FordService

Let me know how the appointment goes, EcoBrook. If you need me to step in and help, send me a PM with your name, daytime phone number, mileage, VIN, and preferred servicing dealership.

Crystal

EcoBrook

I actually decided against taking it in to the other dealership because it is so far from work and I didnt want to ask someone to spend time and money to give me a ride. Since I dont have the extended warranty I was guessing I would have to either sit there or find a ride, then find another back. I also guessed that they would probably take a day or two to get it solved...therefore I figured things out myself on taking apart the dash. Solved the light rattle in the dash, and the larger one from the back seat area. Also got the horrible bird chirp to 95% go away...but it still does it every now and then.

What they were...

1- the light ticking in the dash - the left grey trim piece between center and cluster has a small rib on the inside of it that was rubbing on the piece that it mated to. I saw where it had rubbed a small spot and knew that was my ticking noise. Put some cloth tape over it and it is gone.

2- the louder noise from the rear. Ended up being the rear drivers side door. The plastic where it meets the window's rubber seal, was barely touching, both front and rear of the window. You could again see where it had been rubbing. I trimmed the plastic with a razor blade so that there was a little clearance.

3- the bird chirp....still not 100% sure what caused it. there is a plastic stop on the clips to keep them from pushing in too far and it is the perfect candidate to cause the squeak....a narrow plastic edge on a flat mating surface. I put cloth tape over these. The other possibility is where the buttons mount to the trim piece itself. I put some electrical insulating grease where the plastic pieces touch. Used the electrical grease so as to not cause any electrical issues. I will probably take it back apart and grease it more liberally as I am pretty sure I put enough cloth tape over the clip stops to have solved it if that were the problem.


I am really disappointed with all of the tolerance issues I have found (not just the above), and also the lack of isolation techniques used from the factory. An extra $10 in felt tape, electrical grease and a half hour of labor would have prevented these issues in the first place. After all I dont think an additional $20 would have been the deciding factor in my purchase.