I have a 2007 dts with 18k miles in very clean condition. Car is immaculate. Live in nyc with some rough roads. Lately have developed an intermittent squeak in my driver door panel seeming to come from arm rest area. It typically only happens on a rough surfaced or bumpy road. On smooth highway it's not there. Cadillac dealer told me that they rehung the door panel to make sure all cliups were ok yet problem persists. I really love this car but this is starting to makre me goofy. Any ideas?

Unfortunately sometimes those type of trim issues require a few trips to the dealer. Sometimes they hear a different noise and fix that one instead of the one your after. Maybe take a ride with the service adviser so he can show the tech.

Pound on specific areas of door panel, and cuss a lot. That generally works.

Door panel has about 5 or 6 clips around perimeter. One in center. Do not pound too hard, or you can break door panel.
Loud cussing won't hurt unless your priest, minister, rabbi, or kid's nuns are near. Now, if some of your neighbors call LEO, you are also out of luck for public disruption and/or disturbance of peace.

Pound on specific areas of door panel, and cuss a lot. That generally works...

Good technique! I approve. It also helps to master the correct technique of throwing tools without hitting any thing/person of value.

Good technique! I approve. It also helps to master the correct technique of throwing tools without hitting any thing/person of value.


Tools.... Explained By A Go It Yourself Guy

Enjoy...:) :) :)
I have did just about every one of these at one time or another.

DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted fender which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench at the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh poopoo'

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL:
Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age.

SKILL SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads.
Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER:
An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle.
It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS:
Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads.
If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire.
Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want
to remove a bearing race.

TABLE SAW:
A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW:
A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt.
Can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans.
Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the expensive metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50-cent part.

HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

UTILITY KNIFE:
Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as leather seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts.
Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

DAMMIT TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'DAMMIT' at the top of your lungs.
It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Texas Jim

Any possibility it's the door seals? Try dusting with a bit of talc and see if it goes away....

Superjim, I went to those shop classes. :histeric: Bob

... DAMMIT TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'DAMMIT' at the top of your lungs.
It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.


Exactly!

I would remove the door panel and retest, to ensure then noise is actually coming from the door panel itself, and not the window, regulator, locks, weatherstripping, etc. The door panel only takes a few minutes to remove.

If there was ever any work done on the door, it's possible one of the foam insulators came of the plastic clips. Glass shops do a great job of losing them, or breaking them and replacing with "universal" clips.

If the noise ceases, I would then apply a little bit of petroleum jelly to all the door panel fastener points, both on the door and panel side, and all around the perimeter of the panel. You could also shoot some silicone spray on the arm rest contact points from inside the panel.

Joe

Thanks for all the advice... Well not really so much about the cussing.. And loved the reply about all the tools. Actually went back to dealer and they can't figure it out for sure so they have decided to give me a new panel under warranty. There is apparently something problematic with the clips but they are not sure what and for them i guess it's easier to change out the whole panel. Re the response on silicone spray are there any that won't spoil leather?