Dash Rattle, Help!

[Porpoise Hork]

Hi all,
I've had this dash rattle since day one, the dealer can't figure it out. It's on the driver side next to the defrost vent. Happens at all speeds, mostly on colder days. I'm assuming that maybe there is a loose clip tucked up in there?

Thanks

Take a look at this thread...

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/nasty-rattle.4691/

Probably fix the issue for you. I need to do this on mine cause it has the exact same problem and the dealer said it's normal... ?

Sponsored

 

[JTDay]

What the hell? I've got this exact same problem. I can push down on the dash right in front of me near the windscreen and it goes away. It's pretty damn loud. It became after I didn't drive my truck for a week and then it went away after a day of driving again. Thank God.

 

[JDowns]

Considering you can push down in a specific spot and the rattle goes away pretty much isolates the problem area. The only thing up there that I can remember is the post mount for the A/C duct on the drivers side. There is a post that comes down from the dash that a bracket for the duct screws into with the screw on the bottom. Only way I could see tightening or shimming at that location would be to remove the instrument panel.

 

[wiss]

Hi all,
I've had this dash rattle since day one, the dealer can't figure it out. It's on the driver side next to the defrost vent. Happens at all speeds, mostly on colder days. I'm assuming that maybe there is a loose clip tucked up in there?

Thanks

Hi man. Below this area there are 4 tiny white plastic clips. Some of them are loose between the top cover and the gap.

taking off the upper dash cover is extremely hard.Here’s a fast solution :

take off the driver’s vent ( the one that is located near to door., cluster left side ) very easy. And then put a foam between the 2 parts. ( upper dash and below) you’ll make it firmly. And your rattle will gone forever

 

[Ranger X3]

Hi man. Below this area there are 4 tiny white plastic clips. Some of them are loose between the top cover and the gap.

taking off the upper dash cover is extremely hard.Here’s a fast solution :

take off the driver’s vent ( the one that is located near to door., cluster left side ) very easy. And then put a foam between the 2 parts. ( upper dash and below) you’ll make it firmly. And your rattle will gone forever

I put quite a bit of foam in there before, but I’ll give it a try again. I also noticed the rattle will disappear if I push up on the steering column. It's like playing whack a mole.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Good luck Matthew. I Sure hope @wiss has the right solution Two posts above. I’d be out of my mind with that.

Quoting folks with the same issue in case it helps them out…

I have the same rattle - it goes away if I press down on the dash defrost trim on the drivers side. As soon as I let go, it comes back. Mostly on colder days for me as well.

I took it into the dealer a couple of weeks ago and they agreed its probably the plastic trim thermally contracting and expanding, resulting in a rattle. I asked if they could shim it or add a piece of foam under it to keep it from rattling and they said no.

Very annoying.

I have the same rattle. Drives me nuts.

Exact same location as my rattle and only in cold weather

What the hell? I've got this exact same problem. I can push down on the dash right in front of me near the windscreen and it goes away. It's pretty damn loud. It became after I didn't drive my truck for a week and then it went away after a day of driving again. Thank God.

My Ranger started doing this in cold weather a few weeks ago.

I have the same issue on cold days and only for a few minutes until the plastic warms up. Out of curiosity, how many of you have Lariats? Or the upfitter switches? My sound is definitely coming from where the defrost vent meets the dash and everything feels tight and in place; just wondering if there's differences in the dash cover that might explain why some of us have this and others don't.

 

[fortywater12]

Good luck Matthew. I Sure hope @wiss has the right solution Two posts above. I’d be out of my mind with that.

Quoting folks with the same issue in case it helps them out…

Thanks Duke!

 

[WNCblueridge]

Add me to the list. Noticed for 1st time 2 weeks ago on a cold night with cold motor. Noise was close proximity to pre crash flashy light thingy in front of defroster driver side. Very annoying but a few smacks on the dash in that area helped and once dash heated up it went away thank god

 

[Zaph]

Interestingly, I have this vibration. Exact place as described and I can locate by pressing down on the dash. But it only vibrates when the motor is at precisely 1550 rpm and under slightly higher than normal load. That's not very often, so I never really bothered to search for the culprit. But that little trim strip looks easy enough to try if it ever does get to me.

