Noises coming front left side of dash. *update 02/05/2010*

[Silver-Aurion]

I've neglected this for a while now because I've been too lazy to do anything about it.

From the top, left side of the dash, I got an annoying tapping sound when going over bumps or there is a bump in the road etc.

It sounds like someone is tapping thin plastic sheets. Ever since I got my car I've been trying to pin point where the noise is coming from, but for the life of me I can't figure out where its coming from.

Is it somewhere on the exterior of the dash or is it something inside of the dash? I've searched and of course there are heaps of threads about this, but mine sounds like its coming exclusively from the left side. As I said, it sounds LIKE its coming from the top of the dash but I'm NOT 100% sure. No other part of the dash rattles, squeaks etc. Its completely quiet, except that tap part that sounds like tapping plastic when I go over bumps.

Here, I've circled where it sounds LIKE where the sound is coming from. I could be completely wrong but from my observation it sounds somewhere around that area.

Edited May 2, 2010 by unique

[yoz-r6]

yeh man, i got the EXACT same rattle, its so annoying! its only once in a while though, and no doubt, as soon as i take it into toyota, it won't happen!

i always thought that it was the guys who installed the new speakers in the tweeter spot that may have mucked up the install, but i don't think it was, cause i checked that they're in nice and tight, but the noise is still there.

if you have any head-way on this issue, it'll be great to find out how you rectify this!

[Silver-Aurion]

yeh man, i got the EXACT same rattle, its so annoying! its only once in a while though, and no doubt, as soon as i take it into toyota, it won't happen!

i always thought that it was the guys who installed the new speakers in the tweeter spot that may have mucked up the install, but i don't think it was, cause i checked that they're in nice and tight, but the noise is still there.

if you have any head-way on this issue, it'll be great to find out how you rectify this!

Yeah, it definitely is once and a while. I noticed its much loader/more obvious when its cold, like driving off during a cold night.

I can't believe Toyota would do this. Far out. I try my best to ignore it, but after 3 months it still bugs me knowing its tapping away over bumps.

What is more annoying is that the council has installed these on the road I need to take to get home:

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/6205569/2/istockphoto_6205569-road-lane-lines-and-reflectors.jpg

And cars are parked on the sides etc and sometimes its impossible to not drive over them, and these are very bumpy, each bump the tapping noise just pisses me off.

Its kind of like a crack sometimes, when at the dead of night sitting at home you hear furniture making cracking noises. lol. like settling in.

[adventurer007]

I think you might need the sweeky dash fix.

Mine used to have a thud sound from that region when going over humps, until i got Toyota to fix it.

[Silver-Aurion]

Hmmm, I might ask them. I doubt they'll fix it but worth a try. Until then, anyone know what it could be or how it could be fixed without going to Toyota?

[HDT05]

It's very quick and easy to get into this part of the dash area. You can remove the whole glove box as it's only held in by 5 or so screws. This will expose everything under/behind the dash. Mainly wiring underneath here. You will get very good and easy view. The dash cross brace can easily be seen underneath. It's a bolted metal tube.

I've neglected this for a while now because I've been too lazy to do anything about it.

From the top, left side of the dash, I got an annoying tapping sound when going over bumps or there is a bump in the road etc.

It sounds like someone is tapping thin plastic sheets. Ever since I got my car I've been trying to pin point where the noise is coming from, but for the life of me I can't figure out where its coming from.

Is it somewhere on the exterior of the dash or is it something inside of the dash? I've searched and of course there are heaps of threads about this, but mine sounds like its coming exclusively from the left side. As I said, it sounds LIKE its coming from the top of the dash but I'm NOT 100% sure. No other part of the dash rattles, squeaks etc. Its completely quiet, except that tap part that sounds like tapping plastic when I go over bumps.

Here, I've circled where it sounds LIKE where the sound is coming from. I could be completely wrong but from my observation it sounds somewhere around that area.

[DJKOR]

My guess is that it may be a wire or two and/or a connector for said wires. There are quite a few of them that run across in that area and if they were to come loose from the electrical tape that is holding it up, they can tap against the top of the clove box or the metal support beam.

Easiest way to find out is as said, and remove the glove box and have a look for yourself. Then you can either tie any loose cables up or wrap them in foam.

