Driver's Side Dash Buzz

[KiloFTW]

5 days after service, things are still unclear. The good news is that I haven't had a persistent buzz since the wiring was adjusted, which is longer than I've previously had between occurrences of this issue.

The strange thing is that as I was leaving the dealer on Monday, after the service, I thought I heard it buzz briefly and I was sure it was about to act up. I turned around and had the tech jump in with me and it didn't come back. Since then, it's been great.

I'll keep this thread updated over the next week.

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[KiloFTW]

Reactivating this thread as the buzzing has begun again. I'm not sure it makes sense, but I'm wondering if it's related to warmer weather. Or, the connections have just loosened again. Anyone else having a similar issue?

 

[Palut]

I've definitely noticed different sounds in different temperatures. However, after tearing my interior apart quite a bit, the interior is now silent and rattle free, in most conditions. I did heavy work in the lower driver's dash area, the lower passenger dash area, the steering column, the shifter area, below and behind the head unit and display, behind both end panels between the dash and front doors, behind the center dash trim (that has carbon fiber finish on it), and behind the A-pillars and the B-pillars.

As far as the lower drivers dash area goes, I opened up all of the lower dash trim pieces below the steering wheel and tightened up A LOT of various items. Many of the connectors had a lot of play, so I unplugged them, added some electrical tape to the male connectors as a shim, and reconnected, eliminating the play. I also added flocking tape to anything that I felt could rattle or buzz against anything else, which was quite a lot of various items, ranging from electrical connectors, HVAC tubes, and wiring that looked loose.

I also removed the glove box and all the trim on the lower passenger's side. The glovebox LED seemed to really be loose, but I don't think there was much else there that could have been problematic for me.

The steering column was my most persistent and hard to find rattle, until I discovered that it's easy to open the back of the column up. Opening up the steering column helped a lot, and is really, really easy. The plastic panel that forms the top of the column, between the wheel and the instrument panel, can be popped off vey easily without removing anything else. It's attached to the dash with fabric, and I just left it attached but loose and worked around it. That allowed easy access to the area that seems to rattle. I added flocking tape to ANYTHING that might make contact with anything else in there as well, and I'm not hearing any more rattles from that area.

Mine is a CVT. When I removed the piano black center console cover in the shifter area I noticed that the manual shift release mechanism is really, really loose. I removed the white plastic piece, added flocking tape to where it rests, reinstalled it, and ensured that there is still free movement as designed.

In the head unit area and below, I had to remove the area that houses the USB connectors as I'd dropped a socket down there, so I tightened up a lot of those connectors as well with electrical tape. I also removed the main screen and performed that Civic TSB. It looks like my Integra, bought in July 2022, had tape where they say to put it, but there wasn't much.

There are small panels on both ends of the dash, between the dash and the front doors. Removing those also provides excellent access to fix anything.

I removed the long carbon fiber finished trim piece on the passenger side, added flocking tape to everything behind it, tightened up the push button ignition assembly, and actually added tape all over the back side of the trim piece as well. There is an equivalent trim piece on the driver's side. It's tiny, very easy to remove, and provides great access for padding everything.

I also removed both A-pillars and added flocking tape anywhere that touches anything else, and used electrical tape to shim the little speakers inset into the pillar trim, removing a lot of play there.

I also opened up both B-pillars, disassembled the seat belt adjuster mechanisms, added flocking tape and/or adhesive foam insulation tape to anything that touches or could touch anything else, and fixed the incredibly noise adjusters that Honda had provided.

My work was almost certainly overkill, and I likely padded things that didn't make any sound, but at this point I've basically taken the interior from being worse than my 2018 WRX, to being silent.

Let me know if you have questions on any of these areas.

 

[Palut]

I forgot to mention, I also removed the sunglasses holder/overhead light assembly. The components of that assembly were very loose, so I basically disassembled it, added tape to tighten all of that up, and it's quiet now.

