Something is rattling under the dashboard. It's difficult to tell exactly where it's coming from while driving. My best guess is near the center, behind radio area. Are there any likely culprits that anyone knows of to look for when I start digging around back there?

Thanks in advance,

AJ

 

TTT

I can't be the only one that has or has had a screw loose

 

My 02Z had a rattle under the dash on small bumps in the road. It turned out that the drivers side winshield wiper motor was loose. Try grabbing both wipers and pull them up and see. The mounting screw for it was completely backed out.

 

Have the same problem, off and on, in my 02 Z06. Sounds like it is in the vent in the middle of the dash. Hasn't been bad enough for me to take anything apart,as of now. This could change.

Gene

 

I have one in my dash. I checked everything in there when I was installing a shifter. I even took it for a ride with console out and found nothing, but it is still there. Going to get my wife to ride along and check it out - she has supersensitive hearing (she can hear me fart when I am upstairs and she is downstairs - in the neighbors house). Hopefully she can find it. It is pretty easy to pull the middle console to look for something obvious. Just search for a diy shifter install. It takes all of 7 minutes. Good luck.

 

Bump on this old thread. Just wondering if any one found any answers to this. I also have a dash rattle on my 2002 C-5 A4. Sounds like its in the center of the dash, behind the Stereo / HVAC area.

 

One more bump. Suggestions on common causes unwanted Dash sounds?

 

I realize bumping old thread but hope someone can help. I have my whole dash out as I am reskinning it. Still have a rattle behind the dash seems to be near the center by firewall. I've taken rags and stuffed every area under the dash,behind stereo, behind airbags,behind hvac equipment. I only get the rattle at low speeds like going over bumps in neighborhood very annoying. I may take the above advice and check the windshield wiper motors as I had replaced a few months ago. Anyone else have this issue? Please god help the annoyance is going to drive me crazy.

 

Could very well be INSIDE the air box. Something inside there could be LOOSE.

Try changing to different temps and level modes and see if it changes.

I can for reference give you some PICTURES of a removed air box and show you what is on the fire wall in the engine compartment that may be contributing to the noise. Hope this helps:

This is NOT my air box:











Some of the pictures are of the GM Chassis Display at the museum and it shows you what's behind the fire wall:





Removed air box:


























If ypou find it,,, please post up a picture of what it was!

 

I have this same issue. My 2000 has nearly 200,000 miles on it. I am beginning to wonder if the rattle we are all hearing could be a result of bad motor mounts? I am not sure but I know its driving me nuts. Like everyone else, it is only heard over very low speed bumps.

 

thank you for the airbox recommendation . I will look into pulling this while I have the dash off the car. I know I did drop a screw down there but the noise was there well before that.

 

Super nice pictures Bill !!!!

 

I had a similar issue that showed up when taking off from a start on an incline and lugging the engine. In my case, it turned out to be the receiver/drier rattling against the firewall. I grabbed a hold of the line that attaches to the receiver/drier next to the battery and checked to see if I could move it. Sure enough, it moved enough to let the receiver/drier bonk against the firewall. I found a piece of molded foam under the battery tray that may have fallen out of place when the A/C was last serviced (by me). I replaced the foam and the rattling stopped. Hope that helps.

 

On a coupe the top can rattle, sounds like it it coming from the dash. Loose latches can cause this. Happens at low speed going over small bumps or rough road. See if it rattles with the top out.

 

Exact same thing happened to me. Searched for weeks looking for the dash rattle. Turned out to be the top on my coupe. Tightened up a few things on the top and its gone.

 

I had a loose sun visor clip that was loose and sounded like it was coming from dash area. Passenger side clip screw was loose. Tightened it up and no more rattle. Good luck

 

I just had my dash out several times, and put in a new HUD. One of the re-installs left me with a nasty noise, sounded like parts bouncing together when hitting the smallest bump. Same as above, right in the center. Tore it back out and if you look at the center of the dash pad, there are no screws to really hold that in place. Yes, there's the two in the vent for the defroster, but consider the little feet it sits upon and there's a stud that sticks up off of the cowl in the center there that simply is for alignment. It's threaded but there's no nut for the top obviously since you can't get to it. I discovered that was the part that was rattling because the dash wasn't seating properly on everything else. Especially not at the hud where the bezel was actually holding the thing up some. I trimmed mine ever so slightly to help it fit, re-installed it and the rattle was gone.

Gently hit the dash in the center, straight down, and see if that doesn't show you where the problem is. It won't take much. Just pull it and replace the thing after making sure everything is sitting in place better, THEN stick all the screws back in. In my case, it was obvious I didn't have it perfect the first time. Wasn't off but maybe 1/8" or less, but it wasn't sitting in there like I knew it should.

And concentrate on that alignment stud in the center. I'd bet that's where the issue is.

 

Thank you everyone for your support during this difficult time. A few years ago I had a dash rattle but it turned out to be the roof adjustment as mentioned above. Checked that again not it. Checked everything under the cowl where the windshield wiper motors are nothing was loose. Thankfully I was able to solve mine without taking out the whole HVAC unit. Behind the passenger footwell is the fuse box and a computer box. Behind that computer is the frame and a hollow area before the firewall. You can bang your hand back there and see how a noise would resonate. I had some relay hanging back there that must have been banging around. Its possible I could have hid it back there when I was replacing my HVAC motor a few years ago. I also stuffed the area with some rags. So far after a spin the rattle seems gone and my stress level has dropped a 1000 points. I will give it a longer test on my way to work next week (40 miles) to see for sure. Keeping my fingers crossed but I think I have found it.

 

My post above did not fix the rattle but I find the ANSWER! First I need to rant a little. Tore out the whole dash, airbag stuff, air box (pain in the @*& as you have to take off your whole intake manifold to get to it). Nothing changed.
Found some posts about endlinks causing rattles. Checked all mine for play and torqued everything down good. Still NOt it.
Tighted up my screws on my fenders in the engine bay since I put on one of those kits with the nice washers. Close but still not it.


The ANSWER : Normally when I close my hood I use a few fingers and slam it shut as to not get hand prints on my hood. Car was dirty so decided to close it with my hand. I noticed the passenger side when I pressed down was making the same damn rattling noise I have been chasing for months! The driver side was solid. Adjusted the stopper near the latch finally PROBLEM SOLVED!!! The only thing that bothers is how that got out of adjustment even though the bolts were on there solid? Anyway case closed!

 

Who would of thought it. I took the car out just to check out your theory and as soon as I put a slight pressure on the inside of the roof the rattle stops. I am still not sure how to resolve the issue but at least I have a starting point. It is uncanny how it sounds like it is coming from behind the instrument cluster....Thanksl