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07-30-2013, 05:27 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 103
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2004 Sea Breeze 1341 Dash Removal
Hello all!!.....it's been a while since I posted anything but don't worry, I've been doing my usual snooping around seeing what everyone is up to.....very nice job keeping the National threads moving!!.....so here's the $10 question of the day.....FYI - I searched the threads but saw nothing posted on this issue but if there is, hopefully somebody points me to it....I'm sure somebody has encountered this at some point....
I have something rattling in my dashboard near the left side where it meets the windshield....yeah I know, along with everyone else I'm sure!!...LOL.....I removed the access panel just above the steering wheel and peaked in and felt around but didn't discover anything loose or laying around in sight.....I removed the 10 or so screws near the windshield to try and lift up the dash panel but it is still attached in the front some kind of way.....the rear near the windshield is loose and I can lift up on it a few inches so I'm sure that part is free.....from glancing at the front, it seems the darker trim in front must come off to get it out but I can't tell.....that's where the experts come in.....before I go unscrewing or breaking something, does anyone know how to take the top panel (light colored panel that goes all the way across left to right and from the front of the dash to the windshield) off so it can be lifted up and out so I can try to find the noise?......any and all help will as always, be greatly appreciated!!!.......
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2004 National RV - Sea Breeze - 1341
"Hopelessly lost...but making good time."
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07-30-2013, 05:55 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
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Is it a rattle or a squeak? Silicon or dash protectant, sprayed around the noise my silence it with out removing the top part.
Same dash as mine. Rumor has it that the dark colored part is held on with Velcro type stuff. Only a guess, but there might be screws in the front, under the dark part. Maybe you could take a butter knife, bent to an "L", and slide it under the top of the dark part to help remove it. Don't tell wifey I said that.
I would try to find some way to stop the rattle without removing the dash. Maybe stuff some foam or rags up/down there. Get one of those inspection probes and see if you can see what is rattling, or stick a small digital camera up there and try taking a picture of what's rattling.
Please keep us posted.
BTW, what's that black circle on top on the BU monitor?
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07-30-2013, 06:22 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 103
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Hey Dunner....jus knew you'd chime in here at some point...always count on you for some friendly advice....
It's definitely a rattle.....like say an ink pen or something bouncing around.....not a squeak.....I did have some foam strips I tried tucking in spots but that didn't seem to help any....I'm a little hesitant about stuffing too much back there because I'm not sure where air is supposed to be moving or what I'll end up placing it on top of where I can't see.....also, I do agree some parts are held in place with Velcro but not all....I do see some screws in other locations such as to the far left jus near the reading lamp switch....I see 2 for sure that has to come out in order to get it up....
I'll agree if I can do it without taking it out, I surely will....don't think I can get any type of cam in there but a mirror and flashlight may help me look further back....it's an odd sound like either something shuck loose or something fell behind the dash and got into one of the defogger hole or something.......poking around with a butter knife might shed a lil light on things and how to take them loose....and surely I won't tell your wife if you don't tell mine!!!......lol....but I save mine that I bent before so they don't keep disappearing!!!
My next course of action will be the mirror flashlight and butter knife poking around....also will look from underneath in case it's something down there that has me tricked into thinking that it's higher up......that won't be till tomorrow though....it was a lil hot in my shop down here in LA so I put the A/C on and will try again tomorrow when it's cool......
And very observant of ya Dunner with the black disc on the dash....previous owner had a GPS mounted up there.....I would have took it off by now but he must have used Gorilla Glue or something to put it on......it's solid as a rock!!!.....
__________________
2004 National RV - Sea Breeze - 1341
"Hopelessly lost...but making good time."
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07-30-2013, 06:38 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
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Glad to help and nice to see you back.
A rattle would drive me nuts till I found it. You could always turn up the radio.
I think the only air is to the front and defrost vents. Nothing up the side. I'd go look at mine, but it's 114 °s in my MH right now.
Here's an idea. Take a straightened coat hanger (without a hook or anything on the end) and shove it in the area multiple times to try to "move" whatever is rattling so it doesn't. Yeah I know, multiple drives or can you get it to rattle by hitting the dash? Here's another wild thought. Get a strong "earth" magnet and see if whatever it is, will be attracted to the magnet. Maybe you could "move" or remove it so it doesn't rattle.
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07-30-2013, 06:44 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
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Just where is the rattle? More to the front or on the side. What about taking the side panels off to get a side look? I've done that to run some wires. A lot of wiring on the right side.
If you take the dash off or lift it up, you have all the AC vents to deal with. Not my idea of fun.
I moved the mic to next to the radio switch/AC vent.
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07-30-2013, 07:10 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Federal Way, Wa.
Posts: 2,901
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Before you go any farther check this out:
Are the sliders on your front curtains all hooked up or are any free to slide around (rattle).
