Brief, loud clicking noise from dashboard area when AC is turned on.

This started happening about 2 weeks ago. When I start up my car or whenever I turn the AC on I hear 3 or 4 loud clicks coming from what seems to be under the dashboard. The noise resembles a click with a thump followed by a trickling, shutter or flapping noise like a flap or valve is bouncing around after each click. The noise completely stops after about the 3rd click unless I restart the car or turn the AC on and off. Regardless, the air flow/strength and temperature seem unaltered. I'm sort of confused. Any ideas or suggestions would be very much appreciated, thanks!

My car has 144

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The noise you are hearing is one of the HVAC door actuators that control air flow or temperature for the a/c. There are at least 4 of these actuators in your system and one of them is going bad and would need to be replaced. The one that is making the noise It’s hard to specify wxactly which one without checking the system first hand. In order to find the one going bad a mechanic would have to have their hand on each one and turn on the a/c and feel to see the failing actuator. Only then can a complete diagnosis be done. I recommend having a mechanic. like one from YourMechanic, come to you and diagnose your HVAC problem.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

If you hear one loud click as the AC tries to turn on, there`s a problem with the controls. The culprit could be the capacitor, control board or thermostat. If the clicking happens repeatedly until you manually turn off the AC at the thermostat, the controls might be fine but some other part is refusing to do its job.
Clicking or squealing

AC clicking when you turn it on? A quiet clicking sound can be normal. However, if it`s loud and rapid, it could mean the clutch is worn. If clicking is a common occurrence, you may have foreign matter interfering with the blower motor.

Clicking: Damaged or malfunctioning controls and relays can cause a clicking noise at the compressor as these components try but fail to function. Ticking, rattling, clicking or rumbling: A loose piece of hardware could cause sounds like this to occur near the compressor.
Damaged CV joint: The most common cause of a clicking or popping sound from the wheels is a broken CV joint. The CV joints, which stand for Constant Velocity, are essentially the wrists of your vehicle`s steering system.
Generally, a noisy actuator does not indicate an actual problem. It is caused by the friction between the urethane belt and the nickel plated pulley surfaces as they rub together during engagement causing a squeak just like your new sneaks on a gym floor .
Outside unit: When the clicking sound comes from the outside unit, it could mean there is a loose part somewhere. It could be a bolt, a wire, a refrigerant tube, or some other part that may just need to be tightened. It`s best to call an HVAC technician to diagnose the problem and repair it.
Outside unit: When the clicking sound comes from the outside unit, it could mean there is a loose part somewhere. It could be a bolt, a wire, a refrigerant tube, or some other part that may just need to be tightened. It`s best to call an HVAC technician to diagnose the problem and repair it.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Brief, loud clicking noise from dashboard area when AC is turned on.
ANSWER : The noise you are hearing is one of the HVAC door actuators that control air flow or temperature for the a/c. There are at least 4 of these actuators in your system and one of them is going bad and would need to be replaced. The one that is making the noise It’s hard to specify wxactly which one without checking the system first hand. In order to find the one going bad a mechanic would have to have their hand on each one and turn on the a/c and feel to see the failing actuator. Only then can a complete diagnosis be done. I recommend having a mechanic. like one from YourMechanic, come to you and diagnose your HVAC problem.

My 2003 ford explorer wont start up just get click click click click click click click click
ANSWER : If the battery is weak and the voltage is dropping to below 9 volts you will get the clicking without the starter turning the motor. Have the battery voltage checked and if battery cannot hold a load then replace it and clean the battery terminals and recheck system to see if it starts.

On start AC is working fine, after 5-10 mins i am starting to hear loud fast clicking noises.!?
ANSWER : The compressor clutch on the vehicle may be caused by an excessive clutch to pulley gap or an excessive resistance in the compressor field coil. A check on the gap in the pulley to clutch can be performed by using a feeler gauge and the coil can be checked using a multimeter. If either is out of specs then repair or replace it as necessary. I’d suggest getting your vehicle inspected by a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to perform these checks and properly diagnose your A/C issue firsthand.

