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Wierd tick-tock sound coming from behind dashboard

Tiny
SADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA
  • 54,000 MILES
I replaced the blower motor resistor yesterday because the fan just blew hard all the time, and was not adjustable. I disconnected the battery while doing the replacement.

Now the blower is working great, but there's sometimes a tick-tock sound coming from behind the dash on the driver's side. My ears tell me it's located near the left edge of the instrument cluster and the left vent.

I can make the sound happen by opening and closing the door. The sound happens with or without keys in the ignition. It will continue for about 15 seconds and then stop. Sometimes when I'm driving, hitting the turn signal will cause the sound to start as well.

At first I thought it was the turn signal or the emergency flashers because the sound is very similar. But it's definitely louder and slower than either of those two sounds.

Did I screw something up when I disconnected the battery? Thanks!
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Monday, June 11th, 2012 AT 10:00 PM

25 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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We need to narrow the noise down to a location of a part. Does it sound like it might be a door actuator no shutting off?
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Monday, June 11th, 2012 AT 10:19 PM
Tiny
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Thanks for the quick reply. I don't know what a door actuator does, so I'm not sure. But the sound sure seems to be in the dash, not in the door. It's also pretty much inaudible from the engine compartment if I open the hood, even if I put my ear right up to the area it seems to be coming from. Can I remove a plastic panel to try to locate the part by sight?

I could try to record the sound with a good mike and send that along.
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Monday, June 11th, 2012 AT 10:24 PM
Tiny
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Door actuator iam talking about opens and closes or postions ac doors like recircualtion mode position or temp depending on how your ac box is set up. Try opening and closing the recircation door then try other functions to see if the noise changes from doing that. Let me know what you find.
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Monday, June 11th, 2012 AT 10:57 PM
Tiny
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Messing with recirc and the other climate settings had no effect. I do have a clearer definition of the symptoms though. First of all, the tick-tock sound is triggered by two events: opening the driver door, and pressing the brake pedal. When either of these events happens, the tick-tock starts immediately, and continues for 30 tick-tocks (so 60 sounds total). Then it stops until I hit the brakes again, or open the driver door. I have found no other doors or controls that cause the sound to start. And it happens even if the key is not in the ignition -- the door and the brake pedal will both cause the sound to start. I drove for 20 minutes on a highway without hitting the brakes and never heard the sound, so I'm confident that it doesn't start by itself randomly -- only because of the door or the brake. So, I know the basic location of the source of the sound, and I know what triggers it. What could opening the door or pressing the brake have in common in terms of sending signals to other systems in the car? Should I try taking out fuses one at a time and see which one makes the sound go away?
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Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 AT 6:23 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I think its a aftermarket installed add on so pulling fuses would be difficult to track it down using that method. Also what if it was on the brake circuit?You need to find the noise of whats making it?Thats the first thing I would do if I was there checking out your car.
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Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 AT 9:34 PM
Tiny
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That's why I asked earlier if it's possible to remove a panel or two and see what's behind there. I might be really obvious what part is making the noise if I could see it.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:10 PM
Tiny
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So is it the drivers side or passenger side?Up high or down low?
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:18 PM
Tiny
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To quote the second paragraph of my original post:

Now the blower is working great, but there's sometimes a tick-tock sound coming from behind the dash on the driver's side. My ears tell me it's located near the left edge of the instrument cluster and the left vent.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 7:24 PM
Tiny
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In case there's some confusion here, I don't have a blower problem. The tick-tock sound started happening after I replaced my blower motor resistor. The blower is fine now. It just seems that when I disconnected and reconnected the battery, this tick-tock problem showed up.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 7:26 PM
Tiny
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I was just trying to get the facts to help you as best as I can right now iam answering a lot of questions at the same time. So please cut me a little slack if I ask a question more then once.I posted how to remove the cluster bezel which looks like it will get the vents off also.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 7:56 PM
Tiny
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Thank you very much. I'm not trying to be a smartypants, I just didn't want to retype it so I copied and pasted, and I thought the first sentence might sound strange in the context of your question. I thought maybe I wasn't clarifying things regarding whether it was a blower problem or something unrelated. I'll look at the instructions and see if it looks like something I can do. Is removing the airbag a big deal? There aren't instructions for that. Thanks again!
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 8:10 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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You dont have to remove a air bag to remove the bezel just look at the base of the steering column down by the pedals. Look for a yellow connector unplug it then turn the key on see if the air bag light flashes and then stays on solid. If it does the air bag has been disabled. When your done plug it back in. Thanks for clarifing the copying and posting some users on here are very unforgiving when I ask them for the same info more then once. What they dont relize is iam spending my free time helping them. Go figure lol letme know what you find.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 8:22 PM
Tiny
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People should be more grateful.

I'm at work so I can't try this until later. One question: is there a diagram you could send that shows the parts that exist behind the vent and bezel so I would know what I'm looking at after I remove them? If I can identify the clicking thing then I could tell you what it is afterwards.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 8:30 PM
Tiny
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Where going to have to play this one by ear I have to look up each part we dont even know what part or system is making the noise. Just like hitting the brakes and noise starts makes no sense.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 8:40 PM
Tiny
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I found the part that is clicking. It's a black box inside the left end of the dash, beneath the left air vent. I have attached three pictures; one to show the location, and two closeups of the part. It has many wires attached to it.
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Sunday, June 24th, 2012 AT 7:33 PM
Tiny
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It looks like a aftermarket alarm module does the aftermarket alarm work?
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Sunday, June 24th, 2012 AT 7:37 PM
Tiny
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I have no idea. I bought the car used. Can I just disconnect it?
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Sunday, June 24th, 2012 AT 7:54 PM
Tiny
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Lets try this try unplugging the module and see if it starts and drives normal if it does were good.
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Monday, June 25th, 2012 AT 2:45 AM
Tiny
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Ok, I'll try that tomorrow morning. Thanks!
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Monday, June 25th, 2012 AT 5:15 AM
Tiny
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Your welcome keep me posted.
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Monday, June 25th, 2012 AT 5:29 AM

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