Sunroof Rattle Fix

[evoMR]

My car is going back to the dealer on the 16th of December, and they're replacing the sunroof rails. Will update if the new parts help

 

[DougWilsonsSlapper]

If your dealer is different from all the others and is actually willing to do something, please let us all know who it is

Lol. Doubtful. I might just have to buy you a beer and you can show me what you did (I'm not handy). Hah

 

[DougWilsonsSlapper]

My car is going back to the dealer on the 16th of December, and they're replacing the sunroof rails. Will update if the new parts help

I wonder if it's the same dealer I'm going to. They had a stinger in recently for rattling.

 

[Marc Collins]

My car is going back to the dealer on the 16th of December, and they're replacing the sunroof rails. Will update if the new parts help

One or two people a year hit the jackpot and get rails replaced. I doubt it is going to fix the problem long-term since the rails themselves haven't changed.

Something in the process of removing and replacing might jostle something around enough to fix it in the short or long-term.

More likely, removing the existing rails and adding some sort of buffer/gasket/washers before reinstalling will resolve the problem.

KIA is not willing to do even that en masse. So, count yourself privileged and I hope for your sake it actually works. Another person on here had it done three years ago and said it worked for them.

 

[Othon Von Salza]

My car is going back to the dealer on the 16th of December, and they're replacing the sunroof rails. Will update if the new parts help

Did the roof rails fix work? My car is currently waiting for new rails in the shop

 

[HoosierStinger]

I would like to share my solution to the sunroof rattle

This is the best solution I've come up with to silence this problem.

1. Open your sunroof

2. Loosen the 3 bolts circled in red and the 1 circled in blue. Do this on both sides (driver and passenger side) Just break the bolts free so the track can move freely don't take the bolts all the way out.

3. Close the sunroof all the way (not tilting) with the bolts loose so the tracks can find their happy place

4. Open the sunroof back up and tighten all the bolts. DO NOT over tighten the bolt circled in blue. The plastic under this bolt will break if you over tighten it. Trust me

5. Now you have completed the process of resetting the tracks that the sunroof rides in. Apply some grease to the rubber seal that I'm pointing at. I used super lube with PTFE.

6. Enjoy the new found silence in your Stinger

I can't guarantee this solution will work for everyone but it worked for me. And I'm not sure how long this solution will last but my sunroof is dead silent now. It's total BS that this has to be done to a car that MSRP's for 55K. But I love my Stinger and I have accepted that I have to take the good with the bad. She requires a little special attention that's all. Good luck to anyone who wants to try this solution.

- Do this at your own risk. I take no responsibility if you damage something -

 

[SnazZ]

I would like to share my solution to the sunroof rattle

This is the best solution I've come up with to silence this problem.

1. Open your sunroof

2. Loosen the 3 bolts circled in red and the 1 circled in blue. Do this on both sides (driver and passenger side) Just break the bolts free so the track can move freely don't take the bolts all the way out.

3. Close the sunroof all the way (not tilting) with the bolts loose so the tracks can find their happy place

4. Open the sunroof back up and tighten all the bolts. DO NOT over tighten the bolt circled in blue. The plastic under this bolt will break if you over tighten it. Trust me

5. Now you have completed the process of resetting the tracks that the sunroof rides in. Apply some grease to the rubber seal that I'm pointing at. I used super lube with PTFE.

6. Enjoy the new found silence in your Stinger

I can't guarantee this solution will work for everyone but it worked for me. And I'm not sure how long this solution will last but my sunroof is dead silent now. It's total BS that this has to be done to a car that MSRP's for 55K. But I love my Stinger and I have accepted that I have to take the good with the bad. She requires a little special attention that's all. Good luck to anyone who wants to try this solution.

- Do this at your own risk. I take no responsibility if you damage something -

I gave this method a shot, but unfortunately it didn't make any difference in my case.

 

[HoosierStinger]

I gave this method a shot, but unfortunately it didn't make any difference in my case.

It's to bad there isn't a fix-all solution to the sunroof rattle issue. Seems like different solutions for different Stingers.

 

[CDv6]

I would like to share my solution to the sunroof rattle

I gave this method a shot, but unfortunately it didn't make any difference in my case.

I plan to try @HoosierStinger's solution, but I'm not holding my breath. If it doesn't work, plan-B is the slightly more invasive proposal from @Marc Collins in another thread...

SOLVED?? FINALLY?!?!?!?!?

 

[Marc Collins]

I plan to try @HoosierStinger's solution, but I'm not holding my breath. If it doesn't work, plan-B is the slightly more invasive proposal from @Marc Collins in another thread...

I plan to try @HoosierStinger's solution, but I'm not holding my breath. If it doesn't work, plan-B is the slightly more invasive proposal from @Marc Collins in another thread...

I can report that my technique has solved all rattles from the sunroof. It is so quiet while driving over rough roads now I can hardly believe it. What it has not done is completely resolve the expansion/contraction issues that are worst when the car has been sitting out in the sun and then the A/C cools the interior causing a rapid mismatch in temperatures. That means there is some other area that the glass is attached to metal or in a metal frame of sorts that is not affected by the cushioning of the rails. The rails are the source of bump-related noises. The creaking/popping from the expansion/contraction is still there...albeit a bit less prominent.

 

[Snowwhite]

I would like to share my solution to the sunroof rattle

This is the best solution I've come up with to silence this problem.

1. Open your sunroof

2. Loosen the 3 bolts circled in red and the 1 circled in blue. Do this on both sides (driver and passenger side) Just break the bolts free so the track can move freely don't take the bolts all the way out.

3. Close the sunroof all the way (not tilting) with the bolts loose so the tracks can find their happy place

4. Open the sunroof back up and tighten all the bolts. DO NOT over tighten the bolt circled in blue. The plastic under this bolt will break if you over tighten it. Trust me

5. Now you have completed the process of resetting the tracks that the sunroof rides in. Apply some grease to the rubber seal that I'm pointing at. I used super lube with PTFE.

6. Enjoy the new found silence in your Stinger

I can't guarantee this solution will work for everyone but it worked for me. And I'm not sure how long this solution will last but my sunroof is dead silent now. It's total BS that this has to be done to a car that MSRP's for 55K. But I love my Stinger and I have accepted that I have to take the good with the bad. She requires a little special attention that's all. Good luck to anyone who wants to try this solution.

- Do this at your own risk. I take no responsibility if you damage something -

you, sir, are a FREAKING GENIUS!

I had my sunroof noises mostly at bay, only routinely hearing creaks and such going over rough roads, bumps, the like. After taping the grab handle backings, and monthly lubrication of the seals, rarely did I hear anything going down a smooth road. After your 2 minute suggestion, even those rough road noises are gone. I had tried tightening those screws before, but never unbolting and letting the roof re-seat itself.

I don't think I even need the other solution with the shelf liner at this point. I will keep it in mind if the noises resurface.

 

[Marc Collins]

I would like to share my solution to the sunroof rattle

This is the best solution I've come up with to silence this problem.

1. Open your sunroof

2. Loosen the 3 bolts circled in red and the 1 circled in blue. Do this on both sides (driver and passenger side) Just break the bolts free so the track can move freely don't take the bolts all the way out.

3. Close the sunroof all the way (not tilting) with the bolts loose so the tracks can find their happy place

4. Open the sunroof back up and tighten all the bolts. DO NOT over tighten the bolt circled in blue. The plastic under this bolt will break if you over tighten it. Trust me

5. Now you have completed the process of resetting the tracks that the sunroof rides in. Apply some grease to the rubber seal that I'm pointing at. I used super lube with PTFE.

6. Enjoy the new found silence in your Stinger

I can't guarantee this solution will work for everyone but it worked for me. And I'm not sure how long this solution will last but my sunroof is dead silent now. It's total BS that this has to be done to a car that MSRP's for 55K. But I love my Stinger and I have accepted that I have to take the good with the bad. She requires a little special attention that's all. Good luck to anyone who wants to try this solution.

- Do this at your own risk. I take no responsibility if you damage something -

I can confirm that this helped in my situation. All I did was loosen the bolts and re-tighten them back to a moderate level instead of the extremely tight from the factory state they were in. In combination with the "sandwich" process linked from the other thread above, I now finally have a sunroof that isn't constantly annoying me when I drive!!! Well done @HoosierStinger!!!

This bolts procedure addresses the metal-on-metal ticking and popping part of the sunroof issues...not rattling. It is affected by expansion and contraction, so unlike some other "solutions" to the problem, this is one has a basis in logic to possibly work. Relaxing the stress points where the metal tracks attach to the metal roof of the car helps. My presumption was that some form of bushing would need to be inserted between the tracks and the roof, but it seems as though just this small difference may be enough to resolve most of the issue. And it is so easy to do, so I recommend to do this first before attempting other fixes, including mine in the other thread.

Unfortunately, my passenger seat now has a vibrating rattle in it caused whenever I traverse a bump. It has probably been there for a while, but I can only now hear it distinctly because the damned roof isn't making constant pops and creaks. Off to search for what the problem might be, but if the seat vibrating (sounds like something inside the seat is making contact with something...metallic.

 

[djerickd]

I would like to share my solution to the sunroof rattle

This is the best solution I've come up with to silence this problem.

1. Open your sunroof

2. Loosen the 3 bolts circled in red and the 1 circled in blue. Do this on both sides (driver and passenger side) Just break the bolts free so the track can move freely don't take the bolts all the way out.

3. Close the sunroof all the way (not tilting) with the bolts loose so the tracks can find their happy place

4. Open the sunroof back up and tighten all the bolts. DO NOT over tighten the bolt circled in blue. The plastic under this bolt will break if you over tighten it. Trust me

5. Now you have completed the process of resetting the tracks that the sunroof rides in. Apply some grease to the rubber seal that I'm pointing at. I used super lube with PTFE.

6. Enjoy the new found silence in your Stinger

I can't guarantee this solution will work for everyone but it worked for me. And I'm not sure how long this solution will last but my sunroof is dead silent now. It's total BS that this has to be done to a car that MSRP's for 55K. But I love my Stinger and I have accepted that I have to take the good with the bad. She requires a little special attention that's all. Good luck to anyone who wants to try this solution.

- Do this at your own risk. I take no responsibility if you damage something -

thanks for this, at least the stinger rattles less than the 72k msrp cadillac cts v-sport I was in. Dealerships were swapping the whole sunroof assemblies for people who complained the most about it.

 

[Marc Collins]

thanks for this, at least the stinger rattles less than the 72k msrp cadillac cts v-sport I was in. Dealerships were swapping the whole sunroof assemblies for people who complained the most about it.

That's exactly what KIA is not willing to do....though there are a few isolated cases reported here where they did it and it solved the problem.

I was suspicious all along how could replacing the roof with the same roof fix the problem if the roof itself has a design flaw? But it may be nothing more than removing the roof with the over-tightened bolts from the factory and replacing it with the same thing, but hand-tightened by the dealership installer....?!?

The bolt loosening and re-tightening is definitely worth a try/the effort, since it is so quick and easy. If it doesn't fix anything, you are no worse off.

 

[djerickd]

I tried the sunroof reset procedure last night but yet to drive it again..

 

[CeramicGT001]

I’ve been following this thread for a couple years. Never fails that my sunroof rattling comes back when it gets really hot in the summer. I always adjust the screws from inside the car the run along the inner edge and move the glass up and down. Not working as well as it used to. Going to have to try to adjust the rails too I guess. So frustrating because I’ve fixed every other rattle I’ve had.

 

[Marc Collins]

I’ve been following this thread for a couple years. Never fails that my sunroof rattling comes back when it gets really hot in the summer. I always adjust the screws from inside the car the run along the inner edge and move the glass up and down. Not working as well as it used to. Going to have to try to adjust the rails too I guess. So frustrating because I’ve fixed every other rattle I’ve had.

Same pattern for me, which is why I knew it had to be metal-to-metal contact affected by expansion contraction in the hot weather. Definitely try this!

P.S., let me know if you had any front seat rattles (probably seat cooling related)!!

 

[HoosierStinger]

I can confirm that this helped in my situation. All I did was loosen the bolts and re-tighten them back to a moderate level instead of the extremely tight from the factory state they were in. In combination with the "sandwich" process linked from the other thread above, I now finally have a sunroof that isn't constantly annoying me when I drive!!! Well done @HoosierStinger!!!

This bolts procedure addresses the metal-on-metal ticking and popping part of the sunroof issues...not rattling. It is affected by expansion and contraction, so unlike some other "solutions" to the problem, this is one has a basis in logic to possibly work. Relaxing the stress points where the metal tracks attach to the metal roof of the car helps. My presumption was that some form of bushing would need to be inserted between the tracks and the roof, but it seems as though just this small difference may be enough to resolve most of the issue. And it is so easy to do, so I recommend to do this first before attempting other fixes, including mine in the other thread.

Unfortunately, my passenger seat now has a vibrating rattle in it caused whenever I traverse a bump. It has probably been there for a while, but I can only now hear it distinctly because the damned roof isn't making constant pops and creaks. Off to search for what the problem might be, but if the seat vibrating (sounds like something inside the seat is making contact with something...metallic.

I stole a play out of your book as well. As a extra precaution and it sounds like a great idea. I used microfiber towel pieces with a hole cut in them for the bolt to slide through. Mine doesn't look very pretty but it gets the job done. I only did the passenger side for now. I'll trim down the microfiber pieces someday.

Kia should've lined the rails with felt from the get go. A TSB or something and address this issue at the factory for later year models. Seems like they could care less about us. I'm happy to help out fellow Stinger owners.

thanks for this, at least the stinger rattles less than the 72k msrp cadillac cts v-sport I was in. Dealerships were swapping the whole sunroof assemblies for people who complained the most about it.

Happy to hear my solution was beneficial to you

 

[CeramicGT001]

Same pattern for me, which is why I knew it had to be metal-to-metal contact affected by expansion contraction in the hot weather. Definitely try this!

P.S., let me know if you had any front seat rattles (probably seat cooling related)!!

Nope no noises from that department lol. Funny that sunroof was quiet coming home from work, I just keep a torx screwdriver in my glovebox aha.

 

[CDv6]

I used microfiber towel pieces with a hole cut in them for the bolt to slide through.

Did you only add the microfiber at those end points, or did you run it along the full rail length?