My '11
Cayman
base (without
PASM
and no dash speakers) is at almost 100k miles. During a long trip through Nevada on Hwy 50 Monday it suddenly developed a loud rattle/vibration/buzz in the upper left driver-side dashboard, kinda near the left speaker grill. It went away after a little while but comes on intermittently with normal road irregularities. It seems to buzz/vibrate with the bumps, though will also continue for a few seconds after bumps stop (almost like it's an electrically-induced noise). There's no electrical burning smell. Several years ago I replaced the OEM basic head unit with a
Pioneer
, and 8 months ago added a small amp in the front trunk, small sub under the passenger seat, and rear speakers. All wiring passes to the front trunk through a large rubber firewall grommet under the driver side dash, but in a different location then the vibration. There are 2 power pickups for the system at the fuse panel that use piggyback add-a-circuit fuses.
I couldnt find any posts referencing similarly located noises which are very loud (albeit intermittent). Any thoughts or suggestions?
I know how irritating it can be....sometimes the noise may appear to come from one area but doesn't. Have you had a 2nd pair of ears in the car to trace?
the dash speaker grille can in some cases move a little. Tap it to see if there is any movement in the cover.
another possibility is the door. when some of those fiddly clips are not installed properly.
good luck!
On the passenger side the AC duct has been known to rattle/vibrate. I suppose the driver side could have the same problem. There is an old article which shows a fix. Unfortunately the driver side would be harder to get to. But it might be useful to see how the vent and duct connect.
BTW, since you have a base, do you have the SPP option? If not, those dash speaker grills are empty. You can pry them off and stuff them with old socks if the sound really is coming from them.
Original sound system was the base one, with no dash speakers. Haven’t actually removed the speaker grill to check yet, will do so when I can get time with the car again. Will also check for loose door card and peek at the AC ducting.
Are there any electrical modules/sensors/gizmos up in that area of the dash? The sound did seem to change very slightly when I operated the headlight dial. I have the lights set to always be on when driving, but keep the dial switch in the off position. All sounds have come during daytime, though that’s when I do the majority of driving.
