Symptom/Condition & Diagnosis Information

SYMPTOM/CONDITION

Vehicles may exhibit squeak and rattle conditions believed to be in the instrument panel, which may be transmitted from other areas of the car such as: wiring, interior and exterior trim, steering column, instrument cluster, console, gear shift, heater-A/C unit, or the engine compartment. A good diagnosis procedure will assist you in solving the problem. For the sake of clarity, not all possible combinations are described here. Refer to failure codes in the Front Wheel Drive Labor Operations Manual for others.

DIAGNOSIS

If possible, have customer demonstrate the noise. Many squeaks and rattles can be reproduced and diagnosed by accelerating the engine, 1000 to 3500 rpm's are usually sufficient. If rattle cannot be reproduced by this method, a road test will be needed. Most noises occur on specific road conditions, speeds, and temperature ranges. Have customer explain the conditions, and try to reproduce if possible. When a noise appears, isolate it to a specific area:

^ Engine compartment
^ Instrument panel top cover
^ Instrument panel cluster
^ Instrument panel center and right side (glove box and console)

Lightly touch different areas of the panel to stop the noise, then proceed to the appropriate section. Check for loose screws before removing any Darts to repair noise. Whenever yo remove parts, look for rub marks. Add a piece of foam to the point of contact.

Always verify the problem is repaired with a road test. If a noise cannot be eliminated by touching items on the panel, investigate the "Underhood" section first. An assistant is necessary for this, one person working under the hood, and another person inside the vehicle.