Loud popping noise coming from behind the dash...

[OrangeStreak]

Several times I have experienced a loud popping noise coming from behind the dash. It sounds like someone dropping BB's or steel balls one at a time onto a metal plate. I've never heard anything like this coming out of a vehicle. Last Tuesday was driving with the parking lights and heater on and playing music through a Flash Drive and all of a sudden it started and was popping intermittently on and off. Can’t tell if it is electrical or mechanical. I thought it might be a loud crackle coming from the sound system so I turned off the sound system and it continued. I pulled over and shut off the motor. Started the motor again and it was gone and hasn't happened since. Again, this has happened previously several times before lasting a few minutes and then stopping . Would like to hear from anyone who has experienced this or has any idea of what it might be.

Regards,
Paul

Sponsored

 

[OrangeStreak]

heater blend controls??

Possibly. I will try manipulating the heater controls the next time this happens and see what gives.

Thanks.

 

[Steve23]

Doesn’t sound the same but just in case. The first few times I drove mine i noticed some weird sound, it turned out to be a piece of tape stuck in the air ducts. I cranked the fan to high and it flew out then the sound stopped

 

[OrangeStreak]

Doesn’t sound the same but just in case. The first few times I drove mine i noticed some weird sound, it turned out to be a piece of tape stuck in the air ducts. I cranked the fan to high and it flew out then the sound stopped

Steve,
Thanks for sharing. Hope my cure is as easy as
yours

 

[JTDay]

Is there an Auto climate setting? If so, does it manipulate the hvac controls per some logic? If the blend mechanism was stuck or binding, maybe it'd make that noise.

 

[Toytec]

Somebody just posted a TSB link for this.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Is there an Auto climate setting? If so, does it manipulate the hvac controls per some logic? If the blend mechanism was stuck or binding, maybe it'd make that noise.

Thanks for responding. No auto climate, standard system. Does the blend mechanism come only on Auto Climate?

 

[OrangeStreak]

Somebody just posted a TSB link for this.

Thanks.

 

[Trigganometry]

Several times I have experienced a loud popping noise coming from behind the dash. It sounds like someone dropping BB's or steel balls one at a time onto a metal plate. I've never heard anything like this coming out of a vehicle. Last Tuesday was driving with the parking lights and heater on and playing music through a Flash Drive and all of a sudden it started and was popping intermittently on and off. Can’t tell if it is electrical or mechanical. I thought it might be a loud crackle coming from the sound system so I turned off the sound system and it continued. I pulled over and shut off the motor. Started the motor again and it was gone and hasn't happened since. Again, this has happened previously several times before lasting a few minutes and then stopping . Would like to hear from anyone who has experienced this or has any idea of what it might be.

Regards,
Paul

Possibly it? Or related in some way

Recall 20S12 for the 2019 Ford Ranger
The Ford Motor Company has announced recalls on select 2019 Ford Ranger. The recall 20S12 is for vehicles that had the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), blower motor replaced from Oct. 9 to Nov. 22, 2019, per recall 19S34. The automaker in their official release said they suspect the replacement part used for that service may have been built with an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base-plate slot. This could result in resistive electrical short and can increase the risk of the HVAC blower motor overheating, melting, smoking or causing a fire. The affected vehicles were built at Michigan Assembly Plant from Aug. 1 to Sept. 27, 2019. The recall 20S12 affects 5,384 in the U.S. and federal territories and 418 in Canada.

 

[Big Blue]

Possibly it? Or related in some way

Recall 20S12 for the 2019 Ford Ranger
The Ford Motor Company has announced recalls on select 2019 Ford Ranger. The recall 20S12 is for vehicles that had the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), blower motor replaced from Oct. 9 to Nov. 22, 2019, per recall 19S34. The automaker in their official release said they suspect the replacement part used for that service may have been built with an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base-plate slot. This could result in resistive electrical short and can increase the risk of the HVAC blower motor overheating, melting, smoking or causing a fire. The affected vehicles were built at Michigan Assembly Plant from Aug. 1 to Sept. 27, 2019. The recall 20S12 affects 5,384 in the U.S. and federal territories and 418 in Canada.

Wasn't that the reason for the first recall? So they replaced the suspect blower motor with one with the same problem. NICE!

 

[Frenchy]

So this is not a recall that's going on with your truck. It does not have to be automatic climate control as it can still happen with manual climate control. The issue is with the HVAC distribution box. Basically the Box itself is warping which will cause this big popping noise and that's going to have to be replaced. Yes it is covered under the 336 bumper to bumper warranty.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Possibly it? Or related in some way

Recall 20S12 for the 2019 Ford Ranger
The Ford Motor Company has announced recalls on select 2019 Ford Ranger. The recall 20S12 is for vehicles that had the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), blower motor replaced from Oct. 9 to Nov. 22, 2019, per recall 19S34. The automaker in their official release said they suspect the replacement part used for that service may have been built with an improper clearance between an electrical terminal and the conductive base-plate slot. This could result in resistive electrical short and can increase the risk of the HVAC blower motor overheating, melting, smoking or causing a fire. The affected vehicles were built at Michigan Assembly Plant from Aug. 1 to Sept. 27, 2019. The recall 20S12 affects 5,384 in the U.S. and federal territories and 418 in Canada.

Rick,

This information was very helpful, thanks.
I checked safercar.gov and the Ford Website and no recalls on my VIN. Went to my dealer this morning and he also checked for recalls and none. He had not heard of my issue with the 2020’s. His opinion was that it was probably not a repeat of the 20S12 on the 2019’s or it more than likely would have been reported by now. Built in Michigan June, 2020. He said they could run a diagnosis but it would be a long shot to isolate it unless they can duplicate it. This sounds reasonable because I have been told that by other shops in the past when I had intermittent issues. I called another dealer and they said the same thing. Neither dealer felt like it was a safety Issue at this point after I described it, so I have decided to watch for it to occur and manipulate the heater controls if it happens again to see if that effects the noise or makes any changes to the symptoms. Also, will make notes on anything else that seems to relate to an occurance. Other than this the Truck is running and performing perfectly!

 

[OFC Ranger]

So that is what that noise is... though I always thought it was a "creaking" noise, like when something has been shut for a while then is forced open.

Sigh.

 

[txquailguy]

So this is not a recall that's going on with your truck. It does not have to be automatic climate control as it can still happen with manual climate control. The issue is with the HVAC distribution box. Basically the Box itself is warping which will cause this big popping noise and that's going to have to be replaced. Yes it is covered under the 336 bumper to bumper warranty.

Thanks for that explanation Frenchy, I was wondering what caused the issue in the first place....

 

[OrangeStreak]

So that is what that noise is... though I always thought it was a "creaking" noise, like when something has been shut for a while then is forced open.

Sigh.

Jack, thanks for your thought. Someone in a another post described it better than I did. Said it sounded like the cracking noise when a rock hits the windshield. This is more like what I heard.

Sponsored