Air rattle noise at 100kph.. driving me mad trying to find.

[Kinl]

My Deli has developed a very annoying air rattle noise coming from under the dashboard somewhere.. it happens at 100kpm or around 80 with a head wind.... I've had the dashboard of twice and can find nothing, the weird thing about it is that the vent switches or fan makes no difference to the noise which you would imagine it would if it was something in the vent system, also it seems to travel left and right and doesn't sound like it can be inside the heating fan enclosure as that sits left/middle.

Does anyone who has more knowledge of the things that are under the dash that could be worth looking into? Ideas would be much appreciated...

Thanks

Kinl

[fexlboi]

One possibility out of many: There should be a rubber strip on top of the headlight assembly. One side gets loose and makes quite a bit of flapping noise in highway speed. I took both sides off.

[Kinl]

The noise is definitely coming from somewhere under the dash... its seemed to have rested for a bit right under the dials.. very much sounds like a leaf in the vents.. but I've taken that whole thing off and theres nothing in the airways, arrggg ;)

[nvanadm]

One possibility out of many: There should be a rubber strip on top of the headlight assembly. One side gets loose and makes quite a bit of flapping noise in highway speed. I took both sides off.

x2

I had to take mine off as well. They make really strage noises. Might as well have a look at this. Like fexlboi says...it's a possibility.

[Kinl]

Whowa an unexpected fix right there.. Cheers fexlboi for the idea and nvanadm for the kick up the ass to try something I really didn't think would be the problem.. those damn two little 10inch strips of rubber seem to be capable of ventriloquism and sound like one angry wasp going back and forth under the dashboard...

Cheers

Kinl

[nxski]

Does this sound almost like fins dust hitting the front of the van. I'm getting a noise like that every once in a while but wasn't sure what it was. If you take the rubber piece off is it easier for water to get in though? (I know there's a bit of a gap anyways)

[Kinl]

Yeh could sound like fine dust/grit.. but it kinda sound inside the dash, at least on mine.

[nxski]

I can't really tell where it's coming from. It almost sounds like wind coming through the front and into the passenger side foot well. I originally thought this was the reason for my 'wet foot' problem but as everything is now sealed up I don't think so.

[Kinl]

Just try pulling them out, they're just above the headlights a strip of rubber glued on to the top of the headlights about 10 in inch by 1 inch... mine was unstuck cos of the age of the glue no doubt flapping about, which caused the noise. But they just pulled out easily...

if its not that and you're worried about the water (to be honest I can't see them keeping a hell of a lot of water out) you could always glue them back.

[nvanadm]

Mine were basically falling off. I don't think they actually do much to "seal" anything.
If you have water coming in from somewhere around there it's going to make its way in whether they are there or not...and it's a whole other issue.

[nxski]

Good to know. It will probably have to be done in the future anyways so I'll get ahead of the game.
Thanks

[jwfchase]

One possibility out of many: There should be a rubber strip on top of the headlight assembly. One side gets loose and makes quite a bit of flapping noise in highway speed. I took both sides off.

x2

I had to take mine off as well. They make really strage noises. Might as well have a look at this. Like fexlboi says...it's a possibility.

X3 (or 4 or 5, whatever we're at now...) I think when the headlight is brand new that strip is glued down OK, but after a while- the howling begins! Pull them out and save yourself driving all the way to Richmond from Kamloops (or wherever YOU are from!...) to have CVI try and figure it out, when really all you need is some needlenose pliers and maybe an exacto knife...

[thelazygreenfox]

Guys
I had that same problem on my L300, sold last year. I stuck a strip of masking tape over top of the headlights to prove the location of the noise. Presto it stopped. Try that nxski to prove it first. No water leaks, just quieter.
Wayne

[nxski]

Good point, that would be a nice way of checking where the sounds coming from.
Thanks Wayne!
See you at the Meet in 2 weeks hopefully!

[Morganizer]

I think I found the source of my rattle. It sounded like it was under the dash, and seemed to coincide with going about 40-60km/h, so I thought it was something flapping in the wind. But I'm pretty sure this is it.

I took off my bull bars to sand blast and paint them, and there was something rattling around inside. I dumped out a rock about the size of a die (dice). I'm going to plug the end of the bull bar with some foam rubber so this doesn't happen again. Very annoying, and quite a hassle to remove to get the rock out.

You might actually be able to fish a stone out of the end of the bull bar with a coat hanger or something, without removing the bars. It would be right at the bottom near the opening.

I hope this helps somebody!