Dash rattle

[itsjustmatt23]

Does anyone have a dash rattle coming from the center dash speaker area? I took the grill off and took out the speaker and padded everything up but I still hear it coming from that area. I took it to the dealer and they said they can't hear it but of course when I drive off the lot I hear it right away.

 

[PSL]

I had the same type problem that turned out to be my sunglasses in the holder up top. I swore the rattle was coming from the glove box or dash, but I discovered it didn't make the noise when I was wearing my shades - go figure...

 

[iqjumpuw]

Try to find out exactly when the dash starts to rattle. For example, does it start to rattle when you go over a certain speed or roads? Can you duplicate the sound? When I got my brand new Honda Accord, it took me 3 or 4 visits to the dealership to finally get them to fix the damn rattle. I wasted so much time doing this. The rattle came from the driver door and I finally had to let the technician drive the car on the highway to get them to admit the noise. After they fixed the problem, noise came back from a different place so that was another trip. Make sure you don't have anything in the car (in the glove compartment, or on the side of your doors to make sure it's not caused by you.

 

[jig]

You are not the only one my friend. I have the same rattle. I think it is the A/C duct or the center stack mounting brackets/bezels. When it gets a little colder,I will attempt removing the glove compartment and try to gain access from the side and stuff soft foam wherever I can. Hopefully that will improve the problem. If you push on the A/C bezel, does it make a creak/tick sound? Anyhow, please let us know if you ever figure it out. It is ANNOYING

 

[ppirf]

I have the same problem but of course it doesn't happen all the time. It happens over slightly rough road and yes it is very annoying.

 

[itsjustmatt23]

You are not the only one my friend. I have the same rattle. I think it is the A/C duct or the center stack mounting brackets/bezels. When it gets a little colder,I will attempt removing the glove compartment and try to gain access from the side and stuff soft foam wherever I can. Hopefully that will improve the problem. If you push on the A/C bezel, does it make a creak/tick sound? Anyhow, please let us know if you ever figure it out. It is ANNOYING

YES! The noise is coming from the A/C duct under the center stack. I can duplicate the noise by banging on the dash in that area. Now i gotta figure out how to access it... I pulled out the speaker to access the duct but there isnt much room down there to pad anything up. The rattle is only present on warm or hot days when the plastic expands. I'm glad I'm not the only one with this problem.

 

[Cut-Throat]

YES! The noise is coming from the A/C duct under the center stack. I can duplicate the noise by banging on the dash in that area. Now i gotta figure out how to access it... I pulled out the speaker to access the duct but there isnt much room down there to pad anything up. The rattle is only present on warm or hot days when the plastic expands. I'm glad I'm not the only one with this problem.

Why not just take it to the dealer and them fix it?

 

[Rey]

Dash rattles are very elusive and difficult to find. Dealers are loath to try to find them because they are labor intensive, do not fit into a flat rate schedule, and are difficult to obtain warranty reimbursement.

I think with some patience and access to a factory shop manual (available from eBay in CD format) you can find the offending rattle. Here is what I did on another vehicle: first, I used a mechanic's stethescope (available at NAPA stores) to isolate the area of the rattle as best I could. Have someone drive the car while you work the stethescope. Then I began disasembling the dashboard. All manufacturers design their manufacturing process so the dashboard is easily assembled. It is virtually snapped into place with several threaded fasteners to hold it. There are several steps involved in the disasembly process. Take digital pictures of each removal step so as to have a "rabbit trail" for reassembly. At each stage of disassembly drive the car and try to better locate the rattle. The sound of the rattle will change as parts are removed. Eventually, you may find the source of the rattle. In my case it took removal of the entire dash down to the firewall. "Fix" the rattle using common sense. It may take a zip tie, a sheet metal screw, a new fastener, or anything else that will secure the rattle site. Be very careful not to damage other componets with your fix.
Despite all this work you may not find the exact source of the rattle. Rattles are elusive. Nevertheless, upon reassembly of the dash use patience, care and more common sense. Examine the assembly process and improve upon it where you can: like backing up a snap fastener with a zip tie or even a bolt. Use Loctitie Blue on threaded fasteners. Sometimes assembly screws fit loosely. Use a size larger screw. NAPA carries a supply of assembly screws and odd fasteners. At the end of the day (allow a full Saturday for this) you will probably have eliminated not only this rattle but also any future source of rattle.