 

[wiss]

Good luck Matthew. I Sure hope @wiss has the right solution Two posts above. I’d be out of my mind with that.

Quoting folks with the same issue in case it helps them out…

When you heard that the noise is coming from the driver side defroster or dash check this 3 solutions:

1) take off the plastic defroster at driver side only , lifted and put some thin Line of foam or felt cloth tape. ( careful , those blue clips are tight as hell)

2) remove the driver air vent with some plastic tool , in the photo the yellow line put a thick foam or spacer between the plastic dash and the body console. Make it tight !

3) as you know sometimes noises are not exactly comes from where we think… Mine was driver the air duct. Pressing the dash buzzing gone. On cold wether. Well , the issue was that. Driver side ac duct. Was a bit loose. Guide your hand under the pedals until you touch it , put a good amount of Thick foam on any space between the Duct and the console , to avoid moving.

my main language is Spanish but I do my best in English to help the community. Don’t hesitate to ask. I’m an expert finding and fix interior Rangers buzzing or rattling. Hope this helps -Wiss

 

[wiss]

Interestingly, I have this vibration. Exact place as described and I can locate by pressing down on the dash. But it only vibrates when the motor is at precisely 1550 rpm and under slightly higher than normal load. That's not very often, so I never really bothered to search for the culprit. But that little trim strip looks easy enough to try if it ever does get to me.

It’s the Driver side black plastic air duct. Check my last post

 

[OrangeStreak]

Hi all,
I've had this dash rattle since day one, the dealer can't figure it out. It's on the driver side next to the defrost vent. Happens at all speeds, mostly on colder days. I'm assuming that maybe there is a loose clip tucked up in there?

Thanks

Matthew,
These dash rattles are very frustrating and annoying...had one on my 2011 Ranger and tried all the advice available and couldn't fix it and had to live with it for 5 years. It occurred only intermittently when going over bumpy roads. Couldn't determine where it was coming from. Now I have an irritating squeak on the front of my bike that I'm trying to figure out. Hope you can get it resolved soon!

 

[Zaph]

It’s the Driver side black plastic air duct. Check my last post

Mine is up front, closer to the window by that longer cross wise defrost vent, the long one that goes all the way across. The thread that @Porpoise Hork linked to seemed to have the solution by jamming a bit of trim in there. It goes away if I press down in that area.

We may be talking about two different rattles here.

 

[Bob902]

When you heard that the noise is coming from the driver side defroster or dash check this 3 solutions:

1) take off the plastic defroster at driver side only , lifted and put some thin Line of foam or felt cloth tape. ( careful , those blue clips are tight as hell)

2) remove the driver air vent with some plastic tool , in the photo the yellow line put a thick foam or spacer between the plastic dash and the body console. Make it tight !

3) as you know sometimes noises are not exactly comes from where we think… Mine was driver the air duct. Pressing the dash buzzing gone. On cold wether. Well , the issue was that. Driver side ac duct. Was a bit loose. Guide your hand under the pedals until you touch it , put a good amount of Thick foam on any space between the Duct and the console , to avoid moving.

my main language is Spanish but I do my best in English to help the community. Don’t hesitate to ask. I’m an expert finding and fix interior Rangers buzzing or rattling. Hope this helps -Wiss

Going to check this. Thanks!

 

[Timmer]

I have a 2020 Ranger Lariat. I found that the rattle that sounded like it was the dash was actually on the outside. There is a black molding just underneath the wipers, it runs across the bottom of the windshield. This molding slips out of a retaining channel. This molding taps the glass which sounds like it coming from the inside. When you hold this black molding the rattle goes away. I tried to press the molding back into the channel but is keeps popping out. Looks like a warmer weather job. Hope this helps guys.

Sponsored