mysterious clicking sound from cowl area

[judgejon]

I looked, but couldn't find this one in the TSM's.

I've heard a clicking sound, lasts about 10-15 seconds, like a woodpecker, coming from the center cowl area, forward from the dashboard, in the area of the battery. that's the best description I can do. I think it could be a bladder-type air relief valve, or something like that, having to do with the ventilation system. I've heard it twice in the last week. Both times with the engine off and relatively cool.

Loren, I found your post from 9/17/08, but couldn't find this issue addressed in any TSM.

Does anyone have an idea what this might be. Thanks to all, and..... cheers, j

[Loren]

I looked, but couldn't find this one in the TSM's.

I've heard a clicking sound, lasts about 10-15 seconds, like a woodpecker, coming from the center cowl area, forward from the dashboard, in the area of the battery. that's the best description I can do. I think it could be a bladder-type air relief valve, or something like that, having to do with the ventilation system. I've heard it twice in the last week. Both times with the engine off and relatively cool.

Loren, I found your post from 9/17/08, but couldn't find this issue addressed in any TSM.

Does anyone have an idea what this might be. Thanks to all, and..... cheers, j

Noise in the Dashboard Area

[judgejon]

I looked, but couldn't find this one in the TSM's.

I've heard a clicking sound, lasts about 10-15 seconds, like a woodpecker, coming from the center cowl area, forward from the dashboard, in the area of the battery. that's the best description I can do. I think it could be a bladder-type air relief valve, or something like that, having to do with the ventilation system. I've heard it twice in the last week. Both times with the engine off and relatively cool.

Loren, I found your post from 9/17/08, but couldn't find this issue addressed in any TSM.

Does anyone have an idea what this might be. Thanks to all, and..... cheers, j

Noise in the Dashboard Area

Loren, thanks for your unbelievably quick reply. I checked and I don't believe this noise is a rattle, etc. It could be described as the firing sound of a machine gun, or a jack-hammer, but softer and quieter for sure. Don't laugh, but I can almost duplicate it by blowing hard out of my mouth and "rattling" my tongue. Very weird. It's like the sound my portable tirepump makes when the battery is running down, but at a constant speed. Does this help?

[White987S]

CD player trying to read disk or look for one??????

[Loren]

I looked, but couldn't find this one in the TSM's.

I've heard a clicking sound, lasts about 10-15 seconds, like a woodpecker, coming from the center cowl area, forward from the dashboard, in the area of the battery. that's the best description I can do. I think it could be a bladder-type air relief valve, or something like that, having to do with the ventilation system. I've heard it twice in the last week. Both times with the engine off and relatively cool.

Loren, I found your post from 9/17/08, but couldn't find this issue addressed in any TSM.

Does anyone have an idea what this might be. Thanks to all, and..... cheers, j

Noise in the Dashboard Area

Loren, thanks for your unbelievably quick reply. I checked and I don't believe this noise is a rattle, etc. It could be described as the firing sound of a machine gun, or a jack-hammer, but softer and quieter for sure. Don't laugh, but I can almost duplicate it by blowing hard out of my mouth and "rattling" my tongue. Very weird. It's like the sound my portable tirepump makes when the battery is running down, but at a constant speed. Does this help?

Do a search in the 996 TSBs for the word "noises". That will bring several TSBs.

See if any of those relate yo your noise.

[SH-GT3]

I've heard a clicking sound, lasts about 10-15 seconds, like a woodpecker, coming from the center cowl area, forward from the dashboard, in the area of the battery. that's the best description I can do.

I think I get this same sound from time to time.

It’ll happen just after I unlock the door and enter the vehicle; sounds like its coming from the center of the dash, near the windshield, and lasts for ~5 seconds or so. Sounds almost like a relay cycling on and off very quickly. Doesn’t seem to impact any other functionality; was going to have the dealer look at it during my next service.

[Ahsai]

Yes, I have this sound from time to time. It's the CD player jamming. I think you can try to feed a CD to the player and see if the sound stops. It happens so infrequenly that it doesn't bother me much yet.

[judgejon]

Yes, I have this sound from time to time. It's the CD player jamming. I think you can try to feed a CD to the player and see if the sound stops. It happens so infrequenly that it doesn't bother me much yet.

Gentlemen, thanks to all for your comments. The noise happens with the ignition off and no cd present in the cd player. Is there something that's part of the ac/heating system that would bleed out, like a pressure relief valve, or air bladder? Beats the h___ out of me.

re the cd player, I do have the standard issue of what could be called "radio freeze." It's the 03 Bose system. Turning off the ignition, pulling the key, and restarting is the only way to reboot the radio. This issue belongs in the "pinned" forum of Unknown Porsche Mysteries."

Further thoughts would be appreciated.

[judgejon]

I've heard a clicking sound, lasts about 10-15 seconds, like a woodpecker, coming from the center cowl area, forward from the dashboard, in the area of the battery. that's the best description I can do.

I think I get this same sound from time to time.

It’ll happen just after I unlock the door and enter the vehicle; sounds like its coming from the center of the dash, near the windshield, and lasts for ~5 seconds or so. Sounds almost like a relay cycling on and off very quickly. Doesn’t seem to impact any other functionality; was going to have the dealer look at it during my next service.

this is pretty much exactly what happened......

[RFM]

The CD player BUILD IN the PCM is a well known source of problems as you describes.

[judgejon]

The CD player BUILD IN the PCM is a well known source of problems as you describes.

Hello, RFM. Nice to hear from you...

My radio is the cdr23, no PCM system. It seems to me the sound comes from an area in the center of the dash but forward of the windshield. Cheers,

[Neb33]

The CD player BUILD IN the PCM is a well known source of problems as you describes.

Hello, RFM. Nice to hear from you...

My radio is the cdr23, no PCM system. It seems to me the sound comes from an area in the center of the dash but forward of the windshield. Cheers,

Did you ever figure out what caused it? I have the same sound in my 2003 C4S.