Dashboard Squirrel Sound?

K

Konan the Explorer

Member
In the last six months we have had this sound show up sporadically and now its a several times a day occurrence. It sounds like a squirrel or rodent scratching behind the dash , loudest just to the left of the volume knob. The first time we heard it we were freaked as we live on an acreage and that usually means mouse eating wiring harness!!

I have listened closely and its not an electrical shorting or buzzing sound, and not a rattle as in a loose bolt. It sounds more like some sort of vacuum solenoid thats hit its end of travel and is chattering away.

Other clues: No change with entertainment system on or off, no change when we turn the Heater AC off. It seemed to be when we first started the car but today it just came on randomly while driving.

I cant find an EV shop manual , but would love to know whats behind there in the dash!

The main problem is it just won't do it with enough regularity to get the dealer to hear it. Classic!

Any ideas fellow engineering types?
 
I would suggest removing the glovebox and pulling out the cabin filter to check to see if there's anything relevant present. From there you can also view one side of the HVAC system.
 
Well if you met my cats you would realize they are far more attached to their food dish and my couch!

I thought about the air system and filter but this is completely independent of air flow (on or off) and exactly the same noise whether the car is moving or stationary. The noise is located just above the start button and to the left of the radio volume if that helps locate it.
 
Konan the Explorer said:
Well if you met my cats you would realize they are far more attached to their food dish and my couch!

I thought about the air system and filter but this is completely independent of air flow (on or off) and exactly the same noise whether the car is moving or stationary. The noise is located just above the start button and to the left of the radio volume if that helps locate it.
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I've had the flexible speedometer cable create a scritchy-scratchy sound in other cars before. I'm not even sure if the Kona even has a mechanical cable linkage...but maybe?
 
Yes, my Kona has done this since day one (~21 months / 36k miles). Your description of a 'chattering solenoid' is spot-on to my impressions. Mostly seems to do it for a period after startup, maybe more often during cold weather?.

I always thought it was odd that nobody else here mentioned it, or maybe it was just me, but since it didn't seem to cause any problems I've been ignoring it. I figured I wouldn't be able to duplicate it on-cue for the dealer anyway, and I don't look forward to performing my vocal rendition.
 
Are you sure it is not the dreaded tick, tick sound driving away from a start up to about 10 mph? That would mean a motor and reduction drive replacement. Other thread about that on this forum.
 
It makes this sound when the car is absolutely still, not moving, in Park. But it can also persist as you take off.

Even with Climate Control 'off'.

No discernable pattern to it at all. Like some kind of high-frequency alien Morse Code. Or maybe the sound of an old, spinny hard drive from back in the day, when your PC didn't have enough memory (?!) and it had to be swapped out to the disk.

I've tried recording it, but the sound is too faint for my phone's mic to pick up.
 
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Subnivean nailed it ! It sounds just like a hard drive whose hunting for something or having an old school defrag done (or a windows 10 update :eek:)

Car does not have to be moving or in gear, just "on". It can persist after you get under way or like yesterday appear randomly while driving.

Sure wish I could see a picture of whats behind there!
 
Other than HVAC there's the steering wheel lock which I believe is a motor-drive actuator, the electronic power steering actuator, a relay box and the HUD if equipped. A stethoscope might be the go to find this.
 
Konan the Explorer said:
In the last six months we have had this sound show up sporadically and now its a several times a day occurrence. It sounds like a squirrel or rodent scratching behind the dash , loudest just to the left of the volume knob. The first time we heard it we were freaked as we live on an acreage and that usually means mouse eating wiring harness!!

I have listened closely and its not an electrical shorting or buzzing sound, and not a rattle as in a loose bolt. It sounds more like some sort of vacuum solenoid thats hit its end of travel and is chattering away.

Other clues: No change with entertainment system on or off, no change when we turn the Heater AC off. It seemed to be when we first started the car but today it just came on randomly while driving.

I cant find an EV shop manual , but would love to know whats behind there in the dash!

The main problem is it just won't do it with enough regularity to get the dealer to hear it. Classic!

Any ideas fellow engineering types?
Click to expand...
I too have had this problem for a while now. It does sound like something "scratching" in the area of dashboard, but so far there has been no issue with the car's performance.

I am wondering if you or anybody has experienced the "strange glowing light" that illuminates from the front Hyundai badge. When this little light illuminates, the charging port and dashboard also illuminates. It shuts off automatically or when I open the driver's door is opened. I have noticed that this happens more and more frequently at all hours of the night (I keep my car in my garage). I'm wondering if it's a software update or if some other form of communication is occurring between my car and perhaps BlueLink. Have you ever experienced this yourself? I'm not sure if it's related to the "scratching" sound, but then again it might.
 
Robrian7 said:
I too have had this problem for a while now. It does sound like something "scratching" in the area of dashboard, but so far there has been no issue with the car's performance.

I am wondering if you or anybody has experienced the "strange glowing light" that illuminates from the front Hyundai badge. When this little light illuminates, the charging port and dashboard also illuminates. It shuts off automatically or when I open the driver's door is opened. I have noticed that this happens more and more frequently at all hours of the night (I keep my car in my garage). I'm wondering if it's a software update or if some other form of communication is occurring between my car and perhaps BlueLink. Have you ever experienced this yourself? I'm not sure if it's related to the "scratching" sound, but then again it might.
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The light in Hyundai emblem on the front of the car is the12 volt battery top-up in action. Take a look in the owner's manual for a full explanation ( and many, many threads and posts on this forum). And yes, it's happening more often recently because the software updates instituted to monitor battery health calls for more frequent checks.
 
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Can you explain further? Are you referring to the "scratching" sound or the "strange glowing light"- or both?
Thanks!
 
Random peanut gallery comment: any chance the noise is coming from the scroll fan for the HVAC?

Even with the HVAC "off", IMO the HVAC fan is still pushing a small volume of air into the passenger compartment .
 
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