Buzzing from dash vents ....

[NineIronUS]

Just wondered if anybody else had this problem and has had it resolved.

When I accelerate from a stop, somewhere in the range of 0-40 mph I almost always hear loud buzzing / rattling sounds from the dash. Pretty sure from having someone else drive and sticking my head on the dash that it is the air vents in the center above the stereo.

I've been to the dealer 3 times and replicated the noise each time for them.

First visit, they agreed it was the center vents. Said some cap at the back of the vents was vibrating against the firewall. Got the vehicle back and it was quiet for a week. Then the noise came back.

Second visit, they say it must be a different noise this time (sounds exactly the same to me). This time they blame a break line rattling against the HVAC and some wiring harness on the transmission. Drive out of the dealership and hear the same noise 4 times on the way back to work.

Third visit, they say the steering shaft has excessive play and that is causing the noise. They are replacing it on Wednesday but I'm skeptical that that would make my vents buzz / rattle?

Any thoughts / ideas? I love my H3 and this is a pretty minor problem in the grand scheme of things but it's pretty loud and kind of embarrassing when I have co-workers in the vehicle.

[fourfourto]

I remember reading here a while back about lines behind dash causing a noise due to clips loose or comming off .
I have no noises even after my aftermarket sytem was installed.

[HummerHippy]

The leather around my stick shift vibrates sometimes and makes noise. A little annoying. No noise in the vents to date.

[Dani]

My H3 never used to have this problem. however I noticed it eversince I got the engine work done.

[HUMTECH]

Have them check for anything contacting the firewall in the engine compartment, especially fuel lines. This will cause A buzz type noise and will transmit through the firewall and sound like its in the dash.

[Dani]

Just took my H3 back to the dealer today for service. The blower motor has gone again, my dash is peeling and the annoying vibration noise has made me just about crazy. I'm hoping I get it back soon as the damn minivan they put me in is just awful!

On a side note- my neighbor (who dislikes my H3 very much) wanted to know when I'd be getting rid of my H3 since it's had some issues. I asked him when he was getting rid of his daughter who has many many health issues. He ended the conversation with the words "good point" and went into his house. Grumpy old men...

[NineIronUS]

Quick update.

Well, they replaced the steering shaft. What a surprise, it didn't fix the problem but they now think they've traced the buzzing to the heater core. Can't say I'm too excited about them having my H3 for 2 more days and ripping out the dash to replace it. That will make 6 days total for this issue alone.

The only good thing was that my replacement rails and a pillar trims came in after a 6 week wait and they put those on. Fit much better.

Anyway, the buzz saga continues ....

[Dani]

Well the dealer thought they fixed my problem. I got it back last night and took it back this morning. They checked the A pillar out and found that it was the problem. Whatever they did to it- it makes no noise now. Perhaps your problem is with the A pillar as well? The noise on my H3 started out sounding like dash vibration.

[DDWH]

Originally Posted by Dani

Well the dealer thought they fixed my problem. I got it back last night and took it back this morning. They checked the A pillar out and found that it was the problem. Whatever they did to it- it makes no noise now. Perhaps your problem is with the A pillar as well? The noise on my H3 started out sounding like dash vibration.

3m double sided tape!

[ChevyHighPerformance]

Originally Posted by Dani

Well the dealer thought they fixed my problem. I got it back last night and took it back this morning. They checked the A pillar out and found that it was the problem. Whatever they did to it- it makes no noise now. Perhaps your problem is with the A pillar as well? The noise on my H3 started out sounding like dash vibration.

The clips that held my tweeters weren't tight and I added some padding between the lip on the clip and the back of the tweeter. Could this have been the problem?

[Dani]

Wow. less than a week after I picked up my H3 from the shop the first time- it is still making that annoying buzzzzzzzz/vibration noise. Guess it wasn't the A pillar after all.

[NineIronUS]

Well, my problem appears (touch wood) to be fixed. Dealer isolated rattle / buzzing to the heater core. They removed the dash and the tech told me that the heater core was not properly installed and was missing insulation. They re-installed it and put in the missing insulation sections.

So far, so good. They did tell me that they drove a few more on the lot (probably because I'd been in a total of 8 days for the issue) and they did find another couple new ones that had the exact same noise.