Clicking Noise in Dashboard When Car is Off: Chevrolet Impala

You've just finished running errands in your Chevrolet Impala. You pull into the driveway and turn off the engine. And then you hear it again - a loud repetitive clicking noise coming from behind your dashboard. If this scene is familiar, you might be wondering what lies behind this irritating sound. You might even worry that it's a sign of damage to your car, or an impending repair bill.

Relay problems highlights

• Level of urgency:low
• DIY inspection:possible but complicated
• DIY repair:possible
• Can you drive?yes
• Price for repairs:$20 - $250
• Symptoms:certain functions may not work, clicking sound
• Ways to solve:replace the faulty relay

What Are the Causes of a Clicking Noise in Your Dashboard?

It might feel like it's impossible to locate the source of the clicking noise, especially since the sound is coming from some mysterious point behind the dashboard. However, identifying and fixing the cause of the problem is easier than you think.

The origin of the clicking noise is your vehicle's HVAC system. The culprit could be as simple as the HVAC needing calibration, or more complicated, like a faulty blend door actuator needing replacement.

HVAC Calibration

Your car's HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system controls the air quality and temperature inside the vehicle. The HVAC system in your vehicle is highly complicated. It uses inputs from several sensors, as well as motors and fans to determine the position of the blend door, which is a flap that controls the ratio of hot and cold air that flows into the car.

When the HVAC is not properly calibrated, the system will not know how to keep the blend door in the correct position. This can result in a clicking sound as the door attempts to find the right position. This issue is easily solved by a quick calibration process.

Problem with the Blend Door Actuator

The blend door in the HVAC is controlled by a small motor called an actuator. This motor is responsible for opening the blend door to allow in the correct amount of hot and cold air to match the temperature on the car's AC setting. When the actuator goes bad, it won't be able to turn the blend door. This leads to a clicking noise that can be heard when the car is off.

Another symptom of a bad actuator is cooling problems in the car. If the AC can't match the temperature on the climate control setting, then the blend door isn't turning to the correct position. This means the actuator needs to be replaced.

How to Fix a Clicking Noise in Your Dashboard

You always have the option of taking your car to a mechanic to fix the problem. This would definitely be easier, but it might cost you time and money that you're not ready to spare. However, if you're familiar with working on your car, you can diagnose and fix this problem for yourself at home.

How to Calibrate Your HVAC System

You can take your car to a mechanic to calibrate the HVAC for you, but, doing it yourself will save you considerable time and money. The calibration process is simple enough that you can do it yourself in your garage.

Calibrating the HVAC system only takes a few minutes to complete.

• Open the hood and remove the HVAC fuse for ten seconds. The location of the HVAC fuse differs depending on the year of your car. You can use a fuse box diagram to locate the HVAC fuse for your vehicle. Just google it or find in any forum on your car brand and model.
• Start the engine.
• Leave the engine running for two minutes without making any changes to the AC settings.
• Turn off the engine.
• The HVAC system should now be calibrated.

If the clicking sound persists after this, then the cause of the problem is probably a faulty blend door actuator.

How to Fix a Faulty Actuator?

When you suspect that you have a bad blend door actuator, you can bring your car down to the nearest auto shop and have them take a look. However, you can save yourself some money if you're ready for some DIY. Finding and replacing the faulty actuator is easier than it might seem.

You'll need to get a replacement blend door actuator. A faulty actuator is usually the result of worn teeth on the plastic gears inside them. You can fix the actuator by opening it up to replace the gears, but it is better to replace the faulty part with a new actuator.

Your Impala contains three blend door actuators and finding the right one might feel like a guessing game. You can follow these steps to eliminate the guesswork and figure out which one of them needs to be replaced.

• Take the terminals off the battery first.
• To access the driver-side actuator, use a screwdriver to unscrew the dashboard panel beneath the steering wheel. To access the passenger-side actuators, you will need to open and remove the glove box.
• Remove the actuator.
• Hook up the battery.
• Turn on the car engine.
• Listen for the clicking sound.
• If the clicking sound persists, plug the actuator back in. Repeat the process with the next actuator.

Once the clicking sound stops, you have found the guilty actuator. Now you can go ahead to replace it with a new one.

After replacing it, you might need to calibrate the HVAC to help the system recognize the new blend door actuator. You can do that by following the calibration process mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

Hearing a clicking noise in your dashboard when the car is off can be alarming. It might seem like a sign of impending mechanical issues. In reality, it's caused by some harmless problems that are easy to solve when you have the proper knowledge. Knowing how to change a blend door actuator or how to calibrate a car's HVAC system can end annoying clicks from the car's dashboard.