Customer states Rattle from Sunroof. Lexus ES350. Let's Diagnose and Fix it!
A Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician looks at a 2013 Lexus ES350 with a rattling sunroof with a common problem. The fix is simple and demonstrated in this video.
Customer states there's a rattle from the sunroof. This is a common rattle for this generation Lexus ES350. We'll take a listen to the noise first.
It is very important to verify the concern that you have and spend majority of the time in diagnosis. A typical mistake that junior mechanics and\or DIY mechanics make is rush the diagnosis and move on to replacing parts.
I'll show you how to isolate if this is a seal issue or not. then we'll move on to the repair.
For the repair I will show you how to replace the Sunroof or moonroof seal on this 2013 Lexus ES350 which not a difficult job to do DIY but there are some precautions to take when handling the sun roof glass.
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0:00 Intro
1:02 Diagnosis
1:57 Removal of Sunroof Glass
6:12 Installation of Seal
13:41 Installation of glass and alignment
you work at the Toyota dealer all day, you work on cars at home and you make videos for youtube, Respect.
and AMD has 233,000 subscribers which is very respectable.
@@jhill4071
@@jhill4071 e4ddd edd Ed Edd ed Ed was see sssdsqe
Thank You. I had been living w/ that rattling noise until i found this 😂
Thank you! I love watching your channel. I decided to check my 2018 GS350 as a preventative measure (no knocking or whistling). I found a slight leak. Dealer quoted me $1000 to replace the seal…as a temporary measure over replacing the full unit at $4681! Managed to get the seal direct from Toyota Japan to New Zealand for $78. That’s including shipping and 8 bolts (just in case!)! REALLY appreciate your channel and the videos you make. Cheers, Sam
YES!! YES!! YES!! My Lexus does this and it drives me crazy. I’m going to attempt this fix very soon. Thank you so much for posting this!
Did you do the fix? Did it help? I just got a 2015 and it rattles a lot!
This works!! I had a horrible rattle sound coming from the sunroof of my 2017 RX350, but didn’t think it could be the rubber seal because it still made noise even when I vented my sunroof up. But I gave it a shot because the old seal looked pretty dried out and old anyway, and it was only $60 from an online Lexus dealer. It was really easy, just a little stressful handling a heavy piece of glass that could easily break if dropped. When I was done, I took it for a drive and was so excited to have a quiet car again. Thanks for taking time to make these videos that help us out and save so much money!!
as a fellow toyota certed tech i find it highly relatable and kinda warming in a way with how honest you are about making mistakes, scratching a customers car and having to tell your boss. i cant be the only one who appreciates how realistic you are
I had the opposite problem from the Lexus dealer I bought my CPO GS350 from... during a service visit where they gave me a loaner for a few days, I got my car back and after getting home I realized that somehow there was a long deep scratch on the center of the car starting at the shark fin antenna, running down the window, across the trunk and ending off the tip of the trunk spoiler. I was SO PI$$ED OFF!! I brought the car right back and they had it for another 2 weeks due to the backlog at their "preferred" body shop. They gave me zero flack about it, they knew one of their techs did this. It angers me to this day that someone did this and kept their mouth shut about it.
I'm form Jamaica and to be honest I don't think that there is no mechanic down here that is as good as u that's why I love Americans very smart hard working people ❤️❤️🇺🇲❤️❤️❤️🇺🇲❤️
as usual fantastic job, I love how clean , delicate and precise all your work is all the time. I love picky mechanics !
It is a fail. I did hope this lexus will be for sale
I absolutely love these how to videos thank you keep ‘‘em coming 👍🏼
I second that!
You need to do a whole series on these how to videos…. They are of great help. Thank you for doing what you do.
HOLY SNAP... I have an RX that makes that sound. I didn't have anyone look at it because, well, I dont let anyone work on my vehicles except me. I didn't address it because I didn't want to break it in disassembly. Thanks AMD.
Was you able to get the seal or is Lexus telling you that you have to replace the whole sunroof on your Rx ?
Big thank you to your wife and family for allowing you to share valuable time with us! ❤️
It is unlikely I will ever do a sunroof fix. But still, this was an amazing video! I love seeing your careful work and your absolute attention to every detail! Thanks, again!
