Hi All,

I searched the forum and found other clicking noises, but not this one. This is in the ****pit, starts with the initial key turn before the engine is turned on, speeds up once the engine is turned on, then goes away after 30 seconds and re-appears periodically while driving.

Check out the zipped video.

This is an early 2005 DB9 with 14K miles.

Any ideas?

 

Does it seem to be inside the car or outside?
Can any body try to start the car while you listen to the noise in the engine area?
Watch the needles on the gauges, see if there flickering.
The only thing I can think of, is I know there was a issue with a bracket in the left rear wheel area for the canister close valve. I dont remember if it was every that loud.

 

Sorry, but I don't trust downloading a Zip file from the forum. Perhaps you might consider posting a Youtube video next time/

 

Sorry Karl, I just signed on to youtube but the upload doesn't work with .3GP files...video taken with my Blackberry phone. Hopefully this new info & picture will help:

AMFixer, good questions....I opened the hood and turned the key then started the engine, and you could barely hear the clicking. It seemed to be coming from the steering wheel area so I stuck my head down there and found what was clicking, but can't tell what the source is.

If your head is on the ground and you're looking up at the steering wheel assmbly in a U.S. configured left side drive, there is a metal rod with a screw end attached to a plastic arm piece on the very left against the center console, and this is making the clicking sound as it knocks against the piece of plastic it sits next to (with the two holes in the pic). Any idea what this is arm & rod are? Any idea what the rod attaches to and the source of the clicking....and of course, how to fix it?

 

That picture is the face vent blend flap, and if I remeber right that is not adjusted right. yje hole in the arm should line up with the bottom hole on the Hvac assembly in the Face vent **** position. So turn the face vents on and see if the hole lines up, if it doesn't, needs to be adjusted by turning the metal rod..before going this round, does it make the noise when you switch from face to feet all in manual mode(keep fan speed off auto and to any fan speed 5+)..??

 

I love looking at pictures and mods, but this kinda help for owners having issues makes me love our forum. Thanks again experts.

It turns out to be related to the temperature dial. The clicking occurs at the extremes, and I don't know if this is normal, but when turning just slightly hotter or colder, the mechanism seems to be fully moving from one extreme to the other....no partial movements or stopping in the middle.
It appears the clicking is coming from whatever is attaching to the top end of the rod that I cannot see and when it had reached the end of the track and does not stop it's effort.

It occurs when I turn the key, speeds up when I turn on the car, goes away, and then only happens if I adjust temperature of the vent.

Please see the video...had to make it short to fit on the forum. If you could see me literally upside down with my feat near the headrest and head below the brake pedal & looking up at the underside of the steering column area, calling my wife from the garage on my cell because I needed a third hand and thought if I squirm to get out of this position I may never be able to get back to it, you'd know I'm not spreading a virus video, just trying to fix my baby.

I may be the first AM owner to get a head rush without even turning the car on as I was upside down for a while trying to see if I could figure out what was on the other end of the rod, and why the mechanism doesn't stop when it reaches the end of the assembly track.

What do you guys think?

 

I took a look at the DB9 Worksop Manual...do you think this could be an issue with the "Air mix actuator" ?

 

Sry i was thinking of the wrong motor from the pic, the upper most actuator is the air mode (vents, defrost..etc) lower actuator motor is for the air temp control(cold-hot). Similar adjustment like I stated though for the vent motor rod....With the temp at max hot, the hole in the arm should line up with the lower hole on the heater box, with temp at max cold it should line up with the highest hole..the metal rod is adjustable, put to max hot and try to adjust rod to the lower hole...once aligned see if when at max cold does the highest hole line up..if it doesn't, your going to need a air mix actuator..you can measure resistance values of the motor, but there is a potentiometer in the motor that faults and looses it's range locations(if you would like to diagnose those with a meter pm me and I'll help you out at best)..so in the event of a concern that cannot be adjusted by the rod, the actuator is replaced..if the car is LHD part# 4G43-18D675-AA ..depending on market and dealer markup..should be around 150-250$ for the actuator

 

You rock Irish. I'll try adjusting first, and then the actuator...thanks for the part code. I'll let you know how it goes! As they say in Southern California, Muchas Gracias!

 

Can you even get to the actuator with out pulling out half the dash?
If I remember right the IP needs to come out to get to this, I could be wrong.