Mystery relay clicking at high speed
 

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone can help troubleshoot a relay clicking sound coming from the driver side door and under the steering wheel area. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the fuse box. The odd thing is that everything still works (locks, windows, lights, and etc) and it only starts to click at about 50 MPH. The clicking gets more rapid when the speed approaches 70-80 MPH. And the clicking stops below 50 MPH or so.

I took it to the dealer and they said that they found a nail on the front tire :mad0260: I told that it can't be because it's definitely a relay clicking sound that only happens at above 50 mph. His responses was, "We can't go above 50 mph in this area." After leaving my car there the whole day and spending $1000 for a spark plug change, oil change, and brake fluid change... I left there with no solution to the main reason that I went there in the first place.

Anway, I'm totally stumped. What can cause the relay to click at high speed? Revving the engine while parked doesn't make it happen. It even happens when just coasting above 50.

Has anyone experienced this before or know what it could be?

Thanks!

So you still hear the clicking after the nail was removed?

The box that contains the relays is under the hood, not under the dash.

The turn signal relay is in that area, but that doesn't seem like it would cause that.

The lower dash cover comes off really easily with one or two screws, and the side cover between the dash and door just pops right out. Get in there and look around. There's probably something loose and rattling. You might be able to hear it better if you drive it with the cover off or stick a GoPro or phone under there while driving to help isolate it.

Have you considered rotating your tires front to rear to see if it goes away? There could be a balancing issue that's vibrating something and the resonance is affecting your steering column plastics

It is? I don't remember seeing any relays there. :bonk:

My steering column plastics rattle. I have to tighten the screws from time to time. Doesn't help I have my gauges mounted to it.

turn signal is under the dash, as well as accessory relays, and fog light relay.

but none of them should be activating at a specific speed.

Which is why I suspect something is loose and bumping.

Hi All,

It's definitely not the tires or anything coming from the wheel.

If it's due to something being loose, I think I should be able to hear the clicking if the road is bumpy. I intentionally tried to make the car vibrate but the clicking doesn't happen under 50.

I do see some relays behind the fuse box under the steering wheel. Not much room though. I guess my best bet is to get in there and and look around.

It's just so odd because I have never experienced this before and I can't find anyone that has heard of it before. I wonder if there's something going on with traction control at a certain speed.

Thanks for all your suggestions. Will let you know once I get it figured out.

Since you can't really stick your head under there while driving, you could try the poor man's stethoscope trick.

Get a piece of flexible hose long enough to reach from those relays to your ear. Tape one end to one of the relays. Hold the other end up to your ear while driving and listen for the clicking. Stop and move the hose to the next relay until you find the one making noise. If it's not one of the relays, mount the hose in various places under the dash until you track it down.

This is how you isolate sounds in an engine bay without touching anything with a mechanic's stethoscope. It won't give you the sound inside the engine, but it's great for tracking down exterior sounds like a squeaking pulley that you don't want to stick a probe into while it's moving.

Extrashaky,

I can see myself driving down the highway with a long hose in one ear and constantly looking down and trying to move the other end of the hose around with my knee. Not sure if that route will be safe.

I guess I could just take out one relay at a time then drive around and see if that relay made a difference. If I'm lucking, it could just be a bad relay. I'm just worried that the relay is ok but something else if making it click.

:bonk:

Or don't and continue complaining about it.

Just have your girlfriend shove her head down there while you’re driving so she can listen for the noise.

Hell, while she’s down there.....

step 1, get girlfriend...