I wish every mechanic had the same high standards as you!! Great video, great work!
Your comment was good and straight to the point
UPDATE: I just completed my seal replacement. Following your directions made it go so smoothly. I was done in 45 mins. The leveling of the glass is what took the longest. ORIGINAL POST: My 2015 GS 350 has the same rattling. I’ll be replacing it soon. Thanks for the great video.
Excellent video! I'm with Jordan, I know I'll never do a sunroof fix, but it's nice to know how to fix the problem properly that your customer had!! 5 stars!!
That is the same sunroof that is in my Corolla and I'm glad I know how to fix it if I run into the same problem. Thanks for the info sir.
Guys I fixed mine in 10 minutes. It’s just the two screws on the sides. Pop it up and use an Allen wrench to tighten it in after pushing the roof up into place. put the covers back on the sides, done!
AMD you're a genius! The sunroof rattle in my wife's 2013 RAV4 has been driving us crazy. The dealer said it would require pulling the headliner and replacing broken tracks to fix the problem. Wrong, all it needed was a rubber gasket and the rattle is gone. I followed your video and did the whole job in 30 minutes. Thank you for such great information.
You are truly a professional! Solved the problem and left the vehicle better and cleaner than when it came in! The icing on the cake (not the road) is the video. Thank you!
We need a sunroof motor replacement video on this!
I wish you worked at my dealer. You love Toyota so much you work on cars on your off time. That’s awesome.
I've done this project on 3 different cars. For my '04 Mazda 6, there was air & water leaking, and there was rust on the sunroof frame that the seal is pressed onto. I spent a stupid amount of time sanding, cleaning, priming and painting the frame before installing the new seal. I let the paint cure for a couple days before installing, but I had a very hard time getting the seal on, and it was only after I was halfway done when I realized that I likely sprayed too thick a coat of paint and that the factory paint was a lot thinner and likely didn't have a primer coat. It was a short span of only two years or so that the rust came back, which was depressing. Also, the thicker paint meant the new seal applied more pressure than OEM to the roof opening, and I used to often rub silicone spray around the opening to ease the situation. The other car was our '08 Highlander, which thankfully didn't need rust repair, and only needed a new seal due to a section that was ripping, causing leaking and a whistle sound. I did use silicone spray to help the install but only by applying a small amount to a shop rag and running the rag around the perimeter for a little help. My '15 Lexus GS350 was making excessive wind noise since I bought it with 26,000 miles on it, but the dealer wouldn't honor replacing it despite my purchase of the extended CPO warranty. I ended up replacing it myself a year or so later, and it went pretty smoothly. No more noise!
Another display of true expertise! Charlotte NC is a location you should relocate to!
Thank you, AMD and the Mrs. camera lady !! Another job well done! I love it when the problem gets magically fixed without a trace!
Great video. I just got done replacing the weatherstrip on my 2014 Lexus ES350 and the rattle disappeared! Took my time and kept everything clean and only took a couple of hours. Money and time well spent!
Took your advice and took my Rav4 2019 to a dealer for transmission reset and software update. Now my Rav4 shifts smoothly,thanks.
I just fixed the rattle on my wife's 2013 Rav4 Limited sunroof, using this video. Thanks so much for sharing this. I love your philosophy of "paying it forward" with you making these videos for DYIers. I also am a bass player and am now trying to learn piano - I appreciated hearing about your musical interests. Many thanks to you and Mrs. Nut and your family, for allowing you to share your knowledge with all of us!
Some of best repair videos!!! Love your channel!!!
You and the Mrs. make a great team. Excellent instruction video.
Awesome video!! You just provided the solution to this nagging headache of over 18months! A follower you have gained!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thank you for this video . I was going through the same issues on my Is350/ct200.
I learned something new. I appreciate you doing these videos. Thanks
Thank you for speeding up the camera at times to go faster.
Nice car and nice fix! Would be great to see a similar video on fixing the rattle/pop on the panoramic sunroofs!
