Dash creak/squeak/rattle

So here’s what I found after driving around a little bit more. The upper corner in the passenger side headliner had some factory glue that was squeaking on the windshield I was able to get a small plastic tool up there and pull down the headliner and pull it off and my squeaking issue is no more.

 

My squeak came back and it's coming from that same general area. I'll have to check that area when I make it back to town (and the truck) next week. Thanks for the tip @Ship_Wreck.

 

I've had my '16 for 2 months and have a squeak when cold in the right dash area. Finally was able to pinpoint it and stop it by cutting a piece of 6mm black foam 9" long and stuffing it in the gap between the lower windshield and dash. Glad to have that done.

https://www.michaels.com/creatology-foam-sheet-6mm/M10390268.html?dwvar_M10390268_color=Black&dwvar_M10390268_size=9" x 12"

 

I believe I found the culprit to the creaking that always sounded as though it was coming from the passenger side area of the dash. The plastic wire cover from the rear view mirror to the roof liner. I have removed it and my truck has been quiet since.
It got me to thinking of a recent hunting trip. My dad, riding shotgun while on a bumpy dirt logging road, used the sun visor and didn’t lock it in place when he was finished using it. The visor was bouncing around and tapping the visor lock. We thought the sound was coming from the radio area of the dash until after searching for the source for several minutes and I just happened to notice the visor bouncing around making the noise we were hearing. Locked it in place and the noise went away. Moral of the story: sound travels and the source can often times be in a totally different area than what you think.
All of you other guys that have the “passenger side dash area plastic creaking/ticking”, try this out and let me know if it helped.

 

I had the same problem with my 2016. After a lot of tinkering I found the wiring that comes from the ECM is attached to the firewall by a bracket that has three 10mm bolts. As soon as the engine was under load it sounded like a tapping sound behind the dash on the passenger side. So I put a zip tie around the grommet and the bracket and the sound is gone now. Hope this helps someone.

 

I know everyone has been discussing a rattle, so let me describe to you all whats going on with my Tundra. I have a 14 Tundra with about 70k miles on it. For some reason, this seems to happen when it's colder outside. I always hear it on my way home around 10:30 at night after working evening shift (started a couple months ago). The sound seems to come from right up where my dash meets my windshield directly in front of me while driving. It almost sounds like a "tack" noise like either something is loose tapping the windshield from the dash or something like that. I hear it if i hit a bump or just drive over a rough patch of road. I don't hear it when I drive to work during the day, but hear it when I come home generally (colder in the evenings). It really does sound like something made of plastic is tapping the windshield. I have thumped on the dash a few times to see if something is loose but I don't hear anything. Any thoughts?

 

Sounds like the exact issue I had. Plastic tic noise coming from the passenger area of the dash up by the windshield. The plastic piece that runs between the roof liner to the rearview mirror...it is a cover for the rear view mirror power wires. Remove it and see if the clicking noise goes away. That is what my problem was. Secured it with double sided tape and it’s been silent since.

 

I checked that piece that covers the cable coming from the mirror and that wasn't it. This sounds like a "tap" or "Tack" noise and it almost sounds like its coming from somewhere down in front of the driver where the dash and windshield meet. I actually thumped my fist around on the dash a bit to see if anything would make that noise as if it was loose, but I didn't hear a thing. I will say this, this morning I was driving and heard the noise, and thought that maybe it was coming from the air vent that runs along the dash in front of the windshield. I thought maybe something was loose in there, so I turned on my vent full blast and could still hear it at first, but upon turning off the air, the noise was gone for about 1 min or 2 even going over bumps and then it came right back again lol. Maybe it was just a fluke that it stopped for a minute after blasting air through it, but it did come back. It's just annoying!

 

I have/had a number of noises that drove me absolutely nuts when the WI winter hit. I know every truck has its own demons, but here is what I found:

1. Slight buzzing in the passenger area under light throttle- amp cover under passenger seat. Tends to buzz and make stupid noises if the plastic fasteners aren't tight. I will be looking for a permanent fix this spring.

2. Passenger side door makes a bit of noise below about 35 degrees, not much to do that is an easy fix. I just chalk this one up as a loss, and it is not horrible at all.

3. Inside glove box, the panel that allows access to the cabin filter tends to make noise if not installed/reinstalled properly. Worth a look and adjustment if not seated properly.

4. Glove box door tends to creak/rattle when its REALLY cold (and I get a lot of those mornings). Fixed with some thin foam padding (adhesive on one side) in key areas of your choosing.

ANNNDDDD the one that took me FOREVER to find- to include thinking it was the A-Pillar, "oh shit" handle, glove box, windshield/dash meeting point and about a million other things... There is a small piece of plastic in front of the windshield on the EXTERIOR of the truck that meets the underside of the hood. The passenger side on my truck, for whatever reason, decided to make noise when the cold was enough create a gap or something. I folded some cardboard wrapped in duct tape over the plastic so that there was constant contact and pressure between the plastic and hood. That fixed it!! I will address a permanent fix this spring- again.

I hope that something in this list of little buggers helps someone. No trouble with the ECM or rear view mirror, but these were definite noise makers that were solved.

Easier choice- get an exhaust from @dirtydeeds and call it a day! (Side note- I do not have one, but can't say enough good things about Keith).

 

I have a 2016 SR5 and I shoved some big felt pieces between the windshield and dash. That fixed mine.

 

Good video, I’ll have to try this tomorrow. Have same issue, brought it to dealer last week and he said had not heard or seen about this rattle on glovebox side before. Driving me crazy

 

check the black plastic cover for the rear view mirror wires.
drove me nuts for a week straight.

