Why is it my cluster always sounds like someone chewing on a pack of crackers? it's ridiculous how much noise that thing makes. Anyone else have noisy gauges?

Maybe I need louder exhaust...

Tim

 

it sounds like a old projector.

 

No- is there a way you can have your dealer pull the cluster and take a peek? Mine was replaced due to a cracking finish between the gauges, and it looked like a simple operation taking it out and putting a new one in.
Hope you can get this resolved!
-Jim

 

When the battery on my F150 was on its way out, the gauges became erratic and was making a vibrating noise.

 

I like the exhaust idea

 

I keep thinking that mine is making the same sounds as times over concrete and rough roads...but it could also be coming from your A-Pillar inside trim. Try placing your hand on that trim when you're driving to see if that stops the noise...there's a TSB on it.

 

Unfortunately the car does not even have to be running for it to make the noise, it does it with the car in acc so the gauges light up, don't even have to start it. It's a chattery grumbling kind of sound, perhaps one of the stepper motors is going out. It works fine just a little on the annoying side.

Tim

 

Yep, the 07-09 have a problem with there gauges making noise, they sound like someone throwing rocks into a wood chipper. Unfortunately ford doesn't have a fix for it. I had my dealer change mine and the new one didn't sound any better. The only thing that helps is driving with the window open or radio up to drown it out... the exhaust is prob a good idea.

 

The motors on the oil, water, gas and voltage gauges are the issue. They're called stepper motors (as has been stated earlier), and that's just the way they work. The movements are not analog, but digital. Everytime they move, they are actualy starting/stopping quickly. This action causes the noise you hear in them.

Over time, obviously, things get a little looser than they used to be new, and so the noise gets a little louder. There's not a lot that can be done about it, probably, except other noise to override it (see above post. ) Unless someone can figure out how to reprogram them so they don't slow-step from "0 to n" and back. (n is whatever value it's supposed to be at to indicate 180 degrees, for the example of the water gauge.) I.e. can they be quickstepped to 0 from 'on', or do they *have* to do that slow grind back down to 0?

Answer... probably not going to happen. Oh well... *turns up 'I Wanna Rock' by Twisted Sister*