Ticking behind the dashboard?

[Brydo666]

Often when driving, more so first thing in the morning I can hear a ticking behind the dashboard - it has done it a while now and no problems noticed but it is getting a little annoying.

The ticks seem internal rather than coming from the engine, it's almost like a series of 3 or 4 ticks - a short pause and then the same again.

One time it happened I turned off the climate control and it still continued.

Does anyone else get this, or know what the cause of it could be?

[ToMBoY_C]

There's a few relays behind the small drivers drop down box, guessing one of them??

[martin1810]

It's usually one of the motor operated climate control flaps. Does the climate control do all functions as expected.

[Teflon]

I would agree with Martin but you say you get it with climate turned off. Is this with it completely off and all the lights out? If it is the problem, it tends to be more noticable in cool rather than cold conditions and you will hardly ever hear it during the summer.

My Golf has just started with the same symptom again. Diagnosed by dealer as climate control and needed all new servo motors but VW refused it under warranty. In actual fact, it comes from one servo motor operating a flap behind the dash. Mine's been at it for 4 years so if you can put up with the noise a few times an hour it's probably best worth left alone.

I can't imagine it being one of the relays behind the dash unless you are seeing other symptoms of something working intermittently conncurrent with the clicking.

[Brydo666]

Climate control seems OK ... I'll be going out shortly so I'll see that it is working in all directions and configurations.

It's not a big problem, just often annoying and each time I hear it I'm thinking "What is that?".

On a similar note, I've got a knocking coming from behind the glovebox - the car had a parrot kit pre-installed when I bought it ... this is where I located the control box when I installed to my B5.5 Passat so I think it may be that. Does the glovebox come out easily or is there a guide online?

[patomlin76]

I believe it is the air circulation flaps. When the cam based mechanism starts to wear you get a click/rocking noise from behind the radio/glovebox area. I've been told this by an independent garage, VW are known to replace under warranty, but when I tried they were very reluctant to as it's quite expensive, and was fed the story of it being 'the normal noise to hear'. I didn't agree, but being out of warranty I couldn't afford to have it fixed. It still happens now, and has done for 2 years. Unless it fails completely I'm leaving it as it is.

[Brydo666]

I can confirm that everything works well... I tried setting the airflow directions manually in different configurations and at different fan speeds and all works as I'd have expected.

A few years back I ran a VAG-COM scan on my Seat Ibiza (Also had Climate Control) and it used to flag issues with flap monitors ... cycling through the different airflow configurations was suggested to clear this - I never move it off "Auto" so perhaps this may have been what was needed.

[gingernut352000]

mine "ticks" some times when warming up but once warm seems OK. but as per another post have issues with it going cold on a long journey.

[Teflon]

I believe it is the air circulation flaps. When the cam based mechanism starts to wear you get a click/rocking noise from behind the radio/glovebox area. I've been told this by an independent garage, VW are known to replace under warranty, but when I tried they were very reluctant to as it's quite expensive, and was fed the story of it being 'the normal noise to hear'. I didn't agree, but being out of warranty I couldn't afford to have it fixed. It still happens now, and has done for 2 years. Unless it fails completely I'm leaving it as it is.
Exactly what happened with my Golf. But from the car's first winter at about 6 months old so it certainly wasn't wear related.

I made sure it was all logged in the system and I have documentation of the investigation so that if it ever falls over I can claim outside warranty. If VW are not playing ball I have something to go to the small claims court with. I have to say that the dealer was very good. They were about as frustrated as I was and seemed happy to help with my preparations for future hostilities.