My brother in law I were bothered by a rattle all the way from LA to Seattle. He hears much better than I and we both swore it was in the dash. Long story short after some repair work (also a long story) the curtains were put on with some of the sliders loose in the middle between the drapes. The resultant noise has us both swearing it was behind the dash. My brother in law still does not believe it was the sliders but I secured them and the noise was gone.
Faint chance but you never know?
__________________
I do all my own stunts
03 Dolphin LX 6355, Workhorse W22, 8.1 vortec, 04 CR-V, Blue Ox, Brake Pro----Norm, Barb and
Doc(He's a PhD)
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07-30-2013, 07:17 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
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Is it hard to take the curtain down and wash it? The bottom of mine has picked up some dirt from the dash top. Looks like you would have to be a contortionist.
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07-30-2013, 07:19 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Federal Way, Wa.
Posts: 2,901
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the above is another way of saying what you think is a rattle in the dash may be coming from the compartment above, sound like water has a habit of going where it pleases, would not have believed it until it happened to me.
__________________
I do all my own stunts
03 Dolphin LX 6355, Workhorse W22, 8.1 vortec, 04 CR-V, Blue Ox, Brake Pro----Norm, Barb and
Doc(He's a PhD)
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07-30-2013, 07:28 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 103
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All great suggestions and I plan on using every one of them....I'm fairly certain (not 100% now) that it's coming from under that dash panel right under the VIN tag.....I will check all of the above mentioned however.....I'm gonna take a really good look at it tomorrow when it's cooler.....between the bent butter knives, clothes hangers, mirrors and curtain hangers, something is gonna give!!!........LOL....
__________________
2004 National RV - Sea Breeze - 1341
"Hopelessly lost...but making good time."
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07-30-2013, 07:41 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
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Whatever it is, you gotta tell us. lol
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07-30-2013, 07:50 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 103
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Don't worry!!!...I'll report back with something!!!!....lol
__________________
2004 National RV - Sea Breeze - 1341
"Hopelessly lost...but making good time."
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07-30-2013, 09:36 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Posts: 695
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How about electric visors. If ours are all the way up they make a rattling sound. I lower them just a bit and the rattle goes away. One other place I found rattles and sqeeks is where the upper console connects to the body just behind the top of the windshield. Also the curtin track and its mounting clips. Tracking noises down can drive a guy CRAZY!!!!!
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07-30-2013, 09:41 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Posts: 695
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Just thought of one other place... how about the release handle for the emergency brake where it passes through the hole in the bracket thats screwed to the bottom of the dash. There is a small rubber groumet that the rod passes through. Or the rubber stop for the emergency brake pedal.
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08-01-2013, 08:07 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 103
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Well I'm sorry I haven't reported in a couple days but I haven't had much time to deal with this little rattling issue...I thought I would but as usual, other things took precedence....BUT, I do have a few things to report…..first, I’m nearly positive the rattle is high up in the dash….right under the left corner of it….I only know this from tapping on it right now as I haven’t traveled in it for a couple weeks but it sounds like it’s right there….I did check everything that everybody mentioned and it all looked secure....from the bottom to the top.....parking brake, fine and secure.....I had manual visors that I took down when I installed my flat screen up front so it’s not from above or anything in the cabinets as they are empty….secondly, I can’t see much from below and can’t see much from above either with mirrors or any type of cam through the access hole up top…..from what I do see, which is a lot of wood framing, it all looks fine without anything obviously out of place or just laying in plain sight….so, I don’t think it’s anything that FELL into any hole and is just bouncing around….now, when I slide my arm into the hole and feel around under the dash towards the front, left, I sort of see and feel what I think are (2) short 2x4’s stacked one on top the other in the shape of an “L” and right in that corner under the VIN tag…..the top one is loose and I can shake it and sort of clap them together….this may be the culprit but there is no way to get in there to do anything to fix it….my arm is barely long enough to reach it much less try to angle something to apply caulk or glue to get them together…and as I said, this may or may not be the problem…..my next course of action is to unscrew the dash at the windshield which will allow me to raise the back side a few inches….hopefully I can then go outside and look through the windshield to see if I notice anything from that angle……maybe that will shed more light on things……
Dunner, seems you were dead on as usual and most of the darker trim pieces up front are held in place with heavy duty Velcro….I did manage to separate a couple areas to see how it all fit but in some spots I was pulling the adhesive loose and not separating the Velcro so even if I get crazy enough to try and remove it, I may need to get some new Velcro and redo it all…..not sure I’m up for that challenge yet but ya never know….I have a short trip scheduled on the 14th of the month so not sure if I want to risk opening up a can of worms so close to a trip….but you never know…..I do have a couple weekends before then so I may get crazy and go for it….
So in short, I’m no closer to finding the problem with the rattle but I haven’t given up yet……I did manage to replace my bathroom exhaust fan blade to that's one thing crossed off the to do list!!......fingers crossed that tomorrow I can pick up where I left off with the dash and dig some more….with any luck, I’ll find the eject button and the whole dash top will just lift right up!!!.......
__________________
2004 National RV - Sea Breeze - 1341
"Hopelessly lost...but making good time."
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