Dash Rattle

Proud Owner · Dec 1, 2015

my 2g eclipse has a VERY annoying rattle in the dash. sounds like its WAY up by the windshield on the passenger side. it only happens right at about 1050 RPM (which happens to be right where it idles sometimes so that's extra annoying). pressing around on the dash doesn't make it go away. If you listen inside the glove box or down in the passenger side floor area you cant barely hear it so its definitely up higher and further toward the windshield. I also tried pulling the tweeter/plastic circle thing and tightening the screw in there that goes into the firewall and that didnt help. also checked under the hood and I dont hear it on that side of the F/W.
any common causes/cures for this? anything I can check without pulling the whole dash? I'm tempted to squirt a can of great stuff foam down that tweeter hole LOL

.
thanks.

1990TSIAWDTALON · Dec 1, 2015

PLEASE don't use "great stuff". It sticks to everything and should you ever (or the next owner) need to work on anything there, you will cuss (or the next owner will bash) yourself later. That is the kind of thing we FIND after we have bought a used DSM. Find the problem and fix it right and you will thank yourself later. Just curious, why does the car idle so high, is it modded with cams that require the higher idle?

Proud Owner · Dec 1, 2015

yeah I really dont WANT to use the foam and I realize its a bad idea... the rattle is just driving me nuts.
the idle is set to 1300 cold and 950 hot. it does have stage 2 cams in it and anything below 950 is a pretty rough idle. it smooths out real nice at about 1000 which happens to be right around where this rattle happens (lucky me).
I considered just lowering the idle a bit and let it stumble a bit and that would help the rattle but every time you touch the gas you're still going to "cross through" the 1050 RPM area and you'll hear the rattle anyway.

PlanZero · Dec 1, 2015

I had the same thing. Drove me nuts for months. After tearing everything apart I discovered it was the hood hinge.
When your hoods closed, grab the corner above the hinge and see if there's any play. Jam a piece of rubber or a folded up rag between the hood and windshield cowl and see if it stops. If so, replace the hinge.

Proud Owner · Dec 1, 2015

I've read that elsewhere too.... mine seems tight but others said theirs seemed tight too....
I even had the hood up yesterday and it still rattled inside the car but I couldnt hear it outside the car...
did yours do that too?
thanks.

1990TSIAWDTALON · Dec 1, 2015

I'm glad you are a Proud Owner and are trying to hunt that darn thing down. They can really be annoying. I have poly mounts and I understand the vibration thing very much, in fact my 1g dash was rattling too so I put some rubber door weatherstrip between my windshield and dash and settled it down but I was lucky it was in a place I could get to. Man I wish you the best of luck, I am sure other 2g owners will chime in. I have a 2g also, but haven't got to drive it enough to know its quirks since it started rod knocking 2 weeks after I got her

PlanZero · Dec 1, 2015

No, mine didn't do it with the hood up. Try sliding the lever on the hvac controls to the right (recirc) and see if there's a difference.

bduran1220 · Dec 1, 2015

I have a rattle too...I used a dash cover stuffed good between the windshield and dash so now its very minimal

EC17PSE · Dec 1, 2015

Mine also does this but i just learn to live with it! I mean ive got solid mounts so im not helping anyway but my hood hinge rattles and squeeks and roughly where the front dash speskers are its from around there. Never found it and it could be a loose bracket

GSXvsTSI · Dec 3, 2015

Really hard to help when i can't hear it. Since it's where the car idles it makes diagnostics easier. Let the car idle and start feeling around. My friends car did this and it was the pillar vibrating on the dash(easy fix). If you can't figure it out get a good video and we can help a lot more.

2gGst98 · Dec 3, 2015

Mine also rattles after my poly mounts where installed. Around the same rpm, not sure if mine is as bad but I learned to live with it :shhh:

. I have my rpm around 700 hot and 1200 cold. At 700 little rattle through steering wheel and dash then right around 1000 rpm it gets bad then stops. Tightening up all the bolts behind the glove box seemed to help bit it's still their. Wish u luck on it, but I think most of us learn to deal with DSM noise haha. A video might help people to figure out where it is :idontknow:

When people are in my car I just keep slight throttle on to keep at 1100 so it don't rattle with people I'm trying to impress

GSXvsTSI · Dec 3, 2015

Just living with it is the lazy way. Trust me its fixable, you just have to spend some time.

Lou98GSX · Dec 3, 2015

I don't think your noise is coming from behind the dash . Sometimes noises that come from a rattle from the engine firewall will sound like its coming from behind the dash . My annoying rattle is the sunroof which i can eliminate by slightly opening it . The hinge could cause the noise . My sons gsx had the drivers side hinge rattle . Try looking in the engine compartment to see if something is lose or with the hood opened try pulling on the hood to see if there is any play in the hinge. I have also seen windshields make creaking noises . try pushing on the windshield to duplicate the noise from the inside and outside.

FRIO · Nov 17, 2017

Proud Owner said:
my 2g eclipse has a VERY annoying rattle in the dash. sounds like its WAY up by the windshield on the passenger side. it only happens right at about 1050 RPM (which happens to be right where it idles sometimes so that's extra annoying). pressing around on the dash doesn't make it go away. If you listen inside the glove box or down in the passenger side floor area you cant barely hear it so its definitely up higher and further toward the windshield. I also tried pulling the tweeter/plastic circle thing and tightening the screw in there that goes into the firewall and that didnt help. also checked under the hood and I dont hear it on that side of the F/W.
any common causes/cures for this? anything I can check without pulling the whole dash? I'm tempted to squirt a can of great stuff foam down that tweeter hole .
thanks.

Hi- I had the same problem on my 99 Eclipse. It turns out the noise is coming from the hood, but not the hinges, like some one else posted. It turns out, it's the adjustable round rubber front bumpers. These are the pieces that adjust the height of the front of the hood. I also installed weatherstrip (by Super-stik) on the inside front end of the hood. I was missing mine. This took care of that annoying rattle

Proud Owner said:
my 2g eclipse has a VERY annoying rattle in the dash. sounds like its WAY up by the windshield on the passenger side. it only happens right at about 1050 RPM (which happens to be right where it idles sometimes so that's extra annoying). pressing around on the dash doesn't make it go away. If you listen inside the glove box or down in the passenger side floor area you cant barely hear it so its definitely up higher and further toward the windshield. I also tried pulling the tweeter/plastic circle thing and tightening the screw in there that goes into the firewall and that didnt help. also checked under the hood and I dont hear it on that side of the F/W.
any common causes/cures for this? anything I can check without pulling the whole dash? I'm tempted to squirt a can of great stuff foam down that tweeter hole .
thanks.

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