weird noise behind dash

[boy412]

Not sure if this is a cooler weather thing or not, but I have this strange noise coming from behind the dash. I can only hear it when stopped and at idle. Its like a relay opening and closing, or something similar. The even weirder thing is when I stop, cut the engine, remove the key, and open the door...I can still hear something happening behind the dash...like a servo opening and closing a damper or something.



This happens whether the climate control is on or off. I'm not terribly concerned about this...its more of an annoyance than anything else. I've owned this car since new and am quite in tune with the way it behaves, the sounds it makes, etc...so when it starts making new sounds I get curious. And the fact that I hear little motors (or something) making sounds behind the dash when the engine is off and key is removed is weird. I haven't stayed around long enough to learn how long this goes on for, but I worry about the battery being used needlessly.

Anybody else hear weird noises like this coming from their dash?

[tyroneshoelaces]

I just bought my A4 last friday and noticed mine does the exact same thing. I wasn't sure if this was common to all cars or mine and it's unknown history. I will be glad to hear what it is though. I was assuming it was something to do with the climate control.

[Mantvis]

same thing with my TT. so im guessing it is the climate control

[boy412]

But the climate control is OFF.

?

[boy412]

I just bought my A4 last friday....

Congratulations!

[Mantvis]

off and on. dosnt matter

[Allhailpoptart]

My '03 does this constantly. I'm fairly certain it's something wrong in the climate control system but I have no idea what just what that is yet. It hasn't caused my heat/AC to not work yet so I'm not really 100% interested in the potential of pulling apart the dash to try and fix it. I've looked around a little bit but haven't really come up with much.


Every time I do a full VagCom scan I always pull back these codes and judging from the sound I'm willing to bet the system is testing these, or doing something with them, to make that noise:

Address 08
Controller: 8E0 820 043 L
Component: A4 Klimaautomat 1016
01809 - Actuating Motor for Temperature Flap: Left (V158)
41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent
01841 - Potentiometer/Actuator for Temperature Flap: Left (G220)
30-10 - Open or Short to B+ - Intermittent
01274 - Air Flow Flap Positioning Motor (V71)
41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent
00604 - Potentiometer Positioning Motor for Air Flow Flap (G113)
30-10 - Open or Short to B+ - Intermittent

[boy412]

Hmmm. Thanks for that post. I'll VAG my car when I get home tonight!

[boy412]

01274 - Air Flow Flap Positioning Motor (V71)
41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent

Yes...I am getting this code (1.5 years later). Doesn't seem to effect the climate control system at all! I'm certainly not going to rip the dash apart chasing down this gremlin..although now I really wonder if there is something blocking the flap...like a dead mouse or something.

[chitownsports]

Happens to me too, but no codes last time I checked

[MinuteMan]

I had same thing and recently got my ross tech for a different check engine light reason. I saw a thread elsewhere that said to recalibrate the basic settings of the AC module. So I plugged in, went to AC module, found basic settings, calibrate (I think it was called calibrate...) and after it performed that recal that was fully automatic and took 1 monute for system to just move the flaps to full open and closed and read the pots, the codes are gone and the noise is gone! Try it.

[Mr.Avant]

I too notice this odd noise. Never when the car is running but always after turned off with key pulled out. Always assumed it was the climate control "flaps" for directing air through the different vents cycling. Glad to know its not just me.

[jubei4769]

its loud and annoying at first but now i just ignore it.

[WildGoose]

I found this youtube video by chance a little while ago that seems like it match up with the issue everyone here is describing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQj5un6bjbM

Description of the video says the part# he found that was faulty:
"I would hear a clicking sound after turning the car off, key out. After removing the glove box I was able to locate the clicking component. My part number that failed on me was 8E1820511C"

I have the same noise coming from mine as well at the moment. Need to look into getting the dash disassembled and take a look. Hope this helps.

[DiertyEuroSpec]

I have the same noise and it mainly happens after I shut down the car. I've learned to live with it as it doesn't throw any codes or seem to cause any problems. Any body have any more detailed info on exactly what this is and if its worth tearing into the glove to resolve?

[Mr.Avant]

I found this youtube video by chance a little while ago that seems like it match up with the issue everyone here is describing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQj5un6bjbM

Description of the video says the part# he found that was faulty:
"I would hear a clicking sound after turning the car off, key out. After removing the glove box I was able to locate the clicking component. My part number that failed on me was 8E1820511C"

I have the same noise coming from mine as well at the moment. Need to look into getting the dash disassembled and take a look. Hope this helps.

Thats not the noise mine produces... Mine sounds more like the when you move the CD's through the CD changer.

[waldo1324]

blown servo- ive taken the dash apart and watched this little pathetic green servo arm weakly try to go back and forth whining like a tard.

like dis:




i do plan on relplacing it..... soon.

[coowhip]

Did this part actually fix the problem? Anyone else have any solutions to it?

[coowhip]

Here is a good read with a picture behind the glove box. I'm getting more convinced its the defrost motor. It's where the sound is more profound is in the middle of the dash by the windshield.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Defrost-Flap...-/280964782566

[A4Dit]

Mine did this for years, one day it just finally stopped and it took the a/c with it. Once it stopped I no longer had a/c.

