Car Fix DIY Videos

This is a tutorial on how to remove the rear deck rattle on my 06 TL. This is also a tutorial on how to access rear struts on a 06 TL as you need to remove the rear seats and push the rear deck up to get access to the bolts on the struts.

I successfully removed the infamous rear deck rattle on my 2006 Acura TL. I initially tried to shove foam along the rear deck and rear windshield, but it only worked for several months and the rattling came back. This is a DIY fix, where I didn’t need to spend any money whatsoever. All the products seen in this video were “free”. The cloth I picked up from old clothing, the foam I had from some old packaging, and the tools are basic hand tools I have acquired over the years. The links at the end of the description shows how many people have this issue. There are many more sources on reddit as well. A full breakdown of the steps are at the end of the description (appendix). This is a ghetto fix, you should use actual sound deadening material.

Video Contents:

00:00 Introduction
00:48 Disconnect battery
01:01 Removing rear seats
05:08 Rear seat bolt locations
05:34 Airbag trim removal
06:42 Removing rear deck
09:20 Attempt #1
11:05 Attempt #2
11:53 Start up after attempt #2
12:40 Radio not working after disconnecting battery? (Locked out of radio menu)
13:00 Know when you are able to enter radio code
13:49 Third brake light rattling
14:26 Attempt #3
15:21 End

NOTE: The rattling still occurs if I max out the volume of my radio, but I never listen to it that loud, so it doesn’t bother me. You could also try to add some foam on the airbag trim tabs.

Tools used:
– 3/8″ ratchet (Maximum brand, Canadian Tire)
– 10 mm deep socket 2 inches in length (Maximum brand, Canadian Tire)
– 3 inch extension (Maximum brand, Canadian Tire)
– Old clothing
– Foam
– Plastic pry tools (Aliexpress)

*Highly suggest you follow this sequence first before you attempt to take out the rear deck. Not every car is made the exact same or wears the same, therefore, not everyone will have the same problem or solution. (This is what I have deduced from hours of research)

Possible points of rattle (from easiest to hardest):
1. Exterior rear license plate rattling
2. Rear deck hitting rear windshield
3. Plastic hook covers for car seat on rear deck
4. Loose third brake light tabs
5. Rear deck hitting metal frame or loose tabs
6. Loose airbag trim tabs

Solutions:
1. Bend license plate outwards or bolt down license plate with 4 screws
2. Shove some foam or towels in between the rear deck and rear windshield
3. Shove foam or cloth/felt into the hook covers
4. Remove brake light cover and use foam at the tabs or unbolt brake light assembly and shove foam in between the metal and the plastic brake light assembly.
5. Remove entire rear deck, use sound deadening along all metal points of contact with the rear deck, put foam where the rear deck tabs sit (proper way). In the video, I used cloth and foam, seems to work well enough.
6. Add foam to the airbag trim tabs

Attempt #1
– cloth along edge of rear deck
– cloth on the car seat hooks where it meets rear deck
– foam on plastic hook in centre of rear deck

Attempt #2
– added foam to all tabs of the rear deck
– added cloth to all plastic points of contact of the rear deck and the metal frame

Attempt #3
– added foam to the third brake light tabs (where the tabs meet the cover and on the tab itself)

References:

https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-294/rear-deck-rattle-934894/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/rear-deck-bass-rattle-fix-%5Bpics-video%5D-614680/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/stock-subwoofer-rattle-685073/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-problems-fixes-114/official-fix-subwoofer-rattle-644380/

Any idea how to get rid of the subwoofer rattle on a 2005 TL? from Acura

Appendix Notes

Process Breakdown (remove rattle from rear deck)
1. Move front seats all the way to the front
2. Disconnect negative battery terminal
3. Remove one 10 mm bolt on passenger side in between top and bottom rear seats and pull the two tabs to remove bottom rear seat
4. Remove headrests and remove five 10 mm bolts to remove top rear seat
5. Pop off the passenger and driver side rear airbag trims on either side of the rear deck
6. Pop up rear deck, slide it out
7. Pad the entire rear deck area with sound deadening, foam, or cloth. It is not very convenient to get to this part, so I would recommend padding everything you think will touch the metal and cause rattling.
8. Reverse process to put everything back.

This is a “free” fix because there is no such thing as a free lunch. Nothing is ever really free in life.

I am not a technician by any means, follow this video at your own risk.

Music:
Lakey Inspired – Monroe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhoHfiLGbY4