Re: S6 wagon woes...

[dmiller@iea.com (Doug Miller)]

>third time is supposed to be charmed. let's hope so.
>
>Our '95.5 S6 wagon went into the shop yesterday for a 3K (interval)
>oil change and to take another look at the rattle above the driver's
>seat. The oil change went smoothly and after getting a call from my
>service advisor, it looked like they could replicate the rattle.
>

Hope I caught you before unsubbing.  I had a loose component sound on the
passenger's side of my LandCruiser for over a year.  It drove me crazy, and
I spent literally hours on my back in the footwell during road trips during
my wife's driving shifts to no avail.  I could not isolate it, partially
because it took a bump of a very precise frequency to cause it.  One day,
my wife was driving, and I happened to be leaning far forward with my head
near the windshield when we hit the magic bump frequency.  Incredibly, the
sound emanated from the edge of the warning label on the back of the
passenger's sunvisor as it "itched" back and forth against the headliner.
Sitting back in the normal position, it reflected off the w/s and sounded
like it was coming from the top of the dash.

The reason I posted this, is that there isn't much up there in the area
they're looking at, (unless there's a wire bundle) that can move.  A loose
weld is so unlikely as to defy odds.  Perhaps it is a sound reflecting off
the windshield from somewhere that is fooling you.  They should, of course
find out by using the stethescopes if this is the case, as they won't find
any noise from that area.  But they may also simply end up baffled.

I am almost embarassed to admit this happened to me considering a
background in the auto industry analyzing and evaluating prototype vehicles
and such, but it did. Believe me, it is incredible that it happened to me
in particular.  I am blessed with ears that set records during testing to
become part of the stereo evaluation teams of a couple manufacturers.
Perhaps something of this nature is occuring here.

Just a thought.

Doug Miller
dmiller@iea.com
97A6Q Wagon, 93 LandCruiser w/diff locks (and well used skidplates), 71
LeMans Sport V8 Convertible. Cannondale Super V 900 Comp.