Loud popping noise coming from behind the dash...

[Hard Rock]

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.

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.

My 2019 Ranger XL had the clicking noise and it turned out to be the blend damper drive motor gearbox teeth breaking off. Ford is replacing the entire HVAC housing because the original design is warped and the damper rubbed against it, breaking the plastic gear teeth. The new housing is thicker and less subject to distortion. Hope this helps you.
Hard Rock

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[Clank]

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.

I just recently started having this exact sound. Sounds just like a small rock hitting off the windshield. Is that the noise for the blend door? It only happens very intermittently.

 

[ScarzRanger21]

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

My truck does this all the time. It’s most likely the blower controller/motor that you’re hearing. The little plastic teeth on the gears skip sometimes and get misaligned. With my truck I just cycle through defrost, dash vents, floor vents, and it usually stops. Every time I turn the truck on, it ticks… It’s pretty much done this since it was new. I think it started 6 months or so after I bought it. Had the same issue with my old F150. Apparently this is a common thing with Fords. My brother’s Bronco does it also, so does my dad’s F150.

Just one of those things you gotta live with I guess. Unless it annoys you so much that you’re willing to take the dash apart and replace the controller. Or pay to have it done.

 

[airline tech]

My truck does this all the time. It’s most likely the blower controller/motor that you’re hearing. The little plastic teeth on the gears skip sometimes and get misaligned. With my truck I just cycle through defrost, dash vents, floor vents, and it usually stops. Every time I turn the truck on, it ticks… It’s pretty much done this since it was new. I think it started 6 months or so after I bought it. Had the same issue with my old F150. Apparently this is a common thing with Fords. My brother’s Bronco does it also, so does my dad’s F150.

Just one of those things you gotta live with I guess. Unless it annoys you so much that you’re willing to take the dash apart and replace the controller. Or pay to have it done.

There are many threads on this - Snapping / Popping noise
Nothing to do with (Blower)
But you are close (Terminology)
There are (2) actuators that power (cycle) on ignition switched power
1. Mode Door Actuator - This moves the Air (Panel -Floor - Defrost)
2. Air Inlet Door Actuator - This is the (Recirculation) door, I believe your noise at every start up is this actuator and if you look up behind your Glovebox you will actually see the door rocking with the noise -It's the (as you mentioned) actuator searching for correct position

My detailed thread is one of the threads on this:
Most of the threads are for the (Temp-Blend Door Actuators) which is a widely known issue on here and is what drove me to do a detailed look at operation.

HVAC / Climate Control- Issues - Operation - T-Shoot and Breakdown | 2019+ Ford Ranger and Raptor Forum (5th Generation) - Ranger5G.com

and another related

SSM 49264 - Climate Control Temperature Will Not Adjust With Clicking/Snapping Noise From The Dash | 2019+ Ford Ranger and Raptor Forum (5th Generation) - Ranger5G.com

 

[OrangeStreak]

My truck does this all the time. It’s most likely the blower controller/motor that you’re hearing. The little plastic teeth on the gears skip sometimes and get misaligned. With my truck I just cycle through defrost, dash vents, floor vents, and it usually stops. Every time I turn the truck on, it ticks… It’s pretty much done this since it was new. I think it started 6 months or so after I bought it. Had the same issue with my old F150. Apparently this is a common thing with Fords. My brother’s Bronco does it also, so does my dad’s F150.

Just one of those things you gotta live with I guess. Unless it annoys you so much that you’re willing to take the dash apart and replace the controller. Or pay to have it done.

Thanks for the input! This noise only occurred a few times in 2021 and has not occurred since...so I think it was just a temporary glitch of some sort that has gone away.

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