99horsey

I've got a very annoying passenger side dash rattle that I can't track down. It sounds like a thin metal plate rattling against another piece of metal over the slightest of bumps at any speed. It sounds like it's behind the glove box. With the glove box removed, I can't feel anything loose and while sticking my hand on everything while the rattle is occurring, it never quits. So whatever it is, it's pretty well buried. It sounds like it could be coming from inside the heater blower or between the heater blower and the firewall. Anybody have any idea what it could be? It looks like the blower would be a huge ordeal to remove, so I hesitate to do that without knowing for sure that's where the rattle comes from. I'm actually tempted to just take it into a dealer and fork over the cash for them to strip everything apart to find the rattle. I'm desperate for help!

alkemist

Don't know if this applicable, but if you have an auto, the OD button on the shifter can rattle. Took me a long time to figure out what it was, it always sounded like it came from the vents or center console area.

99horsey

Thanks, but it's a manual. Also, I sat in the passenger seat while my wife drove and had my head right down by the glove box area and it is definitely coming from somewhere behind the dash on the passenger side.

fordguy46

Check a-pillar trim to dash contact. If it's coming from there, insert padding.

tx_zstang

+1; my pillar trim was not seated properly and was rattling with the dash, right above it. As a passenger, holding the trim in stops it.

99horsey

I'm 99% sure it's not coming from the a-pillar trim. It doesn't stop when I push on the trim or dash in the corner, it definitely sounds like it's coming from lower in the dash, and it sounds like metal on metal.

I'm wondering if this is a really rare issue - I've read through all of the rattle threads on this board I could find (there are a LOT - thanks, Ford!) and haven't found anyone with the same symptoms so far... I'm hopefull someone has had this issue and has been quiet about it!

Chris06GT

Mine did that too, but at highway speeds....and only sometimes.

Unfortunately, I can't be more help as I replaced it with a '12 last year. Serves me right though, it's developed a similar rattle on the driver's side. I just can't win.

Blacksmoke

One more idea.
Have you changed mufflers or installed shorties or long tubes?
If they touch when they heat they can cause rattle in the dash.

Mine did that and it was HORRIBLE.

Art161

This probably isn't the cure, but it's cheap, easy, and won't hurt anything if it doesn't help. You should be doing this on a periodic basis anyway. Take a can of silicone spray, soak a towel with the spray, and give all the weatherstripping a good wipe.

alkemist

Sadly, noise is just one of those things that plagues this build. Everyone has a little something and usually even worse in winter!

I highly doubt this is it, but there are rubber funnel (baggies) that tend to collect debris in the engine bay. They are up against the firewall, one is behind the battery and the other on the driver side. Ford managed to fail on that too, as they were designed to funnel water but crap just always end up getting stuck...