Dash/Chassis Creaking Sounds (Fixed by Galpin dealer tech)

[Kaz]

Did you ever take a video of the noise?

Mine is a weird one, it can be sat for several days and you can drive it a good hour and hear nothing and then it starts and progressively get more constant to the point you can be cruising at 20 mph and you hear it.

No I never really got good audio of it, the tech at the dealer uses a chassis mic system to identify. The initial category of sounds were solved, and what remains now is more creaking based on steering angle and chassis load. Another owner got this solved with dealing with the bolts that hold the steering column and my tech is going to contact his tech and confirm procedure. I record driving all the time but the car is too loud inside to hear on the recording from engine, exhaust, wind and tire noise

 

[Luminated67]

No I never really got good audio of it, the tech at the dealer uses a chassis mic system to identify. The initial category of sounds were solved, and what remains now is more creaking based on steering angle and chassis load. Another owner got this solved with dealing with the bolts that hold the steering column and my tech is going to contact his tech and confirm procedure. I record driving all the time but the car is too loud inside to hear on the recording from engine, exhaust, wind and tire noise

My noise is definitely from the passenger left side of the car, to my ears it sounds like the top of the dash board somewhere and near the A pillar but I used a piece of garden hose holding one end to my ear and the other moving around the cabin but couldn’t pinpoint where it was from. Will need to spend more time doing this to hopefully find the spot.

Really don’t want to have to go and get the dealer dismantle the car to sort it.

 

[Luminated67]

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Where exactly are these picture on the car, is this beneath the carpet in the footwell?

 

[lynchy73]

There have been many threads around this nebulous issue but I am starting a fresh one with the fix that worked on my car from the dealer, and this is the second car that has been fixed with this approach. The first a tech in New Jersey shared his approach with my tech at Galpin in Los Angeles.

The sound gradually got louder, and was basically an underdash creaking sound that could have been metal on plastic, plastic on plastic, metal on metal...etc. It sounded like it was originating directly in front of me under the dash, literally a dash creak. Everything was looked at from my Nitrons to the suspension mounts, a new steering rack assembly was ordered and installed. Nothing worked. Then since the techs all talk with each other this one in NJ said he solved it by cleaning the surfaces between the monocoque and front subframe, removing a bolt and voila fixed.

I just returned from picking mine up using the same approach and I can confirm the dash/under dash/subframe creaking sounds have all gone away. Details on what he did attached in photo from the print out. David is my tech at Galpin...awesome guy, knows the cars inside and out now.

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I’ve had the same creaking myself, it’s pretty bad on bumpy roads. I showed this information to Lotus in my city and demonstrated the issue. They followed the procedure and I am very happy to report it has solved the creaking I was experiencing. This is absolutely the main source of these issues and it is fixed (for now at least).

 

[virtualmacho]

My knees creak...

 

[lynchy73]

My knees creak...

you're not the only one but it don't mean I can accept my car creaking too

 

[Beachbum]

My knees creak...

Be thankful its just your knees.

 

[Foxy87]

There are so many different creaking issues it would be really helpful to upload a soundfile or video. Otherwise noone kmows what creakingsound you guys are talking about.

 

[jbug187]

I get a lot of creaking when the road isn't totally smooth. it sounds like it's coming from behind the speedometer or by the steering column. Has anyone else been able to identify and resolve the issue (video below)? Any advice?

 

[Foxy87]

I get a lot of creaking when the road isn't totally smooth. it sounds like it's coming from behind the speedometer or by the steering column. Has anyone else been able to identify and resolve the issue (video below)? Any advice?

Yeah that is annoying. It just started today in my car, although not as present as yours and it seems like it comes somewhere from the dash on the passenger side.

 

[Luminated67]

Based on the above video definitely mine is purely dash or door panel creaking and nothing more. It’s weird with mine because if you haven’t driven it for a few days there’s nothing for at least 10-15 minutes and then it starts and steadily increases not in volume but frequency of times it creaks.

 

[Honcho]

Based on the above video definitely mine is purely dash or door panel creaking and nothing more. It’s weird with mine because if you haven’t driven it for a few days there’s nothing for at least 10-15 minutes and then it starts and steadily increases not in volume but frequency of times it creaks.

I had similar and fixed it by spraying some penetrating oil in the dash. Open the doors and remove the plastic panel for the dash beside the door seal. You’ll be able to see inside the dash and also see rivets holding parts together. I sprayed those and it seems to have solved this issue.

 

[ffre92]

I have similar creaking from 2 sources. The first is the top of the clutch pedal travel, more prominent after car has been driven>20minutes. The other is creaking from drivers side dash as described above, also more prominent after 10-20min of driving.

I was planning to spray lubricant around the pedal box. It sounds like behind the dash makes sense too. What’s the best lubricant to use that won’t cause other problems down the road like rubber degradation or electrical connector problems? I was thinking triflow since its safe around rubber/plastics, and not as bad as silicone if it gets in the connectors

 

[me73]

My knees creak...

I would not recommend the procedure described here for your particular issue.

 

[jbug187]

I have similar creaking from 2 sources. The first is the top of the clutch pedal travel, more prominent after car has been driven>20minutes. The other is creaking from drivers side dash as described above, also more prominent after 10-20min of driving.

I was planning to spray lubricant around the pedal box. It sounds like behind the dash makes sense too. What’s the best lubricant to use that won’t cause other problems down the road like rubber degradation or electrical connector problems? I was thinking triflow since its safe around rubber/plastics, and not as bad as silicone if it gets in the connectors

Do you think some good old WD-40 would be a problem?

 

[Luminated67]

I had similar and fixed it by spraying some penetrating oil in the dash. Open the doors and remove the plastic panel for the dash beside the door seal. You’ll be able to see inside the dash and also see rivets holding parts together. I sprayed those and it seems to have solved this issue.

I when and removed that panel on the left hand side, there’s just a blank plastic panel behind this with a few screws and the left and behind it there’s those rivets. Do you mean spray all of this including the rivets or just the rivets?

 

[Rayjoedef]

I hope that remedies your problem as some of these creaks are coming from a lot deeper place than that.

 

[ffre92]

Do you think some good old WD-40 would be a problem?

From what I know wd40 can degrade rubber o rings and some plastics.

 

[Honcho]

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I when and removed that panel on the left hand side, there’s just a blank plastic panel behind this with a few screws and the left and behind it there’s those rivets. Do you mean spray all of this including the rivets or just the rivets?

Just rivets that fasten the aluminium. Not the plastic parts. I'll try to get a pic in the next few days. You need to use a straw to reach further inside. Don't think there's any rubber on those parts to degrade.

 

[Luminated67]

Made a short video on my creaking to see how it compares to others who have also experienced creaking to see if mine is similar.