[Silver-Aurion]

Thanks for the replies. When you say remove the glovebox, do you mean by just removing like I do when I want to change the aircon filter? Or is there another way to completely remove that whole underside?

Any pics for me to see to get an idea of what exactly should be removed? I know how to remove the glovebox door to access the aircon filter but thats about it?

[DJKOR]

Thanks for the replies. When you say remove the glovebox, do you mean by just removing like I do when I want to change the aircon filter? Or is there another way to completely remove that whole underside?

Any pics for me to see to get an idea of what exactly should be removed? I know how to remove the glovebox door to access the aircon filter but thats about it?

To et you started before I manage to take photos:

You will find three screws on the top lip of the glove box where the box itself closes against. Open your glove box to remove these.

Then close your glove box, and remove that plastic kick panel to the left of the passenger footwell. Look carefully and you will find a bolt hiding under there, and a screw on the opposite side.

[Adamsy]

mmm just recently i too have an annoying rattle from the lend hand side of the dash and after constantly thumping different parts of the dash it finally got tracked down on the weekend and it ended up been the LH tweeter grill slightly vibrating, hell annoying but as soon as u touch it the noise stops but i swear it sounded as if it was coming from the same area that has been circled in the picture. Might just pay to check that it’s not the grill? :)

[Silver-Aurion]

Cool, thanks guys. I'll try both suggestions during day time. :)

[Silver-Aurion]

mmm just recently i too have an annoying rattle from the lend hand side of the dash and after constantly thumping different parts of the dash it finally got tracked down on the weekend and it ended up been the LH tweeter grill slightly vibrating, hell annoying but as soon as u touch it the noise stops but i swear it sounded as if it was coming from the same area that has been circled in the picture. Might just pay to check that it’s not the grill? :)

Well, for about 5 minutse, I played with the grill on the LHS and the RHS and they both sound the same when tapped or pushed. But it does sound like its coming from around the grill area if I try my best to replicate the noise. Is there anyway to take the grill off so I can drive around with the grill off to see if the noise has stopped?

[GSV40R]

Cool, thanks guys. I'll try both suggestions during day time. :)

i didn't read all of the posts , but i go ahead anyways. Have you have the dash rattle repair done by the dealer ??. As posted in other areas there is a revised clip that holds the crash pad to the bulkhead (firewall). some people also put a layer of foam to contact the dash aswell.

the guys that do the rattles at my work have found loose screws in the dash as well. on the bottom side of the dash the vents for air flow are screwed to the dash and all screws are tightened whilst the dash is out. we even go as far as maneuvering wiring looms as they all seem to creak so moving them around and helping them settle a bit works.

on the left side were you indicate is the rattle there all of the time? or worse when cold. sometimes if you pressure the dash above the cluster the noise can change. It could be a wire to the air bag loose or come away, they have little plastic alligator type retaining clips hold some wires and maybe one of those is loose.

if you haven't had the dash seen to as your local dealer to look into it. hopefully its still under warranty.

p.s 1 other common thing is the rattle from the centre vents , i know not related to your issue , but some vents pre aug 08 can really get a rattling buzz up with the fan on. there is a revised set of centre vents to stop that problem.

cheers Tim

[Silver-Aurion]

Cool, thanks guys. I'll try both suggestions during day time. :)

i didn't read all of the posts , but i go ahead anyways. Have you have the dash rattle repair done by the dealer ??. As posted in other areas there is a revised clip that holds the crash pad to the bulkhead (firewall). some people also put a layer of foam to contact the dash aswell.

the guys that do the rattles at my work have found loose screws in the dash as well. on the bottom side of the dash the vents for air flow are screwed to the dash and all screws are tightened whilst the dash is out. we even go as far as maneuvering wiring looms as they all seem to creak so moving them around and helping them settle a bit works.

on the left side were you indicate is the rattle there all of the time? or worse when cold. sometimes if you pressure the dash above the cluster the noise can change. It could be a wire to the air bag loose or come away, they have little plastic alligator type retaining clips hold some wires and maybe one of those is loose.

if you haven't had the dash seen to as your local dealer to look into it. hopefully its still under warranty.

p.s 1 other common thing is the rattle from the centre vents , i know not related to your issue , but some vents pre aug 08 can really get a rattling buzz up with the fan on. there is a revised set of centre vents to stop that problem.

cheers Tim

Thanks for the reply mate, but sorry about my late reply. I did not notice this thread had a reply!

