Rattle in the Dash

[MLucas]

My i-MiEV has been squeek and rattle free for a year now and all of a sudden I'm starting to hear this very clear rattle inside the dash behind the instrument console. I took the driver's side dash apart this weekend and couldn't find a thing in there moving around. I even had the instrumment pod out and shook it vigorously and heard nothing. The rattle appears at any shake or jarring, even small ones. It clearly sounds like something is just rolling around back in there. Anyone else hears this?

I'm thinking I'll have to get the spouse to drive it while I hover over the instrument pod area and see if I can locate it. These things are so hard to figure out. Ugh.

 

[blownb310]

These things are so hard to figure out. Ugh.

I was a dealer technician years ago so I feel your pain. Please let us know if you find it.

Mike

 

[siai47]

Has anybody figured out the dash rattle on the drivers side? Both my I-MiEV's are doing it now. The rattle happens on roads with a slight "washboard" in the pavement. It seems to be coming from the area around the driver's quarter window. It's not the plastic part that snaps in as I removed it and the rattle is still there. I pulled out the part on the other side and then removed the filler between the dash and windshield to no avail. I finally removed the entire dash and tightened anything I could find. I wraped any connectors that looked loose with foam tape. I put foam tape on the duct extensions that send air to the quarter windows. I still couldn't find anything and after reinstalling the dash, the rattle was still there. Neither car rattled in this area when new. Both cars have the same rattle and it is driving me nuts (well, more nuts then normal).

 

[MLucas]

I figured it out. Drove me nuts. If you reach behind the kick panel below the steering column on the left side by the switches and the cable pull you'll find a wad of cables back there. Tuck them away or tape them up and the noise will go away. I looked all over for that noise and even took apart the left side of the dashboard and still couldn't isolate it. Finally, I was fiddling with something around that area and found some loose cables. Tieing them up solved the problem, haven't heard a squeak since.

 

[blownb310]

That's great news and thank you for sharing it with us!

 

[BarryP]

My “rattle in dash” came from something else. It sounds like it comes from around the front small speaker. So I bang/hit the left side of the dashboard—right next to the triangulish window. It then goes away; maybe for a day. I guess the dashboard is a little loose.

-Barry
6900 miles

 

[MLucas]

My “rattle in dash” came from something else. It sounds like it comes from around the front small speaker. So I bang/hit the left side of the dashboard—right next to the triangulish window. It then goes away; maybe for a day. I guess the dashboard is a little loose.

-Barry
6900 miles

Sounds like the same experience. I couldn't pinpoint the rattle - it sounded like it was from the tweeter, to the small dash piece by the sail window, to the kick panel below the steering wheel. I tried all over and nothing seemed to make it go away. I just got lucky when I reached under the dash and moved some cables. I don't have the problem anymore.

 

[RobbW]

Sorry to bring an old thread back from the dead, but I am also experiencing a maddening rattle in the dash. I have discovered the source of my rattle, but am not quite sure what to do about it. The rattle in my iMiEV was coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. Upon inspection, I found that the far right side of the dash appears to be separating from the side of the car under that little triangle window. There is a huge gap there now, and you can see a couple wires and some sensor-looking thingy that is attached to the bottom of the triangle window (no idea what that is). I need to make some time to get my vehicle into the dealer to see if they can do anything about it.

I'll try to get some pics of the separating dash and post them up to night if I remember.

 

[PV1]

Robb, there are two bolts inside of the door that I think is where some of the dash support is. I'd check these bolts and make sure they are tight. Also, there is an antenna in the bottom of the passenger sail window. This is for the MiEV remote, our favorite little preheater-setter thingy (technical term ).

 

[siai47]

The dash mounting is a little weird on the I-MiEV. The right side bolts with two regular bolts coming in from the side of the dash. However, before I tightened the right side, I would loosen the left side. This is because the dash is designed to be tight on the right side and adjusted on the left side. Once the right side is tight, take the two bolts out of the left side (the dash won't fall out, it is held by a tab). If you look in the holes where the bolts go, you will see a hex shaped hole. With a hex socket wrench you need to run the two adjusters out until they contact the dash support bracket. They just have to touch without much pressure. Then re-install the two bolts and tighten them up. These adjusters are to compensate for any difference in the dash and the support frame in the car. That fact that your dash loosened on the right and has a gap means the adjusters on the left aren't set correctly.