Another great video AMD, simple precise clear and attention to detail is always the best way to do anything. You certainly explain it simply and show us all the years of experience you have by pointing out where we all need to pay attention when doing something many would shy away from and yet could do if they follow your simple guide-lines. Ty Stay Safe Stay Strong My Dear Friend
OMG - 2017 RX350 living with this noise for a while. Local mechanic sucks changing suspension parts. Adjusted the glass, noise is gone in time for the trade in. I wish you were local. Thank you
Good job AMD. God bless you and your family 🙌🙌
I’m a Toyota nut myself. Haven’t bought anything else since 1979. So I really appreciate your videos and find them very informative and helpful
Good videos I have a Lexus GS 430 2002 mine rattles from the sliding board not from seal. Also my glove compartment rattles too.
thanks for all the tips you gave! Without you I wouldn’t notice the drain hole 😢
Thanks for the diagnosis of the noise in the video, I have been hearing the same noise in my gs350 and couldn’t figure where’s coming from..👍
I've seen a ton of salt all over the last few cars you've made videos on. Another reason I'm glad I live in a warm southern climate. And this is why I hate sunroofs.
Good evening AMD, amazing video and knowledge content, keep up the good work.
Very meticulous, good job. Thank you for sharing.
I have been listening to this problem for almost a year and my mechanic buddies couldn’t isolate or figure out the problem. Thank you so very much for your video and attention to detail. If you lived in Wichita Kansas YOU would definitely be my car guy. Blessings to you. John
Thanks for the video. Did this today on 2014 GS350 and it was not bad. I did it in the sun and seal was easy to stretch and mold. Hardest part was adjusting the sunroof as you mentioned it is 😀. Fixed the rattle and much less air noise too on freeway.
Thank you! Great vid! Have always wanted to know how to do this on my Toyotas and Lexi. Greatly appreciated!
I'm so glad you point out the usual mistakes! Thank you for the helpful info
In my former life, I was an automotive technician. I work on aircraft now. I just want to share how excellent, precise, and enjoyable your videos are. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have a 2013 Rav4 that just turned over 80k and is the best automobile I have ever owned. In 80k it has only developed one fault. The sunroof rattles. Odd noises in any machine drive me crazy and sometimes become a failure. Not acceptable. I stopped the video and immediately went for a confirmation test drive as you suggested; sure enough, the seal needs to be replaced. Thank you.
Great video! There's no need to see your many certifications, I can see just from this video you're a great mechanic and an amazing teacher, as well. Thank you for teaching us!
I agree,after six decades on this planet I’ve learned too many times paper means squat. Some of the best tradesmen I’ve know had no certificates heck it was grandfathers who taught the professors what to teach.
Amazing video! You make a great job 👏👏👏
Thank you brother for the awesome instructional videos like this! God bless!
Thank you for doing this video. A bird chewed parts of my weather stripping leaving gaps. The instructions were very detailed allowing me to follow along and change the weatherstripping on my own. Saved me having to spend money at the dealer.
That's an excellent guide even if that is not the issue. My black Lexus RX will at some point have this seal dry out from the scorching sun, and now I know how to properly replace it if need be. In the mean time, I make sure to clean it every time I wash the car.
Thank you for the video. Very professional and useful information.
Thank you so much for this video. I was having the exact problem. I followed your instructions to the T and my problem is now solved 😁. Thank you. Can you please do a video on when your Toyota/Lexus stuck and don't want to close.
Wow I'm very impressed Amd 👏 👌 you made it look easy.
My 07 4Runner has the same sunroof rattle. I imagine this would work for me too. Thanks for an excellent DIY video!
Another great, helpful video. Thank you.
As someone who drives a Matrix with a sunroof, this is great knowledge to have if this problem ever happens to me. Thank you for the great video. Cheers from Chile!
With an aging Toyota, I love your videos !
I was ready to replace rear suspension parts and then stumbled across this video. Thank goodness - a relatively easy fix that worked perfectly. The car is now silent again! I'm a perfectionist, so the only annoying part of the process was getting the sunroof back in level relative to the roof. That took the most time.
A very useful video on something an everyday owner can do.
REALLY Really you are a master. Thank you for your time to simplify the job. I really appreciate you. May the Lord bless you.