To answer some of your questions, as others have mentioned, it more so sounds like its coming from the LHS tweeter area. When I go over bumps, especially if its a bumpy road where it makes the car vibrate, its pretty bad. It sounds like when your furniture cracks when it's 'settling' in.

I'm worried/annoyed to take it to the dealer because I have a feeling they will say nothing is wrong, and it will be a complete waste of my time.

It's more of a cracking noise TBH that is settling in but never does!

I do have warranty which is extended. I paid an extra $1300 (3yr/150,000). I'm currently sitting on 61,000K.

I would so love to get this issue resolved.

We are going to go somewhere soon, and I'm going to get my dad to drive the car while I sit in the passenger seat and put my ear to the dash and try my best to pin point where its coming from.

Its hard to pin point in the drivers seat.

If all else fails I might have to go to the dealer which I'm trying to avoid because it might be a waste of time.

:(

[Flying Pig]

I never get this problem fixed by Toyota dealer. All I can say is that AUS made Aurion is really a rubbish car.

My Aurion got problems with Dashboard Rattled, Squeeze Sound from Air Con panel when accelerate, Steering Wheel Cracked Sound, Clicking Sound from both Rear Window and rear speaker,and Air Con turn on by itself.

Moreover, every time I sent my car to Toyota dealer, they said they can't hear or found these problems. Maybe they are deaf or there must be something wrong with my ears. Now I treat their office like my kitchen. Image how often I went to their dealer's service office. By the way, can't they find someone to clean their cafe machine? It's so.....dirty!

Now my 3 yrs new car warranty is going to expire at the end of Jun 10. I wonder Can they really fix these problems before it expire? I don't think so.

I really don't understand what does the QUALITY and CUSTOMER mean to them??

[wildfire]

I never get this problem fixed by Toyota dealer. All I can say is that AUS made Aurion is really a rubbish car.

My Aurion got problems with Dashboard Rattled, Squeeze Sound from Air Con panel when accelerate, Steering Wheel Cracked Sound, Clicking Sound from both Rear Window and rear speaker,and Air Con turn on by itself.

Moreover, every time I sent my car to Toyota dealer, they said they can't hear or found these problems. Maybe they are deaf or there must be something wrong with my ears. Now I treat their office like my kitchen. Image how often I went to their dealer's service office. By the way, can't they find someone to clean their cafe machine? It's so.....dirty!

Now my 3 yrs new car warranty is going to expire at the end of Jun 10. I wonder Can they really fix these problems before it expire? I don't think so.

I really don't understand what does the QUALITY and CUSTOMER mean to them??

I have the same problem, called one of the dealers here in perth and was told that it's a common problem thaey have repaired a few aurion's where the clips in the dash panel have worn out, unfortunately this all happens when my vehicle comes out of the factory warranty period and while the clips are cheap to replace its a very labour intensive job so all up I have been quoted $700!

[Silver-Aurion]

Well well well, I found a DODGY solution to this problem.

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/1852/photo2jj.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9109/photoroh.jpg

I folded up this cloth(It's kind of like chucks wipes) and made it thick enough so it fits in tight. Then I wedged it in between the crack.(That sounds so rude )

This has caused the dash to tighten up and also not touch the front window. The squeaking and cracking has disappeared 99%.

Edited May 2, 2010 by unique

[DJKOR]

Well well well, I found a DODGY solution to this problem.

That's one dodgy way to do it. Doesn't look very neat though. If you were to go that approach, pick up some weather seal similar to this, and wedge it in there:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/296734765/window_rubber.html

This is what I did in my old Camry when the velcro/adhesive wore off on the dash mat and I needed a way to hold it in place.

[Silver-Aurion]

Well well well, I found a DODGY solution to this problem.

That's one dodgy way to do it. Doesn't look very neat though. If you were to go that approach, pick up some weather seal similar to this, and wedge it in there:

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/296734765/window_rubber.html

This is what I did in my old Camry when the velcro/adhesive wore off on the dash mat and I needed a way to hold it in place.

