Very annoying (and loud) sound behind center air vents. Anybody else?
11-24-05, 08:12 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Very annoying (and loud) sound behind center air vents. Anybody else?
It just happened yesterday on the freeway, as I hit a small bump. Need to mention this stretch of freeway has those extremely annoying ridges that make everything rattle inside the car, besides the deafening tire howling. But after they're gone, all used to be well. Yesterday, after said bump, this very loud noise behind the center air vents started all of a sudden. It increased with speed. Sounded like a motor turning. Thought it was the NAV motor (which I never use), but opened it and closed it, and it functioned well. Tried the motor for the stereo cover, and also worked fine. When the motors were operating the sound persisted. The noise disappeared below 50 mph. And not even in broken pavement was present. After speeding above 50 again, now in smooth pavement, it was back. I guess it's there to stay... until 'killed'. 
I HATE dealers going on a fishing expedition in my cars, so prefer to know what the heck is causing it, and preferably do it myself (don't trust the only dealer in town). Anybody has had this problem?? I'll try to tackle it myself, but no way I can live with that noise, so a trip to the dealer seems almost certain (aaaargh!), as I don't have a service manual yet to get behind the dash. Hope somebody can help. Wish everybody had a great Thanksgiving.
JC
I HATE dealers going on a fishing expedition in my cars, so prefer to know what the heck is causing it, and preferably do it myself (don't trust the only dealer in town). Anybody has had this problem?? I'll try to tackle it myself, but no way I can live with that noise, so a trip to the dealer seems almost certain (aaaargh!), as I don't have a service manual yet to get behind the dash. Hope somebody can help. Wish everybody had a great Thanksgiving.
JC
02-15-07, 08:24 AM
#2
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I have the same experience.....
I know its not the tire making the howling noises, I have the same experience as mentioned up above on the post.
What was the cure? what did the dealership say it was?
Its very annoying howling noise......
What was the cure? what did the dealership say it was?
Its very annoying howling noise......
02-15-07, 10:23 AM
#3
Hey if the noise your talking about sounds alot like a loose piece of trim.. you know the ones that go away once you put your hand on it... then it might the nav unit.
My car had a very annoying rattle that would only show up every now and then and I tried to quiet it by touching the doors to the radio, trim, etc but nothing helped.. I tore apart my center console and tightened everything up there and thought I got it. But it was the same.. So it had to be something in the nav or the AC controls, both I ripped out thanks to Dan loaning me his manuals.. Well as it turns out my nav unit lost a screw on the side of the unit and after putting in a new screw, my car is very nice.. very nice...
To rip out the Nav unit you will need to pull the left center vent (there are two clips that have to be undone in the vent and then while holding them in, you just pull, use a flashlight and you will see the two holes in the vent) and the wood trim/right center vent, also needs to come out (again two clips in the center vent and hold them in and pull, you may need an extra hand with this). Then pull the AC control (mine was very very tight and I had to pull very very hard.. becareful) and then the nav unit comes out with two 10mm screws at the bottom and two regular screws at the top. Once out if your missing any screws it will be pretty easy to spot.
I went around and checked the rest of the screws and most were kinda loose, so it wouldn't surprise me if you lost one too.. Hope that works, cause my car feels solid again... (oh and if you need screws (very small machine ones is what I needed), your local hobby store has them..)
My car had a very annoying rattle that would only show up every now and then and I tried to quiet it by touching the doors to the radio, trim, etc but nothing helped.. I tore apart my center console and tightened everything up there and thought I got it. But it was the same.. So it had to be something in the nav or the AC controls, both I ripped out thanks to Dan loaning me his manuals.. Well as it turns out my nav unit lost a screw on the side of the unit and after putting in a new screw, my car is very nice.. very nice...
To rip out the Nav unit you will need to pull the left center vent (there are two clips that have to be undone in the vent and then while holding them in, you just pull, use a flashlight and you will see the two holes in the vent) and the wood trim/right center vent, also needs to come out (again two clips in the center vent and hold them in and pull, you may need an extra hand with this). Then pull the AC control (mine was very very tight and I had to pull very very hard.. becareful) and then the nav unit comes out with two 10mm screws at the bottom and two regular screws at the top. Once out if your missing any screws it will be pretty easy to spot.
I went around and checked the rest of the screws and most were kinda loose, so it wouldn't surprise me if you lost one too.. Hope that works, cause my car feels solid again... (oh and if you need screws (very small machine ones is what I needed), your local hobby store has them..)