 

[slvslv]

I, too, have been plagued with random dash rattles. Doesn't happen all the time but it's noticeable when it occurs. I finally had enough and disassembled the entire dash, instrument cluster, and center channel speaker. I used generous amounts of self-sticking felt on every clip, connector, and places where plastic parts touched other plastic and metal parts. But the noise remains. It seems to come from these three places:

1. The center channel speaker.
2. The left center air vent.
3. The speedometer/tachometer instrument cluster.

As others have mentioned, you can temporarily stop the rattles by applying a small amount of pressure to one of these three areas. I even placed a paper weight on the dash by the center channel speaker which helped.

I believe the problem lies is the top dash material itself. Where the dash material attaches to the dash subframe is where the problem lies. But I can't figure out how to separate them. It seems fused to the subframe.

Reluctantly, I've pretty much given up on it and just turn the stereo up. (One problem with this car is that it is so quiet that you can't help but hear these small, annoying rattles and noises.)

Also, I do get some rattling from the rear sunshade upon bass-heavy music. I've tried fixing it to no avail but the best solution thus far is to simply extend the shade during bass-heavy parts. At least I don't notice it rattling then!

Good luck to you all. If anyone ever figures out a solution, please share it with us! Thanks, Brent.

 

[ehayden1]

I feel for you. I hate rattles myself. I just picked up a genesis coupe and drove it to work yesterday and heard this crazy rattle that wasn't there when I test drove the car. I swore the rattle sounded like it was coming from the center front dash speaker (2.0t premium edition) or just behind the radio/nav system cluster. I pushed, pulled, applied pressure to vents, radio speaker, console, etc. but could not identify where the noise was myself. I asked my wife to sit in the car and took her around the block and she found it right away. It was the silliest thing for me. My sunpass suction cupped to the windshield was loose and clacking against the windshield. It was installed behind the rearview mirror out of sight from the driver so I couldn't see it but I could hear it and the acoustics made it sound like it was coming from inside the dash.

Easy fix for mine, sorry to hear about the difficulties so far on yours. I do have a question though.

I have a loose passenger side AC vent louvre (little slats behind the ac vent grate) on the dash. I cannot get needle nose pliers or my fingers through the grate to push the little slats back into their guides (little pegs goes into little holes on the track about an inch and a half deep behind the grate). The car is a 2012 so it is so new, the service tech didn't even know how to remove the ac grate either. He is ordering one but seems so easy to fix if I can just get to the back side of the grate where the plastic track guide is.

Anyone know how to (properly ) remove a dash mounted AC vent grill from the dash? repair manual anywhere?

Thanks
Eric

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[QuantumRift]

Does anyone have a dash rattle coming from the center dash speaker area? I took the grill off and took out the speaker and padded everything up but I still hear it coming from that area. I took it to the dealer and they said they can't hear it but of course when I drive off the lot I hear it right away.

IMHO, if you identified the location the the DEALER should be the one to fix it.

 

[TLIN]

My 2012 has same rattle from near-center of the front panel. sometimes it sound like plastic hitting plastic sometimes it sounds like loose wire hitting plastic.
The rattle only happen on medium rough road; not pot-hole-ridden but just weathered asphalt surface.
Dealer told me the front panel has many fasteners and if they take it apart they can't guarantee they can put everything back together correctly.

 

[Cut-Throat]

My 2012 has same rattle from near-center of the front panel. sometimes it sound like plastic hitting plastic sometimes it sounds like loose wire hitting plastic.
The rattle only happen on medium rough road; not pot-hole-ridden but just weathered asphalt surface.
Dealer told me the front panel has many fasteners and if they take it apart they can't guarantee they can put everything back together correctly.

That is a very Stupid thing for a dealer to say. I'd find another dealer.

 

[TLIN]

That is a very Stupid thing for a dealer to say. I'd find another dealer.

I was very irked by that dealer so I went to another dealer that's about 15 miles away. They have such smooth roads the tech told me he couldn't hear a thing. And because we can't duplicate the rattle they aren't willing to take it apart either.

 

[dfd5280]

On certain roads that tiny rattle shows up on my dash too. Its right where the top dash meets the instrument cluster. For me, if I just raise my left hand and push on the leather instrument cluster cover it goes away. It will also go away if you kind of lift the top dash. The way I fixed it is to take a blade from a spark plug gap tool and run it right where the 2 items meet, below the dash and above the cluster cover. You will hold the blade horizontally and run in (push it) kind of firmly going over the area kind of like you are scraping the back or whatever is stopping it.

When I first noticed the squeek/rattle I jammed a piece of paper in that are and the rattle stopped so I knew I was on to something. I also thought of spraying something in that crack but the scrape method works for me. I hate rattles and this was the only one my car had. Its gone for now although I had to do the "scrape" thing a few time a few weeks apart before it went away. No big deal really.

I though about the dealer thing like you are but taking the whole dash apart is just asking for more trouble/rattles.