Mystery clicking noise "behind dash"
Discussion
Lately when driving my S3 I have heard what sounds like a clicking coming from behind the dash. It sounds like it could be coming from the right hand end of the instrument panel, but what the heck's behind there ? Seems also to be a precursor to a misfire, which clears if I stop the car and restart the engine.
Any ideas ?
Any ideas ?
GreenV8S said:
If it's a clicking relay....if you do want to see what's there, perhaps some sort of endoscope would let you see what you're dealing with....it's inevitable that you will eventually need to get the driver's seat out and actually stick your head under there in order to fix whatever it is.
Progress report:1. Driver's seat out (not recommended for those of a nervous disposition)
2. Endoscope ordered off Ebay
I checked old posts on PH, and it seems it might be a duff fuel pump relay according to the symptoms of a noticeable click followed by a mis-fire (and worse when the car's been stood in the sun for a while and got nice and hot before being driven). I had also noted that by stopping the car and re-starting, the problem seemed to go away, so would that action somehow re-set the relay? Having seen the pics in the earlier threads (including the nightmarish dash wiring), I'm assuming the fuel pump relay is the Bosch item which I might find in the fuse box. They are available (or current equivalent) from TVR Parts and Racetech, but they say 2 are required per car? So before I start ripping everything apart, where might I find the second one (and why are two needed?)
[P.S.: meant to say, thanks to whoever took those original pics]
Edited by tileart on Wednesday 5th September 23:27
GreenV8S said:
The fuse box and relay panel are above the passenger footwell and nowhere near where you describe the noise.....on the V8S they're on flying leads close by the ECU and I'd look for them somewhere similar on the V6 cars .
Getting there…. I hunted for the fuel pump relay in the anticipated places, but couldn’t find it. I concluded it must be behind the instrument panel somewhere and – thanks to other posts on PH – sure enough having removed the centre console there it was, on a flying lead. And in precisely the position from which the clicking noise was coming from. It looks to have somewhat corroded contacts and the tell-tale mark from a screwdriver or other object to prise-open the unit “for inspection”, so I have ordered a new Bosch part 0332014112, and will report back when all is reassembled. For anyone tempted to have a go at rectifying a dodgy item, there is a quite scary good'ol'boy video on YouTube that explains the working of a (generic) relay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBE7eP3hJQY but I can’t see how trying to fix or bodge an item that could cause so much grief could possibly be worth the effort.
.....well kinda the right hand end of the subsidiary instruments 
S'pose that's more like the middle of the dash really. Guess it comes to us all in time https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6793251/old-lady-plo...
S'pose that's more like the middle of the dash really. Guess it comes to us all in time https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6793251/old-lady-plo...tileart said:
I have ordered a new Bosch part 0332014112, and will report back when all is reassembled
Sorted. I installed the new Bosch relay, which is tucked away behind the right hand end of the subsidiary instrument panel, on a flying lead. In future it can be accessed by removing the radio and housing if needs be, which is a whole lot easier than the experience of removing and re-fitting the centre console. "Out of curiosity" I dismantled the old relay, and while it doesn't look knackered inside there doesn't seem to be a diode. So I'm guessing that was the problem. Anyhow the car's running better than ever now.
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