Thanks. Great video. I have a similar problem of rattling noise. Buy it is because of metal to metal hitting each other, as you said in the beginning of video. I just temporarily fixed it by putting a soft thin towel In between 😂 lols. Thanks again for all of your great videos.
fantastic. I feel confident being able to reseal my rx330 sunroof. Thanks
THANKYOU FOR ALL YOUR VIDEOS. I AM A TECH IN MONTANA, FORMER YOYOTA TEC. I BOUGHT AN XTOOL D8 BECAUSE OF YOUR REVIEW. QUESTION FOR THIS VIDEO; YOU NEVER EXPLAINED WHAT WAS CAUSING THE RATTLE WITHIN THE SUNROOF. SHRUNK SEAL= EXCESSIVE PLAY?
ALSO,,LOVE THE TOYOTA THEMED GARAGE!
ALSO,,,LOVE THE TOYOTA THEMED GARAGE!
Great work. Learnt a lot from you 👍
Love your work 👍
Nice work brother! Periodically I wipe down all my rubber and plastic parts with 303 Aerospace Automotive Protectant which I presume helps prolong the lifespan of my parts. Not sure if this is the case...but no issues so far after 10 years of use.
Thank you!
My son and I both have an ES350, a '12 and '13. Neither had this problem so far but now a video step by step just in case. We'll done! You must have a producer
Quality content like always!
Thank you so much for this video sir!! I watch you religiously, and only drive Toyotas with the exception of my wife lol. Sunroof rattle free on the 2013 gs350 🎉
thanks for the well done job! awesome and gob bless you!
Very helpful. Thank you. God bless.
Perfect timing! I ordered a new seal for my 2013 es 350 a few days ago!
Curious where you ordered it from and how much. My 2013 es350 needs one too. Thanks.
@@marty4809 I ordered from Lexus Parts Now a few days ago. Still waiting on it though. It was only 53 bucks.
Love your comment about keeping a customer's car clean. My Lexus dealer is very good about this, as have been our Mazda and Toyota dealers. However, the local Town Fair Tire I used to go to had guys who were heavy smokers and who would wear the same grimy smelly pants and shirt every day... and they didn't put liners on the seats, nor did they clean their hands before running them all over my steering wheel. The car would smell like a homeless person had been driving it. Nasty.
Very good one brother. My 2017 RX on extended warranty had similar issue. After numerous back and forth emails with Lexus Canada and the dealership they replaced the whole thing including the glass, but I had to spend 30% of the cost. One Lexus dealership completely ignored my initial complaint and missed the opportunity to repair freely before 80k warranty! Appreciate doing these videos. Still Lexus Canada won’t accept that this is a common issue!
You are meticulous ! That a great thing. Thanks AMD for this knowledge.
Thank you SO much for this video!! I’ve been dealing with this rattling in my wife’s car for years and the dealer wanted $750 to fix it. I have been watching your video multiple times so that I didn’t mess anything up and it only cost me $127 for the OEM gasket and an hour of my time on Thanksgiving Day. :)
I just changed the sunroof weather seal on my 2013 IS250, exactly as you demonstrated. 90 minutes later I was able to test drive the car and to my relief that annoying rattling noise was gone. It cost me 47.00 for the seal from E-Bay seller. Thanks for a great video!!
Thanks AMD - I've got a little wind noise from the 'roof. I've noticed that the seal at the front in lower than the roof. Will adjust.
Thank you for the sunroof tips! I have a '99 Mitsubishi Eclipse. I need to do some repairs on my sunroof, but new parts aren't available anymore! 😫
My 98 gs400 does it. I was never able to find what was it. Will check on the seal. Appreciate the video!
There is a service bulletin. BO004-99
The job was done very professionally. Very humble and great mechanic. Could you please tell me the name of the brand glass cleaner you used? If foams so much and i like it. I bough recently Invisible Glass and it doesn't foam nearly as much as yours.
Very easy fix one man, I raised the right side and placed a large slab of rigid foam to prevent scratching/falling then pulled up the left side and removed the glass. Same in reverse.
Great DIY video!
Thank you for sharing. Could you make a video or talk about different areas that could cause rattling on 2010 RX 350? Suspension was checked and it's fine so it's the other little areas. I know it could be hard to say or pin point but out of your experience which is appreciated.