2011 chevy impala makes clicking sound when i turn on the AC. Clicking will continue even after car is turned off, and does not st
ANSWER : Hi, what you’re describing is a fairly common issue with Chevrolet and GM products. It’s most likely the actuator motor for the blend door in the A/C ducts behind the dashboard, especially if the noise seems to originate from somewhere behind the dashboard.

The connectors for the actuator tend to corrode and cause resistance that results in a bad signal to the control for the actuator. The control then continues to drive the motor, which can result in broken teeth in the actuator/blend door’s plastic gears.

There are probably two actuators, one behind the glovebox and one on the driver’s side. If it’s not the actuators themselves, it could be a relay, but the service history of Chevrolets suggests the actuators.

If you need assistance with this, feel free to schedule an appointment with YourMechanic to diagnose the noise you’re hearing firsthand and replace your Impala’s A/C actuators and blend doors as necessary.

My cooling fan won’t turn on when I turn the ac on. Relays and fuses are good, tested the fan with the battery and it came on??
ANSWER : Hi there. In general, a situation like this occurs when either the thermostat housing or temperature sensor is not relaying the information to the fan motor to activate. However, it’s also possible that there is some electrical short within the cooling system relay’s that is causing the fan motor to not activate when it should. I think the best way to determine the precise source of this problem is to have a professional mechanic come to your location to complete an onsite inspection so they can test all systems to help isolate the root problem and recommend the right repairs.

High pitched whine noise is coming from behind or below glove box area. The noise occurs at low rpm at any speed, especially while turning left.
ANSWER : Hi there. The sound that you are hearing is probably from the blower motor to the heater / air conditioning evaporator. Remove the fuse to the blower motor and see if the sound stops. If the sound stops, then the motor or the squirrel cage is bent and rubbing. If the sound is still there when you remove the fuse, then it could be the alternator or power steering pump transmitting the sound through the cabin area. If you need further assistance with locating the source to the high pitch sound near your glove box, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

car won’t start.
ANSWER : A possibility is a faulty ignition switch. If the switch opens after the car starts, the engine will shut off. But, that is just a possibility and a diagnostic would have to be performed to rule that in or out. Be sure you have a fully charged battery that passes a load test. Starters motors can display intermittent operation if they are faulty. With a fully charged battery, if the starter motor does not run that signifies an electrical problem in the starter circuit (includes the ignition switch) or a problem with the starter motor itself. If there is power to the starter motor and yet it doesn’t run, the starter is condemned and replaced. Alternatively, if there is no power to the starter, or there is a big voltage drop anywhere on the circuit to the starter, then the circuit has to be traced until the fault in the circuit is found. Notably, faults can include high resistances, due to corrosion, wire strand breaks, or loose terminals, which can only be diagnosed using a voltage drop test. Regardless of what the underlying cause of the no start condition is, if you desire that a certified mechanic resolve this promptly, please simply request a no start diagnostic and the responding mechanic will get it diagnosed and repaired for you. Please let us know if you have further concerns or questions as we are always here to help you.

have a Honda accord 2005. While I was turning my car mad a loud whining noise like an electric noise when I put it on park or dri
ANSWER : Hi there. In most cases, this type of noise is an indication of low power steering fluid or a belt that is loose or about to break.It could also be caused by something inside the transmission, or an electric shift solenoid that allows the car to shift into gear. If you are indicating that the engine was running today, but when you had the car in drive it wouldn’t move forward, it is likely due to a transmission problem somewhere. Before you decide to take your car to a repair shop, you might want to have one of our mobile mechanics come to your location, so they can pinpoint the source of this noise and determine what is wrong with your Honda by completing a car is making a noise inspection. This can save you a lot of time, trouble and money by ensuring the right repairs are completed.