Dash rattle

Only comes intermittently when driving. Sounds like it’s either coming from the glove box or just underneath. Hard to tell exactly where. Banging on the dash hasn’t helped any. Sounds like something is loose but only makes the rattling noise on an on consistent basis. Anyone else had this problem and fixed it?

2004 DC 2WD

 

A lot of us put backer rod between the dash, and the windshield for tension.

$4 M-D Building Products - Versatile Gray Foam Backer Rod - Essential Caulk Saver for Sealing Concrete Gaps, Expansion Joints, and Crack Filling, 3/8 by 20 Feet, (Pack of 2) (71464)

Link

You may need to play with the sizes of the backer rod/closed cell foam. I know when I had my OEM windshield I used ½. I had my windshield replaced and used ⅜.

There are a lot of weird noises that come from the dash. I think if I had a do-over I'd try something like this.

CloudBuyer Auto Dashboard Seal Strip 5.25Ft/1.6M Edge Trim Rubber Seal Protector Guard Strip for The Space Between Dashboard and Windshield of Cars

Link.

 

Remove your Glove Box and start feeling around jiggling stuff in there.

 

Exactly what I am thinking I’m gonna have to do, trying to find instructions to remove glovebox now.

 

Remove two bottom screws. Drop Box gentle down and squeeze the sides to wedge out. Bottom bracket has two nubs that lock in place so watch those for tricks. Do not over tighten screws when putting back or you’ll strip plastique.

 

The change in my ashtray rattles sometimes, I just give it a jiggle and it settles down. That's probably not helpful.

 

Make sure it's not an ice scraper in the door pocket rattling at seemingly random times. DAMHIK.

 

That was the rattling noise from last week, but got that one already fixed!

 

Actually if you don’t push the ashtray completely in it will rattle around and make you think it’s a dash rattle. Even if it’s out 1/4” it can do that on mine but my shocks are completely gone so maybe that just exacerbates it now that I think about it.

 

Had this on my wife’s 06. I finally ran it down removing the head unit and found a loose screw that attached the dash itself. Wish I had photos to show you. Took me two months to track down.

 

My passenger airbags has rattled like crazy since the recall service.

 

I had a dash rattle off and on for years. The backer rod fix mentioned above worked well but only for a while. It would eventually come back when the rod compressed. Mine was always worse when weather was cold. I narrowed the location down while having passenger push down on different spots on the dash while it was doing it. It was center of dash slightly towards passenger side. I took out the stereo (pretty easy to do) and added sticky foam tape to a few spots back up in the area we pin pointed. Used the thick stuff home depot sells for doors and windows. Hasn't made a sound since.

Usually pretty easy to fix a rattle, just have to find it first...

 

Mine did that too after I got it back from the stealership. I just banged on the passenger side dash and it went away.

 

I have pretty dash rattle in about the same area you mentioned. How thick of foam tape did you use? Did you apply it directly on the dash facing downwards around where they clip in? When I push down on the dash the rattling stops so I’m wondering how to be combat this.

 

Use the 3/8 backer rod @Tundra2 linked above. It’s what most other people have used with good success.

 

I’m going to try that, thanks a bunch

 

It’s either the backer rod or rip apart the dash and grease those pink phallic things up against the firewall like someone did here.

I wouldn’t recommend taking apart the dash unless you feel confident you can put it back together correctly.

 

Gonna try the foam backer rod first. I think if it’s tight enough it should fix it. Yeah I wasn’t trying to remove the whole dash if I don’t have to. Always a chance I might break some clips etc or make it worse than before.

 

My dash rattle is back, it always comes back... Especially in the fall with return of cold weather. Current temporary fix is stuffing a pen cap down between the dash and the window. It'll work until I get around to new backer rod and maybe another go at from behind the stereo.

 

I ended up trying a 1/2” backer rod and it didn’t help much. I was installing a new stereo so had the head unit out and noticed there was an obvious small gap and play between where the dash sits down (right underneath where you’d stuff a backer rod). I stuffed some 1/4” foam tape between the gaps and I think it’s helping.