 

So, I'm at work and was researching this issue, and MAY... have stumbled onto the answer. I was over on the Tundratalk forum, and a few of the guys said that they had the exact same sound. Turned out to be the black plastic cowl that goes across the length of the windshield outside (plastic clips that are underneath it). A couple guys took their trucks to their local dealers, and the dealers took the cowl off, cleaned the area, and inserted double sided tape as well as a strip of foam across the length of the windshield and this fixed the issue. They said that it normally happened when it was cold and would stop when temps were above 50 outside (same thing with me). So, I am going to do this myself this coming Wednesday and see if I can fix it. They said if you wanted to duplicate the noise, just lean over and push down on roughly the middle part of that cowl, or somewhat middle, but favoring the drivers side (or have someone do it for you) and you will hear that noise in the cab. Should be the same noise (a tapping noise or kinda like a "tick tack" noise). Anyway, I'll tear into this on Wed and post an update if this did the trick. From what I understand, this has been going on since the 2007 trucks and there was even a bulletin that Toyota had posted where they would replace some plastic clips that were under the cowl (the cause of the issue). Anyway, like I said, I'll post an update in a couple of days when I'm off to work on it!

 

It WAS the freaking passenger visor. My wife never clicked it back in after using it. I would have never thought that to be the culprit. A thousand thank yous!!!!

 

Could explain why I have this noise. Exact same symptoms, only started happening after I got the windshield replaced

 

Well, mine has not been resolved even though it seemed to be for awhile. I’ve stuffed foam pieces between the dash and windshield which took care of the problem for awhile but it came back. Odd thing is that once I removed the foam, the squeak went away for about 3 weeks. I can only guess that I had “pushed” two pieces of plastic touching each other apart with the foam and then they slowly “bent” back. Frustrating.

 

Just purchased 2018 Tundra TRD OFF ROAD 4X4 and had a squeaking noise ever since i drove it off the lot, i didnt really notice it until the 2nd day i had the truck. The sound in volume is very subtle but has a high pitched squeak, seemed to be coming from the front right of the truck. The squeak happened most of the time the truck was driving, mostly uneven pavement or any road that had vibrations (basically all the time.) Long story short it turned out to be one of the (left side bolt) 2 long bolts that hold down the grill/horn assembly and was just taken out greased and put back in by the technician, boom squeaking gone. To test if you have the same noise do this: pop the hood and hit the grill (top portion of it) give it a few taps right and left side and the sound should reproduced.

 

I started a thread a while back pinpointing this issue as well - it was one of the condenser bushings that he just needed to spray a little bit of Lube on and boom all done taking care of no more noise.

 

I have a rattle passenger side dash area only around 2000 rpms tho it’s loke in the middle when I put pressure on the glove box it stops but can’t pin point it any further. Anyone else?

 

I get a creaking sound that comes from behind the radio/temp controls. Sounds like the vent flap opening and closing then creaks when it gets fully open or closed. I’m just guessing but it’s annoying me.

 

Well, long trip to Moab and Ouray coming up. I stuffed some thick foam padding in a few areas that I think are the culprits and I'm just going to try my best to let it be. Not worth worrying about it any longer.....

.......until we get back.

I never realized how much the center Radio/HVAC stack squeaks too. If you push on the horizontal plastic piece under the display, it sounds like a chiropractor's office.

 

Crazy... looking for a similar passenger side rattle and pulled hat cover off to find a completely different sub-assembly with no bolts. 2017 SR5 CM TRD. Oh well, will keep looking.

 

Bubbling this thread back up. I’m now searching form a solution to driver and passenger door panel rattling. The drivers door appears to be the master switch control and the passenger side is almost a “tink” as if the glass is rattling. It’s making me damn crazy.

I’m about ready to buy some dynamat and try to deaden the panels.

Anyone had door rattles?

 

This pic right here saved me hours of searching for the rattle that I kept hearing behind the dash. Thank you!

 

My rattle sounds more like something hitting a fan... and the fan power seems sluggish?

 

Same thing happened to me.

 

Great write up,Is this fix still working?
Thanks

 

I too have the noise problem every time i go over a bump or even a small imperfection in the roads. It sound like the windshield is snapping or something.
Its amazing how many sources of noise there are to explain this and other crackling noises from dash.
1) ECM-lucky mine is not loose. 2) Side hat on passenger side, loose screws- mine does not have any screws. 3) Windshield cowel 4) Passenger vent , i had toyota dealer put tape all over but nothing 5) A joint on passenger side (Where window, dash and handle pillar meet) - i have been told to stuff it with foam and see if it goes away.
Problem is how many times to you take it to the dealer and create more rattles with the dash coming off all the time and Techs causing more noises and more scratches. That is the biggest problem. I mean how much extra money does it cost for Toyota to use proper sound dampening plastics or foam from the time he truck leaves the factory???

 

Mines been to the dealer 3 times already. They tore apart the entire dash and stuffed foam everywhere. They fixed the driver’s side but that passenger side corner sound is still there. I called Corporate and they basically said noises aren’t covered under warranty unless something is physically broken. I’ve pretty much given up.

 

Hey Ship_Wreck is the noise still gone?? i have isolated the noise , and it is in the same area you spoke of. Right up there where headliner meets windshield.Its a snapping noise and it snaps every time i go over a bump or even a small crease in the road. How do i take the headliner out, or should i leave it to dealer?