Re: Tata Safari Storme : Official Review Was so irritated with the sound that drove down to the service station. The head door/panel expert (Mama) was summoned. We went for a test drive. Thankfully the sound obliged. Brought the truck back. Possible culprits identified were loose jump seats (the mounts on the frame), tailgate, and stepney.
In the silence of the workshop mama sat inside the 3rd row, all windows up, while the technician was instructed to start the truck race it and let off the acclerator at different rpms, and shut off the engine, while mama like a doctor with a stethoscope put his ears and hands everywhere possible. He found the tailgate to be perfect. In fact he commented its so good (knock on wood) that he warned me not to let anone touch it. The other 4 doors were also perfect.
He went around the car, under the car, banging on panels, climbed on the footboards and checked out the roof rails and top carrier as well. Evertything seemed ok. The exhaust ipes and everything in the underbody seemed ok. There was some vibration from the floor of the 3rd row. They readjusted the stepney and torqued it. Checked all the plastic panels, also opening the side slots where the diesel filler cap's manual rip cord is there (the wiring loom/couplers etc. is sometimes loose and knocks around there). Ok.
All seat bolts were tightened, including the middle and first row seats as well. The two pegs on which the middle row seats lock, insulation tape packing was applied (actually reapplied). The tailgate lower rubber padding was lightly greased. The beading was checked. Some sound was there but he suggested not to use the synthetic beading lube as it attracted and picked up a lot of dirt which rubbed against the paint and dulled and eroded it. He said he was giving me that tip personally though for most customers due to paucity of time they just aply the lube for temporary sound relief.
One of my video screens was also a bit loose. That too was tightened. The 3 lights inside the cabin when pressed make a bit of a plasticky sound as well. Checked on other Stormes. The same. He found that the plastic cladding surrounding the tailgate glass, the central top part was loose and had play. So he had two pieces of double sided tape applied on each side to pack it tight. He felt that the sound was probably from the jump seat mounts as well as that loose cladding (remember I described the sound as a rattling as well as a fiber type vibration? not bad!), the tailgate door and stepney being ruled out as likely causes. Also the middle row seats on the locking pegs had a bit of play that was now removed by the tape. He also discovered that the art leather of the jump seats when rubbed against itself with the seats folded up (because of the increased padding) made a rubbing sound with the vehicle's movements, so no solution to that other than to leave the seats down (but that in the case of the Dicors causes the jump seat back rests to vibrate/rattle per him - no escape! LOL).
We took a drive and thankfully the sound did not reappear, neither was the sound audible on my drive back. Crossing my fingers that its been solved!
Hope this description helps other Storme owners with noisy backsides! 
Last edited by ebonho : 22nd November 2014 at 15:55.
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