02-15-07, 11:55 AM
#4
Hey if the noise your talking about sounds alot like a loose piece of trim.. you know the ones that go away once you put your hand on it... then it might the nav unit.
My car had a very annoying rattle that would only show up every now and then and I tried to quiet it by touching the doors to the radio, trim, etc but nothing helped.. I tore apart my center console and tightened everything up there and thought I got it. But it was the same.. So it had to be something in the nav or the AC controls, both I ripped out thanks to Dan loaning me his manuals.. Well as it turns out my nav unit lost a screw on the side of the unit and after putting in a new screw, my car is very nice.. very nice...
To rip out the Nav unit you will need to pull the left center vent (there are two clips that have to be undone in the vent and then while holding them in, you just pull, use a flashlight and you will see the two holes in the vent) and the wood trim/right center vent, also needs to come out (again two clips in the center vent and hold them in and pull, you may need an extra hand with this). Then pull the AC control (mine was very very tight and I had to pull very very hard.. becareful) and then the nav unit comes out with two 10mm screws at the bottom and two regular screws at the top. Once out if your missing any screws it will be pretty easy to spot.
I went around and checked the rest of the screws and most were kinda loose, so it wouldn't surprise me if you lost one too.. Hope that works, cause my car feels solid again... (oh and if you need screws (very small machine ones is what I needed), your local hobby store has them..)
My car had a very annoying rattle that would only show up every now and then and I tried to quiet it by touching the doors to the radio, trim, etc but nothing helped.. I tore apart my center console and tightened everything up there and thought I got it. But it was the same.. So it had to be something in the nav or the AC controls, both I ripped out thanks to Dan loaning me his manuals.. Well as it turns out my nav unit lost a screw on the side of the unit and after putting in a new screw, my car is very nice.. very nice...
To rip out the Nav unit you will need to pull the left center vent (there are two clips that have to be undone in the vent and then while holding them in, you just pull, use a flashlight and you will see the two holes in the vent) and the wood trim/right center vent, also needs to come out (again two clips in the center vent and hold them in and pull, you may need an extra hand with this). Then pull the AC control (mine was very very tight and I had to pull very very hard.. becareful) and then the nav unit comes out with two 10mm screws at the bottom and two regular screws at the top. Once out if your missing any screws it will be pretty easy to spot.
I went around and checked the rest of the screws and most were kinda loose, so it wouldn't surprise me if you lost one too.. Hope that works, cause my car feels solid again... (oh and if you need screws (very small machine ones is what I needed), your local hobby store has them..)
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Mdy49 (03-01-21)
02-15-07, 12:00 PM
#5
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You mention it's behind the center vents. Is it possible that it's associated with your HVAC system? While that doesn't seem consistent with the speed-dependent noise you describe, I'd try turning off the HVAC, then manually increasing the fan to its maximum speed. I've had annoying . . . and persistent . . . noises that turned out to the the result of something that was ingested into the HVAC system.
Good luck.
Good luck.
02-15-07, 02:35 PM
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its not a rattling noise .....
thanks for the input...... but it is not a rattling noise, it is howling,
and it is the not tires either, they are brand new!
howling over and over again, it stops, and howls again,
it happens above 40mph.....it stops howling, then howls again.
it is a very persistant sound, meaning, nothing is loose, seems like its triggered by something behind the vents or dash Board.
"howling noise" !!!!!!
am very confused on what it is....
Concerning the HVAC controls, it maybe that something got injested in it, I turned off and on my fan controls and it is still there.....?!?!?!!?
I have no clue what is howling behind my dashboards above 40mph?, and it is not the wind outside either?.....
has this happend to anyone else?
p.s. I'am not tearing apart my dashBoard.....
and it is the not tires either, they are brand new!
howling over and over again, it stops, and howls again,
it happens above 40mph.....it stops howling, then howls again.
it is a very persistant sound, meaning, nothing is loose, seems like its triggered by something behind the vents or dash Board.
"howling noise" !!!!!!
am very confused on what it is....
Concerning the HVAC controls, it maybe that something got injested in it, I turned off and on my fan controls and it is still there.....?!?!?!!?
I have no clue what is howling behind my dashboards above 40mph?, and it is not the wind outside either?.....
has this happend to anyone else?
p.s. I'am not tearing apart my dashBoard.....
Last edited by rclab1; 02-15-07 at 02:41 PM.
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