Loose HVAC panel

I've got a 2013 DC 4x4 that I bought used. Recently I've noticed an annoying rattle coming from the dash. I couldn't find the source easily, but yesterday while turning the AC on, I noticed the whole panel with the HVAC knobs is loose. It moves probably a good 1/16 to 1/8 inch forward and back. I removed the whole assembly, drove around and the rattle seemed to be gone. So has anyone else fixed this and can provide some help? I stared at the panel and hole in the dash for quite some time and couldn't figure out a solution because there's so little surface area touching.

 

UPDATE: I decided tonight to go out and do some looking. I tore apart my glovebox, checking for anything loose, didn't find anything. So I grabbed some electrical tape and taped the whole HVAC panel in place so it didn't move at all. I drove around on about a 5 mile loop, including a curved on ramp that whenever I went around it, it made the rattle worse. After taping it all up, no more rattles. It looks terrible because I didn't have black electrical tape, but as a proof of concept it worked. Anyway I'm probably going to buy some black tape and put it on the top where the blue tape is now (not as high up on the dash though, it'll all be underneath), but that'll leave nasty residue when I end up pulling it off, so i'm open to any suggestions anyone has as to how to make it more permanent. I also noticed my antenna was slightly loose. I don't think that had anything to do with it, but I tightened her up real good anyway. It's not library quiet (still a hell of a lot of wind noise, but i'm in Oklahoma so can't fix that!) but if I go over a bump in the road there's still one or two minor creaks, but it's not a constant rattle like this was.

 

I have noticed the same in my 2013. Am thinking about a thin strip of foam tape or something like that behind it so it is not visible but cuts the rattle.

Let us know what you come up with...

 

Subd. Noticed mine moving around the other day. No rattle but I'm sure it won't be long.

 

Yeah mine rattled too for a long time until I got sick of it, I jammed a flat screw driver in the gap and that fixed it. Its quiet now.

 

I saw on another thread someone suggested some velcro and using the fuzzy side around it to hold it in. Honestly I think a piece of black electrical tape is gonna work the best, but I'll buy some at Harbor Freight (i need some anyway) and try it out tomorrow. If it looks good, i'll stay with it. Otherwise, I might try a velcro solution of some sort. Unlike the Drivers door window switch panel which moved around and I fixed with a piece of sponge, there's no room for that here. There's no "bezel" behind the panel, just the holes where the clip goes in. Otherwise i'd jam some foam in there and push it out instead of pulling it in with tape. No room to put any extra filler in. I never noticed it until I took it "off road" on some back roads around a local lake that was bumpy. I think I rattled it up a bit

 

Mine was loose from day 1 (and annoyed me from day 1).

I took it out and wrapped 1 wrap of electrical tape around each of the 4 clips that hold it into the dash. Problem solved - no more movement, no noise, and nothing visible.

 

I thought about that, but I didn't know how the tape would effect it's ability to "click" into place.

 

Winner.

 

Thye electrical tape will work as noted above. I would not like that it tends to get gooey over time. My 2 Cents. I used the fuzzy side of the velcro behind the panel at each corner and it has worked well and is not visible. To each his own.

 

With the clips wrapped in the tape, it doesn't really "click" into place, however it still holds much tighter than it did without the tape.

 

I had this same issue. I took it out and placed black tape around the edges and trimmed it so it was not visible. This worked 100% for me.

**I will have to say, I am not sure if I replaced any clips on it though, I replaced the ones around my Radio's housing, I could have done those too.

 

Mine was slightly loose as well so I cut two small strips from an old credit card and slid one behind the right side and the second one up under the bottom edge, has not moved in two years. I used the remaining portion of the card to slide the strips into position.

 

I got it fixed. I tried putting tape around the clips, but I ended up putting too much on each time and decided it wasn't worth my time to keep adding/removing tape until I found the perfect amount, so what I ended up doing was putting about 3 layers of electrical tape on the panel on the left/right side on the 1/4" of surface area available. That actually stopped it from moving forward and back. Then I noticed that the glossy panel part was actually slightly loose, so I went one step forward and held the glossy part back and taped it to the internal part of the panel. Now it doesn't move at all and my dash is nearly silent. My passenger side window panel started vibrating like a mofo, so I took a sponge and made a whole layer of sponge around it and put it back in. Cranked up "Turn down for what" with the bass all the way up and no rattles in the interior. I'm happy with how it feels now.

 

Yep I noticed it pretty quick after getting my truck, while I was doing a wipe down of the dash. Min doesn't rattle.. but I plan to add something behind it before it starts.