I've noticed that my rear parcel shelf has started rattling/shuddering, particularly on rough roads. As one who abhors rattles of any kind, especially in a new car, this has really been annoying me.
I've found that the issue is actually caused in two places:
- The string clips that attach the parcel shelf to the rear hatch
and
- The clips that attach the parcel shelf to the point behind the rear seats
Here is the fix I've done to resolve the issues.
String Clip Fix
What you'll find is that the clips, once attached to the hatch, rattle around a fair bit. There's a lot of play in them, more so than is actually needed. This play causes a plastic on plastic rattle. It's easily fixed though
For this I used some rubber weather stripping, as it was what I had on hand, and it had an adhesive backing, which allows it to stick to the inside of the clip.
I cut the strip into a short length (around 1.5cm), and put it inside the clip
It now clips snugly into place. No plastic on plastic contact, whilst still allowing the clip to pivot when the boot lid is moved up and down
Parcel Shelf Fix
This issue is caused by the parcel shelf itself moving left and right. This is due to the fact that again there's some play at the point where the shelf attaches to the posts behind the rear seats (a good half a centimeter or so).
For this, I used some 3M rubber grommet feet that I had spare from some IT equipment I had. You can also use a couple of reasonable sized plastic washers and double-sided tape to similar effect. Again though, the grommet had an adhesive backing, which meant I didn't need to use double sided tape.
I punched a hole through the grommet and then, with a sharp knife, cut out a section to the diameter of the parcel shelf post.
I then fitted the grommet over the post and stuck it to the plastic at the base.
As the grommet was quite thick, I only needed to do this for one side of the parcel shelf.
I didn't worry too much about making it overly neat as it's very well hidden when the parcel shelf is in place (see pic below)
The parcel shelf now fits snugly into place, but again still has just enough movement to allow it to pivot up when the boot lid is opened
The parcel shelf is now completely rattle free. Hope this helps others who have the same problem
Dan