Buzzing/ticking rattle from passenger side glovebox/dash area (1 Viewer)

[Pyrenees]

And here's my second nitpicky first-world-problem-of-the-day post today.

The interior of my LX 470 is nice and quiet, save for this mild yet annoying rattle.

The rattle:

- is little a buzz/ticking noise, almost like plastic vibrating on plastic.
- is coming from around the glovebox/pass side dash, I think.
- isn't very loud.
- is not from the engine cover, since I removed that.
- does NOT occur when I am stopped/at idle
- does NOT occur just due to hitting a bump
- does NOT occur when I whack various parts of the dash/glovebox with my hand
- does occur kind of intermittently when driving.

I can even be on a smooth surface and have it occur, it's like some harmonic frequency is reached and it sets a little vibration off somehow.

I thought maybe it was the little plastic light sensor tit on the top of the dash, so I jammed a shirt between it and the windshield while driving but that didn't seem to fix it. I might try taping it in place as a test. I haven't gotten a video of it since I have to drive the car.

I am also thinking of just disassembling the glovebox area piece by piece until it goes away, to see what's causing it.

Anyone else fighting this? If my car was full of squeaks and rattles I might not care, but since it's the only one it's really pissing me off

 

[offroadvegan]

So not related to RPMs?

 

[Pyrenees]

Not related to RPMs, drivetrain is nice and smooth like that lexus commercial from years ago with the wine glasses on the hood (god am I really that old?) Anyway...

Definitely a ride-induced vibration only. Truth is, all I really know is that it's coming from the right of me, I just think it's the glovebox area. I keep adjusting things, leaning on things, pressing on things, trying to see if I can stop it. I dunno why I'm being this anal about it. I took off the glovebox and the black plastic sheild thingy behind the glovebox, messed around with wires, wiggled/tapped everything back there. Still makes the noise.

 

[MATT0404]

I had a really annoying rattle coming from the passenger side area recently. There were times I thought it came from the center console, then there were times I thought it came from the passenger side door. Turned out to be the passenger side seat belt receptacle. I folded it down so there was more pressure against the leather and problem solved. This may or may not be your issue, but it's worth a shot in the event it leads to a quiet ride.

 

[Pyrenees]

So not related to RPMs?

I had a really annoying rattle coming from the passenger side area recently. There were times I thought it came from the center console, then there were times I thought it came from the passenger side door. Turned out to be the passenger side seat belt receptacle. I folded it down so there was more pressure against the leather and problem solved. This may or may not be your issue, but it's worth a shot in the event it leads to a quiet ride.

Thanks, that's a good point. I'm ready to try anything, I just want the rattle gone.

 

[CloudCity]

Check inside the door pocket, there is a plastic strip that you can't see but will feel if you reach in that is held on by adhesive that starts to fall off and it usually vibrates off the panel. I pulled all mine off and added 3M emblem tape (two sided clear and thick) and reinstalled. Also check your tweeter cover, they pull straight off and can get loose easy if someone knocked against it. They also can rattle if missing one of the two plugs that hold the grille in place. It's also possible you have debris in your blower fan that intermittently touches the cage but I don't think so in your case. Finally, if you've had your door panel off its possible something is now touching and vibrating or wasn't tightened down enough.

 

[Jeppers]

Put a couple of business cards between the pillar trim and the upper dash trip, been trying to find mine for a year and found it there

 

[Kabanstva]

I periodically have this noise on my truck and I know for a fact that it's actually the transfer case shift lever buzzing against the leather boot and sometimes even makes a light rattle against the plastic shifter bezel panel. I've been meaning to pull it off and add some foam tape in that area but it's so minor I haven't got around to doing it yet.

When it does happen and I hear the buzzing/rattling, I just move the leather boot around a bit and it temporarily makes the noise go away.

 

[CloudCity]

I periodically have this noise on my truck and I know for a fact that it's actually the transfer case shift lever buzzing against the leather boot and sometimes even makes a light rattle against the plastic shifter bezel panel. I've been meaning to pull it off and add some foam tape in that area but it's so minor I haven't got around to doing it yet.

When it does happen and I hear the buzzing/rattling, I just move the leather boot around a bit and it temporarily makes the noise go away.

