I have a popping noise coming from the center of the dash when driving on uneven roads. It is NOT what I'd call a squeek. (My definition is a squeak is from two things rubbing, fairly evenly, when lateral pressure is applied vs two things resisting movement and then jumping from one place to another when lateral pressure is applied)

I've tried tightening the torx bolt in the center and tried loosening it but no joy. It isn't constant, but when the road is anything but smooth and level, it gets annoying.

It seems to do it every time I turn into or out of my driveway when the angle puts a twist on the frame. My diagnosis is that some one, some time, did some dash work and possibly left a felt pad or something out when assembling. I think it is supposed to slip quietly on the pad when body flex occurs, but now is sticking until the torque exceeds the coefficient of friction and it pops. (just a theoretical scenario drempt-up by a bored mind)

My windshield cracked the other day when I washed it. (water hit it and a 6" crack started at the top and wandered down and to the left.)
I mention this because I'm going to have to replace the windshield soon and while it's out if there is anything I can do to cure the problem it might be easier to accomplish.

I'll try to video the noise today to properly describe the event.

 

Definitely address the dash while you are having the windshield replaced, as having the windshield off will be the only time you have access to the fasteners at the front of the dash, and an opportunity to clean that area. Is this a new car and is the vehicle history available? The windshield should not have cracked from washing the car, unless it was bearing all of your weight on the glass at the time.

I would be concerned that something else is causing both the dash noise and the glass breakage, something structural, or maybe the PO had the windshield replaced at one time and it was not installed correctly. I know there is a procedure on YouTube detailing the proper way to seat the windshield on an XK8/R. What model and year is your vehicle?

I take a sharp twist into my driveway, and the only thing that makes any noise is the Convertible Top tapping due to low fluid in the reservoir.

 

There are 2 additional mounting bolts at the ends of the Dash.

Gently pry loose the small speakers on the Dash and check the bolts underneath for tightness.

 

Thanks, 03 XKR

Is this a new car and is the vehicle history available? It is new to me (2 months). 114K miles, 3rd owner. The 2nd Owner only had it 2 years and 2k miles and I have a book of the maintenance that was done. No windshield replacement showing.

The windshield should not have cracked from washing the car, unless it was bearing all of your weight on the glass at the time. I was spraying it down from about 5 feet and heard a loud popping noise. I thought I had knocked something over from the overspray. I looked and then looked back at the car and saw it.

I would be concerned that something else is causing both the dash noise and the glass breakage, something structural, or maybe the PO had the windshield replaced at one time and it was not installed correctly. The under carriage and body all look exceptional. No overspray for paint showing repair (The trunk has a slightly different tint to it in some light angles but that can be caused by a different lie to the metallic in the paint if painted separately from the rest of the body)

What model and year is your vehicle? '97 XK8 Convertible. The colors are a bit exaggerated in this pic. It is metallic red. I haven't figured out which red it is yet.


I take a sharp twist into my driveway, and the only thing that makes any noise is the Convertible Top tapping due to low fluid in the reservoir. Why would low fluid cause a noise? once the top is up and latched the fluid isn't under pressure and/or doing any work is it?

 

A MODEL YEAR will help with diagnosis. There are TSBs for different faults for the different MY Jaguars

I am not going to list them all but they are available in the large file area somewhere on this forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The damper tower brace bolts come to mind.

bob

bob

 

I fought a dash squeak years ago and it turned out to be dry squeaking hood rubber bumpers! I put a dab of wheel bearing grease on mine as well as white grease in the rear hood latches. Pop the hood open (don't lift it open) and drive it up and the driveway. Add your car model and year to your on line signature. Till the 4th post, I didn't know what car you had! Look closely at the windshield, I think you'll find a small nick at the start of the crack. The water temperature caused it to spread.

 

Hi Bob,

Is the Tower Brace the large 'X' shaped brace under the car, or is that brace only on Convertibles, or SuperCharged Models?

 

Before looking at struts and so on, there is an obvious correlation between an unusual sound in the windscreen area and the windscreen cracking from a jet of water. I'm wondering whether there was a fault in the screen, perhaps a structural weakness in the glass that gave a noise. That would be impossible to prove, but I wouldn't be suprised if a new screen cured the noise. As suggested, also take the opportunity to remove the airducts for the screen demister and check that the dash isn't coming unglued, which causes an annoying noise as well.

 

Plenty of advice in the large file area like this.

 

One of the TSBS is for the Jag service dept was an advisory about cracking windshield. Some defective glass cracked, some cracks were from rocks. How to tell difference ?

The test describbed to verify if windshield was defective or if Crack was from outside event :

Run a ball point pen along the crack. If all the same (no pits interrupting flow) then defect. If you hit a pit or chip that is evidence of a strike from outside.

Using 2 year old memory, look for TSB for more data.

 

Btw, search for my post July or August this year on windshield replacement prices. Lots of good information from many of us. John

 

Upon further inspection, I now realize the sound is sometimes a pop and other times a squeak of sorts.

I've checked all the dash bolts (both tightening and loosening) - no change.

I'm now leaning towards a loose bulkhead brace bolt. I've tried both the strut tower end bolts and they are both tight and show no sign of wear from movement.

I'm thinking the other end (under the wipers and plenum cover) might be loose. I've been putting off attacking that end because of all the stuff that has to be removed to get to those bolts, but tonight I had a revelation!!! For troubleshooting purposes, just remove the strut tower bolts and allow that end to move. If that end can move, there's no pressure on the other end up under the bulkhead and the noise should go away! If the noise is still there, I saved a lot of wasted R & R time.

At that point I can decide to reconnect the strut bolts or tear everything else off to fix the problem. (or just live with it until something else makes me get under there also.)

Anyone have any shortcuts to get to the bulkhead braces?

 

When I bought my car back in 2008 there was always a noticeable "clunk" that sounded like it was coming from the console or dash. The clunk happened when driving on an uneven road or coming to a speed bump (I probably have a few dozen old posts about this). I had a mechanic do some suspension work and the noise was still there. I also checked out the bulkhead braces (you do need to mostly remove the plastic plenum under the windshield washers) and the connections seemed tight. There is some other console brace that shows up on parts diagrams but I don't think that you can easily get to that and I am not even sure that would be the culprit. The other possibility that has been suggested are shock mounts. But over the years the clunking has subsided quite a bit so I stopped worrying about it.

Doug

 

Good news - bad news...

Good news is I loosened the braces at the tower ends and presto the squeek/pop is GONE!!! Bad news is now I've got to dig into the bulkhead end and tighten/put star washers to prevent the relapse.

At least I didn't waste a lot of time only to find the source was elsewhere.

 

Seems like a month and a half to me.

bob

 

Ahaaa...Someone that reads the entire post!!! Yes, total elapsed time, but I had just about given-up after the initial flurry of posts and decided to live with the noise rather than take all the stuff off to continue to troubleshoot. Then, last night, I had an epiphany and followed through today.

It was a good day. Isolated (but not fixed) the dash noise and isolated and temp fixed the Low Coolant light.

Not major advancement, but I'll take any win.