Rattling door lock knobs
 

Hi - recently it seems all 4 door lock knobs on my 75 have started rattling somewhat - noticeable of course on bumpy roads. A little less noticeable if all of them are in the lock position. Is this a common thing? Has some foam padding disintegrated in the door?

A common issue. You can search the site for it. The best one I have read of, has been slipping a drinking straw, cut to length over it. I reckon you could get two out of a single McDonald's straw.

Putting some foam or similar behind them, could cause issues with the sticking, although a strip of foil backed sound deadening material may work.

The straws from Burger King work well, they are a little bigger than the ones from McDonalds or at least they were when I did mine a couple of years ago.

I've used heat shrink.

Thanks all - will try the straw fix. So what actually happens to cause the problem?

I used a strip of that fake alcantara with spray adhesive applied to the back

I think the hole in the plastic housing enlarges with use, enough clearance to cause a rattle. You then get a plastic plunger rattling against a plastic housing, the fix being covering the plunger with rubber to cushion this effect.

I had the same on the front passenger and drivers doors and it was spoiling an otherwise impeccably quiet drive.

I bought some of this cloth wiring harness tape for another job but wrapped some around the lock plunger and it completely solved the rattle and blends in perfectly.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WIRING-CA...M/360742292255

It was a bit fiddly thanks to my massive clown hands but it doesn't interfere with their operation at all as the cloth tape is very thin, just don't layer it up - you only need one layer all the way around.

Shrink wrap for wiring worked on my Mk2. I had to stretch it over a Bic biro to get it over the button, then a quick touch with a heat gun shrunk it tightly onto the button. Perfick! ;) Nogaps and no rattles. It seems to cushion it.