Wish it was that easy to fix the rattle on the 7th gen Camrys, just a nice bowl of deal with it as far as I understand.
Mr. Car Care, first thanks for your videos. You do a great job of being very informative. I'm an avid Toyota owner, they are such a good vehicle. I have a 2011 Tundra and the sunroof has jammed opened in the tilt position. When operating the tilt up & down it does some clicking/buzzing, I can hear the motor trying to do its job & I can see the passenger side rail moving back n forth. The driver side rail I can see it starts to move but it jams, the clicking/buzzing starts then it will not move and the motor turns off. The passenger side (on the outside) appears to be closed and obviously the driver side is not. Also, it does not fully open to the tilt position. The dealership has told me that a cable and the entire shell/frame of the sunroof has to be replaced. The quote for that is a lot of money. My question "Is there a way to at least get my sunroof closed?" I can tell you that it happened to me twice before and I was able to push it shut. Sadly my son pushed the tilt button 2 days ago because he likes riding with the roof open, but I was too slow to stop him and now it won't close. Your help with this is much appreciated. Thank you in advance
I was very interested in a CPO 2018 Lexus 350, but I’ve read online reviews where people mentioned their sunroofs actually exploding, no impact from any objects, just regular driving conditions. Read that the windshields are very fragile, too. I changed my mind. Other than those two concerns, I was very impressed with the car.
Maybe a silly question but we are "hopefully" soon getting a 2022 Rav4 Limited Hybrid, our first Hybrid vehicle, so studying your videos is a great idea. We also currently have a 2017 Highlander XLE which we traded a 2011 Sienna on. I have spent hours watching your videos and I must say, you are thorough and make things very clear. Maybe I missed it on this video for the rattling sun?roof but does the glass only go back in one way or could it be put in the "wrong way" leaving the drain hole on the seal facing the wrong way and possibly not draining what it's made to drain? I was interested in this particular video because our 2017 Highlander XLE has a strong "whistling" noise coming from somewhere ( hard to pinpoint ) near the top of the windshield when I drive at 120 km/hr ( about 75 mph ) on a windless day or as low as at 100 km/hr ( 62 mph) on a day with a medium to strong headwind. The windshield was replaced as a rock left a huge divot in the glass a couple years ago and that eliminated a windshield issue as the noise still happens. I took it into the dealership while it was still under warranty and the service report was that the mechanic "could not duplicate" the issue. Understandable because it ws a windless day and 70-75 mph is illegal anywhere near the dealership. The Service Assistant manager told be that some of the 2016 Highlanders had an issue with wind noise due to a faulty door seal which Toyota would repace if that was where the noise was coming from. It's not from the door on our 2017. The Assistant Manager asked if he could accompany me to the vehicle as I left. He mentioned that there were small "gaps" in the front edge of the roof rails and that I should possibly ask a glass shop if they could apply some sort of a sealant which I haven't done yet. Now after watching your very good video, I have noticed that our sunroof glass seal seems to sit a bit below the roof level. I have never thought of tilting the glass when the whistling happens since that's at about 70+ mph so there's a slight increase in noise from the glass being tilted anyways. Is the same adjustment for the glass possible on a 2017 Highlander and is the procedure the same to remove the "covers" and loosen the bolts?
Highest level of professionalism! AMD could you please share cleaner you used to clean silicon spray. Thank you!
Hi Marjan! It is actually a foaming glass cleaner. The brand is generic but it can be found in most parts stores
@@TheCarCareNut Thank you!
ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO 👍
Thanks for another super informative video, I had no idea you could take the glass out like that! I have a '08 Highlander Hybrid with 305K. The sunroof tilts/closes fine, but only slides back about 6 inches before binding up. Glass seems to be just a little crooked where it gets stuck. Any ideas what might be happening? Should I try to adjust the glass as shown in video, or is it more likely something with the tracks or sliding mechanism?
YOU ARE IMPRESSIVE THANKS
Thank you . I have this exact car and exact problem.
Hello Car Care Nut. I have the same model but 2016 and with exactly the same problem. Luckily it was fixed at the dealer thru warranty!