Noisy Dashboard!

When attempting to start my car in the recent cold snap when the snow was on the ground, I would get this awful noise from behind the dash in the region of the heating controls.

It sounded like a cross between a fan with a noisy bearing and a crackling loose connector sort of noise! It was quite loud and alarming on some mornings and a couple of times I stopped the engine and restarted but it was still there.

It wasn't the heater fan because as soon as the needle moved on the temperature gauge I had the fan running on defrost and that was as smooth as always. The strange thing is as the engine warmed up the noise got quieter and by the time I got to work it had disappeared!

Now the weather is warmer it doesn't happen! I am at a loss to know what it was.

XM dashboards and others tend to rattle and creak when cold, as the plastic is very hard, as the car warms up the plastic becomes more supple and expands, thus reducing the ammount of movement. I am not saying catagorically that was the problem with yours but certain sections can resonate with vibrations from the car, so its a possibility.

Peter.N.

are you sure it's behind the dash, and not from the roof console?

There's a small fan and sensor for the climate control, and that is a common source. Gets clogged with dust etc, remove, blow it clean, a drop of oil on the motor bearing and hopefully all will be quiet again.

regards
Dave

Well I thought it was from the dash aengus I even resorted to giving it a few sharp thumps but that didn't help either

Maybe it was in the roof, I'll have a look and see what I can find.

Hi

Hmmm you have a Series Two... These have a Xantia Sytle Dash..

I'm not goodwith the S2 dashs, but if anything likethe Xantia the Climate/Cabin Temp control unit MAY be in the dash along side the row of buttons ..

It features a thermister with asmall FAN behind it, it was mounted in the roof in S1 cars, the fan can get very noisy with dust..

Just a thought, but Citroen Could have moved it to the dash.

Good luck with your search

Regards
citroenxm

Hi Citroenxm & demag

No they did not move it as with Mk1's it clicks into the back of the central roof light. Can get very noisy and sound as though it is comming from the dash. Worth a try anyway as it is an easy fix.

Regards

XMexc

Hi Demag.

The two varying noises I get behind the dash, intermittently, are buzzing / chattering relays (I guess). One sounds like it's between the two matrix displays and chatters / crackles / buzzes occasionally, usually triggering a spurious overheating warning. The other is almost certainly the flasher unit. That's more perceptibly in the fuse box area and only arises after use of the indicators.

Mike.

Hi Onthecut

Thedodgy flasher relay for the indicators can be caused by a Faulty indicator stalk. I've also had this on a Xantia dna 306...

Replacing the indicator stalk can work .. if you have a spare to do it with

Regards
citroenxm

Hi. Citroenxm

Thanks for the advice; I'll keep an eye out for a stalk and give it a whirl.


Mike.

After you've replaced it, why not get it on the kitchen table (when your wife's out) and dismantle it, wash it out with petrol/diesel, then replace grease with new and re-assemble. I gather that the fault lies with wear on the contacts causing conducting dust to get into the grease and giving the intermittent buzzing effect. One day I'll get round to it myself! (p.s. watch out for flying springs and balls!)