- Installation of Sound Deadening Mats
- Replacement of Blown Speakers and Sub
Having known the causes of car door rattling from speakers and sub, take a look at the following methods of stopping your car door from rattling:
Adjustment of Audio Systems and Settings
Sometimes the solution to car door rattling does not require any time-consuming activities as you may be able to stop the rattling through adjustment of settings of your audio system. If the audio setting is unbalanced, the operation of the speakers and sub may be affected; thus, leading to the rattling of the car door.
When compared to speakers of mobile devices and computer, surround sound systems and other sound systems found inside vehicles can produce a louder sound. However, the surround sound systems are also sensitive; thus, they can be affected by poor or wrong configurations. So, try to reduce the volume and then adjust the fade, bass, and balance settings to see if the car door rattling can stop.
Furthermore, you should understand that dirt, grit, and dust can make the speakers and sub to misbehave and cause car door rattling. Therefore, take your time to clean them up and see if you can solve the problem.
Adjustment of the Mounting
Another simple method of stopping car door rattling from speakers and subwoofer is adjusting the mounts and stands of your speakers and sub. Check if there are any loose panels and screws and tighten them.
Likewise, check if the mounted speakers are making uneven contact as this can lead to the rattling of the car door; then utilize plastic foam inserts to stop the rattling. If done properly, adjustment of the mounts can stop as much as 50% of the car door rattling.
Also, you should tighten all loose screws and panels in the rear trunk lid, plates, rear bumper, interior panels, and other parts of the car to prevent or stop rattling in any of these parts.
Installation of Sound Deadening Mats
Although the methods mentioned above are capable of stopping car door rattling from speakers and sub, they may not produce the level of results that you want.
Nonetheless, if you are looking for an effective method that can help you stop car door rattling from speakers and subwoofer so that you can enjoy music inside your car, installation of sound deadening mats should be at the top of your list. Read my article which brings out why soundproofing a car is worth it.
Sound deadening mats are soundproof materials that are specifically designed for reducing the effects of sound waves on a surface. These mats are available in several online and offline shops; therefore, you can easily buy one anytime you want.
One of the most common and effective sound deadening mats is Dynamat Xtreme Car Door Kit (check prices on Amazon).
If you would like to install a sound deadening mat to stop car door rattling from speakers and sub, there are certain steps you need to follow. These steps will not only ensure proper installation of the sound deadening mats, but they will also make sure that you do not damage your car in the process of stopping car door rattling.
Here are the steps to follow when installing a sound deadening mat:
1. Remove the door panel
To install a sound deadening mat, the first step involves the removal of the door panel. You are advised to use plastic tools so that you do not leave scratches on your car when you are done with removing the panel.
To remove the panel, open the door and pull the inside door lever to see if there are screws below it. Use your plastic screwdriver to remove the screws. The plastic casing of the lever should be also removed.
Check under the armrest and remove all screws that connect it to the door. After removing the screws, you should also remove the armrest as well as the wires found around the armrest if your car has electric windows. However, if the windows of your car are not electric, the window crank should be carefully removed.
Some cars have screws around the sides of the windowsill or rear-view mirror, so you should check and remove them if they are there.
With these things done, the sill of the door should be lifted up so that the panel can be pulled away easily.
2. Detach the vapor shield from the car
After the door panel has been removed, you will see the vapor shield which is a sponge-like item. The basic function of the vapor shield is to prevent water from entering the interior of the car. Gently remove this shield and keep it somewhere safe.
3. Install the sound deadening mat
Once the vapor shield has been removed, you will notice that there is a big mechanical hole inside the window. This is the place where the sound deafening mat will be installed. Position as much sound deadening mat as possible inside the hole so that the car door rattling can be stopped effectively.
It is worthwhile to understand the thickness of your sound deadening mat will be instrumental in determining how effective it will be for sound deadening. Therefore, you should choose a thick mat that is self-adhesive and heat resistant.
4. Check if the mat is effective
After you have successfully installed the sound deadening mat, do not replace the parts yet. It is important for you to check if the mat has stopped car door rattling from speakers and sub. Play music and see how effective the mat is. If you still notice any rattling from the speakers and sub, apply more mats to the mechanical hole.
5. Fix the parts you removed
Once you are satisfied with the effect of the sound deadening mat, you should fix all the parts you removed earlier. It should be noted that these parts include the door level and its casing, armrest, window crank, and vapor shield.
All these steps should be followed slowly and carefully to avoid damaging any parts of the door of your car.
Also, here’s an old but helpful video on how to install dynamat on to the car doors.
Replacement of Blown Speakers and Sub
There are some cases where car door rattling occurs as a result of blown speakers and subs; therefore, you should troubleshoot to see if the speakers and sub are blown or not. Check the condition of the speakers and sub by playing a soft song at a moderate volume.
Put your ears close to the speakers and pay attention to the sound coming out. If the sound is like a fuzzy or popping noise, you should endeavor to carry out further inspection. Remove the speaker from the power source, detach it and remove the front cover to see its condition. If there is any tear or hollow rattle signs in the audio cone, you should replace the speaker to stop car door rattling.
Conclusion
As clearly shown above, you can stop car door rattling from speakers and sub on your own without any previous experience. However, it takes time and effort to get this done.
In addition, you need to follow the detailed procedure described above in this post if you want to experience any success in your effort to stop car door rattling from speakers and sub.
Thanks for reading. Also read best sound deadener for cars.