The last area is the camera housing. The two plastic pieces behind the mirror are silent for me, but have to come off to remove the panel that covers the camera against the windshield. Behind that I found that the electrical connectors for the mirror were rattling against the panel. Some padding on them and on the panel has fixed that as well.

I actually did the camera housing yesterday and tested it this morning, and for the first time since I bought it, my car was silent on the very rough freeway I've been using as a testing zone! I'm glad I enjoy doing this. If I were an average consumer I would be outraged that this many hours of work and this much exploratory surgery was necessary for my Acura to not rattle like a 1990's Kia.

I've also had the drivers seat and sunroof sliding panel replaced under warranty, for creaking noises and for weird, chemical burn-like spots, respectively. This sure feels like a covid car...

 

[KiloFTW]

I forgot to mention, I also removed the sunglasses holder/overhead light assembly. The components of that assembly were very loose, so I basically disassembled it, added tape to tighten all of that up, and it's quiet now.

The last area is the camera housing. The two plastic pieces behind the mirror are silent for me, but have to come off to remove the panel that covers the camera against the windshield. Behind that I found that the electrical connectors for the mirror were rattling against the panel. Some padding on them and on the panel has fixed that as well.

I actually did the camera housing yesterday and tested it this morning, and for the first time since I bought it, my car was silent on the very rough freeway I've been using as a testing zone! I'm glad I enjoy doing this. If I were an average consumer I would be outraged that this many hours of work and this much exploratory surgery was necessary for my Acura to not rattle like a 1990's Kia.

I've also had the drivers seat and sunroof sliding panel replaced under warranty, for creaking noises and for weird, chemical burn-like spots, respectively. This sure feels like a covid car...

Thanks for the detailed response, I can't say that I would enjoy doing the same. I will take a closer look under the dash at the connectors to see what I can improve. That buzz is the one that bothers me the most. The drivers seatbelt attachment point is another I'd like to look at eventually, but I can ignore it for now.

 

[KiloFTW]

I tracked the buzz to a wire with a yellow connector under the steering column. Anyone know what that controls?

 

[Palut]

I tracked the buzz to a wire with a yellow connector under the steering column. Anyone know what that controls?

Do you have a picture of it and where it's located?

 

[KiloFTW]

Do you have a picture of it and where it's located?

Thanks Palut. It’s the yellow connector plugged into the interior fuse box under the dash. Here’s a pic:

 

[Palut]

Thanks Palut. It’s the yellow connector plugged into the interior fuse box under the dash. Here’s a pic:

Those were all loose for me, especially that yellow one. I didn't bother looking up what each connected to though.

To fix all of these, I unplugged all of the connectors, added electrical tape to the flat sides of the male end of each connector as a shim, and plugged them back in. Usually one layer of tape was enough to eliminate any play, but some took two layers.

Some connectors were also mounted loosely, for example where the yellow connector mounts to the larger gray piece, so I added flocking tape to those to fix vibration issues.

 

[KiloFTW]

I will give that a try, thanks!

 

[KiloFTW]

3 buzz-free rides later and the folded quarter-inch piece of electrical tape is holding up! Thanks Palut!

 

[Palut]

I'm glad it worked!

 

[KiloFTW]

...
I also opened up both B-pillars, disassembled the seat belt adjuster mechanisms, added flocking tape and/or adhesive foam insulation tape to anything that touches or could touch anything else, and fixed the incredibly noise adjusters that Honda had provided.
...

I have a much less annoying rattle coming from the driver's side seat belt adjuster. I might not have noticed it if it wasn't next to my ear. If you had a similar issue, how did you go about the repair?

 

[Integra23]

I have a much less annoying rattle coming from the driver's side seat belt adjuster. I might not have noticed it if it wasn't next to my ear. If you had a similar issue, how did you go about the repair?

There's a video online for the civic

 

[KiloFTW]

There's a video online for the civic

Perfect, thanks!

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