How to access dash rattle and squeaky top support?

[acao]

1. I have a light metallic rattle coming from the lower left dash area that occurs on sharp road imperfections. I want to get at the area underneath the dash to see if any rivets or welds are popped. I've tried being upside down in the footwell, but can't see much. Is there another way of getting at it without disassembling the whole dash? If I have to, I can disassemble the dash when my wife goes out of town and I can spread the project over a few days without losing transportation.

2. Squeaky top noise that I can reproduce by pressing down at the top of the (glass) rear window, right around the bar. Scritch, scritch, scritch. Can this be lubed? With what and how to access? Thanks.

[LemmyCaution]

1. I have a light metallic rattle coming from the lower left dash area that occurs on sharp road imperfections.  I want to get at the area underneath the dash to see if any rivets or welds are popped.  I've tried being upside down in the footwell, but can't see much.  Is there another way of getting at it without disassembling the whole dash?  If I have to, I can disassemble the dash when my wife goes out of town and I can spread the project over a few days without losing transportation.

I'm dealing with the same thing - how much progress have you made?

The lower part of the dash/knee bolster seems very loose - like a weld is broken or a screw is really loose.

I attempted to remove the left A/C vent for access but, I forgot how to remove it and the light switch.

[acao]

I'm dealing with the same thing - how much progress have you made?

The lower part of the dash/knee bolster seems very loose - like a weld is broken or a screw is really loose.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's the progress, and it's bizarre:

While riding in the passenger seat, I noticed that the sound is actually coming from behind the driver, not in front. For some reason, sitting in the driver's seat, it sounds like its coming from there. Knowing this, I paid a little more attention to the sound, and it does seem to come from behind my left shoulder blade. The good news is that it's not the dash. The bad news is that there's plenty of sniffing to do around there. But, getting to the guts underneath the top area is alot easier than getting inside the dash.

This probably doesn't help your knee bolster problem because yours is actually loose.

[LemmyCaution]

I'm dealing with the same thing - how much progress have you made?

The lower part of the dash/knee bolster seems very loose - like a weld is broken or a screw is really loose.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's the progress, and it's bizarre:

Knowing this, I paid a little more attention to the sound, and it does seem to come from behind my left shoulder blade. The good news is that it's not the dash. The bad news is that there's plenty of sniffing to do around there. But, getting to the guts underneath the top area is alot easier than getting inside the dash.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had that noise - it went away - I think. I'll keep posting progress on my dash problem -

[LemmyCaution]

Follow-up as posted at PPBB

For the last 10,000 miles, there was an increasingly loud and annoying noise emanating from the inside the lower left of the dash. It started out as a creaking noise then morphed to a metal/metal squeak, finally emerging as a loud CRACK, every time I hit a bump or when the car flexed significantly. In the last week, it became almost constant.

Last week, during other work in the area, I found that the lower left dash panel was loose and was probably the source of this most annoying rattle.

Some idiot (paris audio tech) had removed and replaced the OBDII connector during the installation of a radar detector and replaced a speednut in front of, instead of behind the dash and cover plates.

While this particular problem was the result of an aftermarket error, the screws do loosen and need to be checked if rattles are present. There are similar screws on the right side that I tightened. I hope this helps someone.

If you're familiar with the underdash area, these photos should make more sense.

I removed the left kick panel (four screws under the fuse cover)to gain access to the screw

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The OBDII connector is shown somewhat rotated in this pic. The connector has 3 speed nuts which line up with 3 holes in the dash trim panel and stamped metal dash plate behind.

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The OBD2 connector has a kink in it which allows placement behind the dash plate. Torx Screw goes through hole attaching to speednut.

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