"Tok Tok" sound coming from the inner tail gate!!!

[fullmetaljacket]

I've searched for threads discussing similar problems of knocking sounds coming from the rear tailgate and have done almost all the suggestions and DIY's to solve it but still no success at all!

Knocking sounds I've read about on this forum come from either, tailgate latches, suspension arms, reserve tire, loose jacks, cv joints, rubber bushings on the upper tailgate, etc. but unfortunately none of these are mine.

My knocking sound that sounds like a "Tok Tok" (like a seatbelt buckle hanging and banging itself on the body or rear windshield) is coming from the rear center, it's like coming from the back of where the plate number is mounted but when I took out the whole inside panel, there was nothing there that would make that tok tok sound. I also took out the panel that covered the rear wiper motor but there was also nothing there. arrrrrggg!!

Yes I did!!! I sat at the rear compartment while my friend drove the X5 around. The sound comes out more on small bumps rather than big humps and pot holes. It is also unpredictable when it will come out. Sometimes you won't here it for a day, then the next day you'll hear it again backing out of the garage. Sometimes you'll here just one "tok" and sometimes you'll here a series of it like a "toktoktoktoktok". It's very frustrating. I'm willing to overhaul the whole rear underchasis at this point but since I have not identified and pinpointed where the tok tok is coming from, all the replacements might all be wasted if it does not eliminate the tok tok problem.

I brought the X5 to the dealer, left it for more than a week but they could not find it as well.

Any of you has got this problem? Phantom? Any suggestions (other than sell the car hahaha)? Would appreciate any. Thanks guys!

[dvs]

did you kidnap Ke$ha by any chance?

[01X5Guy]

I have nothing of value to add - Could it be the "Trunk Monkey"?

[Russianblue]

i just got my X5 yesterday. bought it from my dad. he's been complaining about this sound since he bought the SAV in 2003. he took it to the dealership COUNTLESS times. i hear it seemingly at random. but it's definitely there. i'd planned to disassemble the tailgate and dynamat it but the rattle is very sporadic currently. i'm reading through the thread now on possible causes.

[rb0135]

Hi guys/gals,

Just a thought because I found this today when i changed my License/Number plate on the back.

Although the two screw points for the plate stands out, when i screwed the plate onto the back of the door, the edges now and again banged slightly, creating a "tok tok" sound, only now and again.

What I did was to put some double sided tape behind the plate, and it is fixed, quiet and wont mark the car.

Just my experience.

Rob

[JoshGM]

Tok Tok Tok...? Sounds funny, but I guess there thousands reasons out there that can cause such an annoying sound but seriously dont believe it could be "manufacturer" issue it can also be a foreign object... little stone, loose nut,.. etc why cant you open up the tail blow in a jet of air?

For the sound to be coming and going sometimes simply means something must be either loose or a free object thats start roaming when not entangled.

But if you really think its a phantom... hmn... well... just blow a Vuvuzela behind your car 7 times and screem "I say come out!" then blow another 3 times leave the car for the night... while going inside your house dont look back till the following day!

[fullmetaljacket]

@dvs - I wish! Now that's someone I'd never get irritated to have in the back!

@01X5Guy - definitely something like a monkey in the trunk!

@rb0135 - I do that to all my cars. Thanks for reminding me to do that this time!

@JoshGM - Thanks for that Mr. Josh. had fun going through the vuvuzela suggestion! I think that would be my last last resort for now! hahaha! Cheers!

@Russianblue - Thanks! Keep me posted on your research please. Send me a message when you get some other information on it.

I'm planning on taking all of the rear panels completely off this week: take out the flooring covering the spare tire and battery / take out the side panels covering the fuses and where the cd changers were / take out the rear panel covering the lower tailgate, take out the panel covering the part where the wiper motor is / take out the side panels and top panels of the upper tailgate.

Then I will drive it around for 1 week. I will also let someone drive it around again as I sit on the spare tire hahaha! If I won't find the tok tok this week after all that...it deserves to stay! Will keep you posted guys! Many thanks for your contributions!

[Russianblue]

Originally Posted by fullmetaljacket

@dvs - I wish! Now that's someone I'd never get irritated to have in the back!

@01X5Guy - definitely something like a monkey in the trunk!

@rb0135 - I do that to all my cars. Thanks for reminding me to do that this time!

@JoshGM - Thanks for that Mr. Josh. had fun going through the vuvuzela suggestion! I think that would be my last last resort for now! hahaha! Cheers!

@Russianblue - Thanks! Keep me posted on your research please. Send me a message when you get some other information on it.

I'm planning on taking all of the rear panels completely off this week: take out the flooring covering the spare tire and battery / take out the side panels covering the fuses and where the cd changers were / take out the rear panel covering the lower tailgate, take out the panel covering the part where the wiper motor is / take out the side panels and top panels of the upper tailgate.

Then I will drive it around for 1 week. I will also let someone drive it around again as I sit on the spare tire hahaha! If I won't find the tok tok this week after all that...it deserves to stay! Will keep you posted guys! Many thanks for your contributions!

you are my new forum idol. i'm building a wiring harness for my e28, or else i would attempt to match your efforts. kudos. i'll send you some dynamat if you want!

[fullmetaljacket]

Ok guys, so here it is! I finally got the time to take out all the sidings and floorings and all those plastic covers that beautify the rear portion of the X5 E53. Drove it around for a week and discovered all those noises and ofcourse the cause of the TOK TOK I was complaining about!

You wouldn't believe where the TOK TOK was coming from! After all the frustrations, sleepless nights, disassembly hand wounds and enormous time consumed to find this TOK TOK knocking sound....I finally found it!

It was ALL the 3 REAR LATCHES that are not aligned and therefore created the unsynchronized sporadic untraceable knocking sounds because they were coming from 3 different sources. The latches locked too loosely (probably due to its age and consistent banging through the years) hence the mis-alignment of all my latches.

Solution: I haven't decided on taking down the latches and re-adjusting them so that they lock and fit tightly... So, I just simply TAPED the LATCHES using a rubberized electrical tape. Now the knocking TOK TOK sounds are gone completely after I installed the TAPE. I'm not sure until when the TAPE will hold but I'm seeing some tears already from the center latch after only a few days drive. If and when the metal gets exposed, I will just put another layer of this inexpensive electrical tape!

Lesson learned - Most of the time, the reason for a certain situation is the obvious reason and therefore the solution to this simple situation will ofcourse be the simplest solution! Lets avoid complicating matters! hahaha! Hope this helps! Cheers!

[Russianblue]

i'm going to check my latches as well. i BELIEVE i made a discovery on my X that my TOK TOK was in part coming from the rubber bumper-stop things that the rear hatch presses against when closing.

i did an experiment by wrapping the rubber bump-stops with 1/4" closed cell foam. the noises all but completely stopped. however, the foam loses its resilience fairly quickly...or i may simply need to add more.

it all but eliminated the noises on my ride.

there's got to be some kind of design flaw with those bump stops. i noticed one of them seems to be spring loaded....while the other is not. when either of them reaches the extent of their movement range, they knock and the sound traverses down the small shaft and through the surrounding sheet metal.

i'm going to try your electrical tape trick though...and see if it helps to silence anything else back there which i might currently not even realize i am hearing!