[coowhip]

I finally took my glove box out and its definitely the defrost servo motor. The control arms are either stuck, which I doubt, or the motor is too weak to move the arm and flaps. I ordered a used but working motor from ebay and will post results. 8E1820511B is the part number. This also showed as a fault in VAG-Com which only solidified the diagnosis.

As far as noises behind the dash...taking off the glove box literally takes 5 minutes. Just 9 - 8mm bolts and all really easily accessible with extensions and a ratchet.

With all those control arms behind the glove box it all kind of looks like the game Mouse Trap. lol

[DiertyEuroSpec]

Good info here Thanks coowhip!!

[boy412]

I finally took my glove box out and its definitely the defrost servo motor. The control arms are either stuck, which I doubt, or the motor is too weak to move the arm and flaps. I ordered a used but working motor from ebay and will post results. 8E1820511B is the part number. This also showed as a fault in VAG-Com which only solidified the diagnosis.

As far as noises behind the dash...taking off the glove box literally takes 5 minutes. Just 9 - 8mm bolts and all really easily accessible with extensions and a ratchet.

With all those control arms behind the glove box it all kind of looks like the game Mouse Trap. lol

I wonder when we'll see the 034 "Density Line" control arm kit for the servo motor. Mine has way to much slop.

[coowhip]

Performance line of AC and Heater servor flap motors! I'd buy it!

[coowhip]

FIXED! Very easy and straight forward to replace that little servo motor. If you have a bad or malfunctioning motor behind the dash, it should show up as a code in VCDS in the "auto HVAC" controller.

[Hamotee]

FIXED! Very easy and straight forward to replace that little servo motor. If you have a bad or malfunctioning motor behind the dash, it should show up as a code in VCDS in the "auto HVAC" controller.

Coowhip, Do you known which codes were associated with the servo motor? I started having this same problem today with the following codes:

01809 - Actuating Motor for Temperature Flap; Left (V158)
41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent
01810 - Actuating Motor for Temperature Flap; Right (V159)
41-10 - Blocked or No Voltage - Intermittent

I wanted to make sure that the servo motor you replaced could be responsible for these codes. Thanks.

[coowhip]

Mine was the defrost flap motor. Yours sounds like a different one. You need to remove the glove box and get all up under there to hear and see which one isn't adjusting. Write some part numbers down and do some searching or call the dealer to associate the part number with the name of the code. There are about 4-6 little motors behind the glove box. Most on the left side and maybe 1 or 2 on the right side.

Do you have a VAG-COM? You can run self tests on all those motors for the HVAC. Maybe it will help you determine which one it is.

[Delasangre4231]

I have this problem too, I will be investigating behind the glove box. I do notice that if I stay in the car and use the key fob to set the alarm the noises stop after 5 seconds or so.

[coowhip]

Are you hearing it constantly adjust while you're driving?

[Delasangre4231]

Are you hearing it constantly adjust while you're driving?

Hard to say with road and engine noise, but I believe so yes.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

My 03 seams to have this issue as well. Almost sounds like the throttle body is trying to align or something. I'll have to pull my glove box and see what's going on.

Jason

[coowhip]

Yea, only way to tell is with the glove box off. Maybe even start the car, then go underneath to see which one is trying to adjust but can't. If it is making noise like a toy low on batteries, it will need replaced. Take the part number down, google search, then get that part! Post up what you find. You can always use VCDS and perform output tests on all the flap motors.

Jason, with VCDS you can check codes to see which one may be causing your issue. Should be the HVAC controller.

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Yea, only way to tell is with the glove box off. Maybe even start the car, then go underneath to see which one is trying to adjust but can't. If it is making noise like a toy low on batteries, it will need replaced. Take the part number down, google search, then get that part! Post up what you find. You can always use VCDS and perform output tests on all the flap motors.

Jason, with VCDS you can check codes to see which one may be causing your issue. Should be the HVAC controller.

Excellent! Thank you for the information.

Jason

[GTA]

I have written about this in a DYI section on this link:

http://www.audiforum.ca/a4-b5-b6-b7-...leaning-72039/

Essentially, as the flap motor units age, they may accumulate dust because they're not sealed units. I resolved my flap motor issues and all associated noises with household items, basic tools and some effort. The best part is that I didn't spend a dime and didn't have to replace anything.

Other than the noises, I wasn't getting good heating or AC cooling and I traced it to the flaps opening and closing on their own like they were possessed.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[KewlAid83]

I believe I may have it too... happens when turn car on and when shut it off but I haven't found it yet . . . please lmk if you figure it out

[Turbo510]

Hope he's still on. That last post was over 7 years ago.

[hotrod02]

Hello,
I have a 2013 S5 and I have been getting this weird clicking sound coming from the inside of my dash. It seems to effect the drivers side door tweeter and sometimes the mid range speaker.
This seems to be correlated to me loosing sound from the same speakers when it happens. I was using the original head unit/MMI Display and now I am using the RSNAV (beautiful). I get the same symptoms with both setups. I replaced the tweeter in the door and it still is an issue. I recorded it yesterday.

I have had this car since she was born and this problem started this past summer.

Have you or any of you guy ran into this issue?

Here is a video of it:
https://youtu.be/mFrXH6HdyYc
Please check it out and tell me what you think. 🥺