I forgot about that one, well stated. Mine doesn’t make a sound on its own but there was a little buzz when I first got the truck that I finally figured out was my audio cable vibrating because it was touching the hi/lo shifter boot as you said. I actually think a lot of this is owing to the fact that these rigs are so quiet with their soundproofing that even small noises seem amplified with no background noise.

 

[Pyrenees]

I actually think a lot of this is owing to the fact that these rigs are so quiet with their soundproofing that even small noises seem amplified with no background noise.

No joke man. My LX is so quiet inside, you can hear everything that moves.

 

[MongooseGA]

x2 on the transfer case shift lever. I often toss my bluetooth earpiece in that boot and it's been known to rattle a bit. Also, I've had that boot rattle on its own in 3 different 100 series I've had. There's a plastic clip that holds the boot snug to the console trim that breaks.

I'm battling with a leaf in my blower fan in the same area. Totally silent otherwise, turn on the air, "SPH SHPHHHPSSSHPHH SSSSHHPPHH"

 

[BullElk]

I have the exact same buzzing. Sounds like maybe a small screw is loose around glove box but all seem right.

Subscribed for more experienced insight.

Thanks

 

[Pyrenees]

x2 on the transfer case shift lever. I often toss my bluetooth earpiece in that boot and it's been known to rattle a bit. Also, I've had that boot rattle on its own in 3 different 100 series I've had. There's a plastic clip that holds the boot snug to the console trim that breaks.

I'm battling with a leaf in my blower fan in the same area. Totally silent otherwise, turn on the air, "SPH SHPHHHPSSSHPHH SSSSHHPPHH"

Three screws and one plug. Drops right out, 10 mins. Inspected mine just for kicks when I did the cabin filters.

 

[Ayune]

I had a really annoying rattle ... Turned out to be the passenger side seat belt receptacle. I folded it down so there was more pressure against the leather and problem solved.

I have this ^^^. After I have a passenger I need to fold the seatbelt latch thing down.

Both of my passenger doors have tiny temperature-dependent buzzes and rattles that I need to address. It’s worse when it gets colder, like right now. Plastics shrink and tiny gaps form. My kids help me hunt them down while I drive and I keep a list for when I have time to dig into them.

 

[MongooseGA]

I have this ^^^. After I have a passenger I need to fold the seatbelt latch thing down.

Both of my passenger doors have tiny temperature-dependent buzzes and rattles that I need to address. It’s worse when it gets colder, like right now. Plastics shrink and tiny gaps form. My kids help me hunt them down while I drive and I keep a list for when I have time to dig into them.

It's pretty awesome your kids are willing to help you look for the noises. My GF thinks I'm crazy when I ask her to crawl all around the truck listening for some rattle I heard while I'm driving.

 

[Pyrenees]

My GF thinks I'm crazy when I ask her to crawl all around the truck listening for some rattle I heard while I'm driving.

At least your GF does it while thinking you're crazy. My wife is pregnant as hell (one of my excuses for me buying the 100). I am on my own here gents

 

[Pyrenees]

I'm resurrecting my thread because I cannot figure this out. I got to a point where I removed the glovebox, the black plastic trim that goes behind it and just left those parts off and drove around. Sure enough, "tick tick tick tick tick tick" still continues. It's caused by a very minor harmonic vibration. It can happen when in drive, foot on the brake at a stoplight. It can happen when driving on a smooth road. If I press on the left top side corner of the glovebox it goes away (but even with the glovebox fully removed, the noise remains).

I found that with all the glovebox stuff removed, I can press on the ECM and it goes away, for sure. The bottom part of the ECM is held to the blower motor plastic assembly and sure enough, mine had separated there. I zip-tied it very tightly back to the blower assembly but the "tick tick tick" noise is still there. So I'm not even sure if it's caused by that.

I'm kind of running out of ideas. There are other buzzes in the car, usually when hitting a bump (and I think that's par for the course) but for whatever reason this one is driving me nuts.

 

[HuntersHikes]

Did you ever fix this? I have the SAME EXACT RATTLE and I'm going insane.

 

[bucfl]

Might be coming from the circular fan in the glovebox. Take the cover off and drive around to see if it comes from there.

 

[fl4031003]

Check the FAQ section, some 2001s might fall into the TCase buzzing service bulletin