Robust?
 

Now that my RX-8 has moved to NJ from california, a number of rattles are showing up -- I believe in the rear view mirror, dash, doors.

Also, my shift knob rotates when I shift.

Any solutions, any specific rattle locations to be aware of?

about the shift knob.. did you unscrew it?

just tighten it up.. if that doesn't work I would suggest getting something called loc-tite. . it is used to help secure screws from vibrating and backing out. you can get a low strength stuff. (normally the color is red) . just a couple drops on the threads should do the trick.

as for rattles I have a couple. mainly in the passenger side door... dealer can't find it though... and I have been getting a squeak in my driver's chair and inside the center console.. yeah a squeak, not a rattle. thats the only one really pissing me off.

I have those same squeaks Kaliken. If you ever figure it out, please post it.

Had this problem last fall, bothered me BAD, squeaked all the time getting in, going around a corner, etc., took it to dealer, had to sit in the car and show the tech (I don't think he believed me!), but he then was able to fix it, seat bolts were loosening up I guess. Perfect since. :)

Spin9K thats sounds almost exactly what happens to mine.. (except that I seem to have something from the center console as well) But, I will check that tonight! oh man I hope thats it.. It started about a week ago and I haven't been able to pin point it exactly.

Thanks!

mine only rattles from the stereo, taking stuff out of the side pockets helps.

STOP! Red Loc-Tite is the strongest Loc-Tite you can get. You have to heat the bolt with a propane torch to loosen red Loc-Tite once it sets. The standard Loc-Tite is blue. It is suitable for most applications. They also make green Loc-Tite which is really thin to be used on bolts that cannot be removed.

I don't think one should Loc-Tite their ShiftKnob for good! Accessibility to the centre console is fairy important, from a massive transmission job to a simple change of turrent oil do require one to remove the knob to access to the tranny.

Blue Loc-Tite can be removed, normally with just a little extra bit of torque. That being said, I can't say whether it is appropriate for a shift knob.

The point is to stop the shift knob from spinning during normal use, but keep it removeable for repair work. Loc-Tite should work perfectly, but remember, you only need 1-2 drops, literally. If you slather it on, it may not come off.

If the shifter is spinning around.... WTF wouldn't you take it to the dealer and have them fix it under warranty rather than trying to bodge somethig up with loctite?????

Putting loctite on your shifter is silly since you will want to remove it one day, and the threads within the shifter are plastic, so will possibly be damaged by it.

Take it to the dealer, it's under warranty - get them to fix it!

yeah.. i should have been more specific.. actually black loc-tite is the toughest you could use.. there are a ton of different grades of loc-tite. my familarity is with green and the 262 red

red 262 is normally pretty good on diameters from 1/2" to 3/4" 2 drops is sufficient to maintain a good bond line without resorting to a wrench and pliers..

but yeah take it to the dealer first if you can..

Re: Robust?
 

A friend of mine suggested a few years back that, to decrease the chances of rattling, the best thing to do is to add custom sway bars and chassis braces when the car is new, to tighten up the car even more. The RX-8 is a very tight car, but, as you drive it, the chassis startd to warp a little bit... this is natural for EVERY car. Of course, if you have $$$ to spend, that's where it should be spent on first.