Hmmm, thats interesting, how would I place that where the cloth is? Just one long strip wedged into the whole way through the dash?

[GSV40R]

A lot of the dash rattles in Aurion and to some degree camry are a lot worse in the colder months. As unique has used the "wedge" method to stop the rattle in his , it is only a bandaide repair. The dash retaining clips that have been revised need to be replaced. in some cases the clips have been glued in place and extra foam tape added to the top lip of the bulkhead (fire wall) area.

if it rattles when cold and stops with pressure on the dash it maybe a candidate for a "dashectomy" lol , remove dash and replace clips ,add foam tape and generally check anything that might rattle

[Silver-Aurion]

A lot of the dash rattles in Aurion and to some degree camry are a lot worse in the colder months. As unique has used the "wedge" method to stop the rattle in his , it is only a bandaide repair. The dash retaining clips that have been revised need to be replaced. in some cases the clips have been glued in place and extra foam tape added to the top lip of the bulkhead (fire wall) area.

if it rattles when cold and stops with pressure on the dash it maybe a candidate for a "dashectomy" lol , remove dash and replace clips ,add foam tape and generally check anything that might rattle

Hmmm, that is intersting. Thanks for this info.

[peregrine]

I've neglected this for a while now because I've been too lazy to do anything about it.

From the top, left side of the dash, I got an annoying tapping sound when going over bumps or there is a bump in the road etc.

It sounds like someone is tapping thin plastic sheets. Ever since I got my car I've been trying to pin point where the noise is coming from, but for the life of me I can't figure out where its coming from.

Is it somewhere on the exterior of the dash or is it something inside of the dash? I've searched and of course there are heaps of threads about this, but mine sounds like its coming exclusively from the left side. As I said, it sounds LIKE its coming from the top of the dash but I'm NOT 100% sure. No other part of the dash rattles, squeaks etc. Its completely quiet, except that tap part that sounds like tapping plastic when I go over bumps.

Here, I've circled where it sounds LIKE where the sound is coming from. I could be completely wrong but from my observation it sounds somewhere around that area.

Sure its not something in your glove box? Or as the glove box is the only moveable thing around that area try running with the glove box open, just to isolate it from a possible cause!!!!

[Silver-Aurion]

I've neglected this for a while now because I've been too lazy to do anything about it.

From the top, left side of the dash, I got an annoying tapping sound when going over bumps or there is a bump in the road etc.

It sounds like someone is tapping thin plastic sheets. Ever since I got my car I've been trying to pin point where the noise is coming from, but for the life of me I can't figure out where its coming from.

Is it somewhere on the exterior of the dash or is it something inside of the dash? I've searched and of course there are heaps of threads about this, but mine sounds like its coming exclusively from the left side. As I said, it sounds LIKE its coming from the top of the dash but I'm NOT 100% sure. No other part of the dash rattles, squeaks etc. Its completely quiet, except that tap part that sounds like tapping plastic when I go over bumps.

Here, I've circled where it sounds LIKE where the sound is coming from. I could be completely wrong but from my observation it sounds somewhere around that area.

Sure its not something in your glove box? Or as the glove box is the only moveable thing around that area try running with the glove box open, just to isolate it from a possible cause!!!!

I already have. Scroll up to the part where I showed my dodgy fix. Thanks for the help though :)

[wildfire]

I'll give a go a putting some cloth in on my dash to see if jamming it stops the noise. I spoke with toyota and as per my post above its a $700 job out of warranty, however the kit for the clips is only $80

I wonder if there is a guide out there for removing the dash and replacing the clips. I'm sure its a lengthy job but if I can do it myself and solve the problem and save $600 I'll be smiling :)

[Silver-Aurion]

I'll give a go a putting some cloth in on my dash to see if jamming it stops the noise. I spoke with toyota and as per my post above its a $700 job out of warranty, however the kit for the clips is only $80

I wonder if there is a guide out there for removing the dash and replacing the clips. I'm sure its a lengthy job but if I can do it myself and solve the problem and save $600 I'll be smiling :)

A guide? Mate, someone here I remember posted a picture of his dash pulled apart at the dealer, it looked like a human body stomach cut up like you see in those ER programs on TV

Money does not worry me as I have another three years of warranty(extended :D)