Toyota RAV4 Spare Tire Cover Noise

nancy2001

Hi there, i have been hear lots of rattling noise from my spare tire cover. i took it back to toyota and they said they insulated more for me, but still has the same noise. i am waiting to hear from them again on how to fix this annoying problem. my rav4 2005 never ever made this noise. i was wondering if any of ya'll have been having this experience. it's when the motor is running, not even with a/c or radio on . thanks for any and all input. :-)

tidester

Try the main Toyota RAV4 discussion.

tidester, host

saqsalm

The "Toyota Rav4 2006+" is probably the best discussion forum for quick replies on Toyota Rav4s. I usually get 3 to 4 replies hours within my posting a question.

flick4411

I am wondering if you or anyone has figured out how to put the spare tire cover back on after removing it. I have a 2006 RAV4 base model as does a friend of mine...neither of us can figure out how to get the cover completely back on. We can get the top to go over the depth of the tire, but the bottom won't go all the way over the tire. And with so little clearance between the tire and the bumper, there seems to be no clear answer. I worked on it for over an hour without solving the problem. We are sure that someone out there has figured it out. My friend even took her RAV4 into the dealership for help. The fellow there managed to get the elastic part around the tire, but at the bottom, the elastic was only about half way across the depth of the tire--sort of stuck in the tread. There's got to be a better way. Thanks!

gd113

If I understand correctly you have to have the rear door open to be able to lock the cover otherwise the bumper is in the way. Thats how it "locks" it.

flick4411

There is no lock on the combination hard and soft cover. And that's what we have. The flat side (outside) is hard plastic, but the part that wraps around the tire is sort of Naugahyde with a sturdy elastic edge that SHOULD wrap around the tire. Unfortunately, the bottom edge of the tire and the bumper are too close together to get ones' hands in to push the elastic around to the sidewall of the spare tire. I wish there were a simple lock...alas, it's not that simple...

nancy2001

Hi There . I have the RAV4 2006 Limited edition. Mine has the total hard cover on the spare and yes, you have to open the back door to remove and replace and lock the cover. the cover automatically locks when you lock your RAV4. The noise problem I had was figured out at the dealership by my salesman, he just took it off and put it back on , apparently, the person whom took it off to show customers the tire, didn't put it on correctly, hence the noise. I am sorry I don't have an answer to your soft/hard tire cover. try another dealership or your same dealership and a different salesperson, possibly the manager or even go to the service department. good luck and so sorry you are experiencing this.

dce33

You are right it is a pain to put that cover back, the first time i took it out i had problem putting it back too, i even went back to the internet to see how that insignia (that sort of nike logo)looks in the other rav4.
The top and bottom part of the elastic edge is not too hard to fit in since it is not blocked. You have to open the door to fit the bottom edge but the sides is tricky since you only have a small gap there to get those elastics to fit. I tried to snuck my little hand in the gap and push the elastic with my fingers as best as i can, you wont be able to fit it in completely but it will be a good maybe 3/4 of the way. To completely fit the elastic, you have to push the cover where it doesnt fit snugly like in top, bottom, sides and wiggle it a bit.
Hope this helps.

psychtobe

I guess the base model comes with the combo soft/hard cover, which is not clearly differentiated in the manual. There is no latch on this model. I guess it's supposed to be "obvious" how to get this thing on the spare?

Anyway, we were pretty successful as follows: First, orient the cover with the logo matching the manual picture. Second, put the top of the cover all the way over the top of the tire. Third, slip the 2 sides (non-elastic) over the spare. Finally, with the gate open, reach under the gate and pull the bottom part of the cover on. There's a little space there that gives you more access, but the gate has to be open.

indigo56

I have a RAV4 1998, the front left tire (driver side) is flat. I am trying to change it but the wheel won't come off. Should I just keep tugging till it comes off? Also, in the hub is a round brass ring with a cotter pin, could this be part of the problem. I know this is a mickey mouse question but I am stumped. thanks for any help.

jimd4

Well don't touch the cotter pin and nut there or you will end up getting the wheel and wheel bearing hub part way off but not off.

If the tire has not been off for a long time it is probably partly rusted to the hub or there is dirt and salt on the hub. A little heat around the wheel near the hub might help but maybe a tire shop is the best answer. Most will come to your house if your stuck.

redtrain75

I wondered about the spare tire cover on our 06 as well. The manual doesnt talk about the base model cover. THe sales rep told me to just work it around the tire with the door open.

flick4411

Since I originally posted, I've asked a number of 06 RAV owners (stopping strangers in the supermarket parking lot, etc.), and everyone has the same answer. Just work it around with the "swoop" facing upwards. The cover on mine is still not on the same way it was when I bought it, but the dealership can't get it back on the same way either!! I was seriously worried it would blow off; but after running south on I95 to Richmond a few weeks ago (that means doing 80 on the 95 here in Vah-geen-nah ), it stayed put. So I guess it's ok!!! Good luck!

dbozroz

Well I just discovered this issue with the hard/soft cover a few nights ago when changing a flat. Can't tell you how disappointed I am with Toyota for this poor design! Luckily I was with my daughter when this happened (her car) because I don't think she would have been able to even get the cover off the spare to replace the flat tire! And after getting the flat fixed and replacing the original spare tire back on the rear rack we have yet been able to get the cover back on. Neither could the Toyota dealer when I took it to them...they told us to take it back home and heat it up so that the elastic and soft cover will stretch more. Now I know why they don't include the spare tire when they rotate the other tires...they don't want to have to take the cover off and try to replace it! I wrote Toyota a long letter expressing my disappointment and told them I think it is a safety hazard. Scares me to think what could happen if my daughter were by herself in a remote area and had to try to remove the cover! :mad:

JeffsRAV

Nancy,
I have been having a similar issue with my RAV 4 tire cover. Were you able to resolve your issue back in March?

popparob

I recently went to put the brand new spare on the front of our 2003 chili edition....the covewr was a pain to remove and after realizing the sparetire was a diffrerent make of tire .....cannot get it back on the tire no way no how...any ideas :mad: ...I almost gave my self a heart attack trying so long and so hard to get it to work

chromehammer

I have 2007 Rav4, the other day I put air in the spare as that needs to be done from time to time. I have the hard/soft spare tire cover and could not get it to go back on. It was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing so after fighting with it for 30 minutes I decided that it would wait for another day as the vinyl was very stiff and brittle. Today it is 43 degrees so a bit warmer but not warm enough to make the vinyl soft but nicer to work in. After doing battle for 30 minutes an idea came to mind, why not use a heat gun or a hand held hair drier to get it to soften. I had the cover part of the way on, to the point that it would not fall off, but could not get it to go all the way over the tire. I grabbed the heat gun and warmed a section about (1/3 of the circumference) of the cover to about 110 degrees (warm to touch) and found the vinyl had become pretty pliable, I was able to slide that section further on so I warmed another 1/3 of the cover and was able to get it to go all the way on. The bottom line is that the cover has to be warm ( 110 to 130 degrees) in order for the vinyl to be pliable enough to stretch over the tire, one other very important note is that you will need the gate open while you are doing this as you can not get to the bottom of the tire with it closed. If you live in a warm climate with lots of sunshine this may not be a problem for you but if you live in a climate that is cool and lots of cloud cover this is probably the best method to get that reinstalled.

teedagreen

I have a Rav4 06 and my spare tire cover pops off every time I go through the car wash. Are there any ideas on how to keep the cover on.