how much does mrs roswell love you?
how much is ur life insurance worth?
it could be .......... u know :lol:

 

Possibly something ticking as it warms up and expands or perhaps a relay/thermo switch of some sort???

wrinx

 

Well thats bloody strange !!!....I`ve got excatly the same thing on mine. It comes & goes, but it seems to be coming from behind the speedo area. Sounds like a sort of metal sound...very annoying. Was thinking of taking it apart, but thought better of it.
If you manage to sort yours then let me know.

Thanks

 

My local alfa dealer explained this as a thermostatically controlled relay, I notice it when the AC compressor is on, or the heater is on a higher setting.

As soon as I turn off all the climate control it stops.

Only seems to come on after the colling or heating has been running a while.

Same thing happened on my 147 2.0 Selespeed, and it happens on my new 147 GTA Selespeed as well.

Makes sense as all the climate control components are the same between these two models.

 

I had this and it was the intermittiant wipers not resetting after a wipe - as the arms were adjusted incorrectly, so after they wiped they didn't hit the rest position so the relay kept ticking away.

could be a stuck directional flap for the heating distribution also.

 

Mine does a similar thing intermittently, sounds as though it comes from behind the speedo. I did find a guide to taking the dash out completely and packing a nut that should remove a well known rattle on www.alfa156.net under the tips section. Says passenger side but I am guessing that was for a LHD car. Seemed rather drastic and could run the risk of creating a lot more rattles, so I left it well alone.

 

It seems that you guys have the problem - mine sounds as though it's coming from behind the speedo/rev counter too.

 

I had this and it was the intermittiant wipers not resetting after a wipe - as the arms were adjusted incorrectly, so after they wiped they didn't hit the rest position so the relay kept ticking away.

I get that occasionally. The way to find out if that's you problem Roswell is to hit the quick-wipe once and see if the noise goes away. If it doesn't, it isn't .....

 

This alfa 156 buyers guide talks about "a creak coming from behind the dash"

I guess one man's creek could be another man's tick...

 

It's definitely a ticking noise rather than a creek. It sounds like a clock.

 

It's definitely a ticking noise rather than a creek. It sounds like a clock.

Sounds to me like the temperature control flaps for the climate control. I can sit listening to mine ticking like a clock, dial in a new temp and the ticking stops followed by a whirring as the flaps move, once the temp settled, the ticking starts again, dial in a new temp and so on.......

 

I don't have climate control.

 

I don't have climate control.

oops, sorry didnt know !

any change in the sounds if you adjust the temp dial ?

 

This alfa 156 buyers guide talks about "a creak coming from behind the dash"

I guess one man's creek could be another man's tick...

I have that as well!

The nuts behind the dash sounds about right - that car on 156.net is a LHD so would be behind the speedo for RHD

 

I have a 147 GTA 53 model bought second hand. I have two sounds on mine both equally annoying. The first is an intermitent ticking noise which sounds like a clock. Alfa dealership in Reading first stated this was either low oil or the tappets. After filling up with oil the noise initially disappeared. However it came back and the garage stated it must be the tappets. But as the noise has not been replicated when the alfa technician is about they are not authorising the repair.

The second noise is a ticking noise that speeds up as the engine revs but is mostly there at idle. A blip of the throttle usually makes the noise disappear for a couple of seconds but it soon returns. Alfa Reading has said this is a normal noise and is the Carbon Filter (think that was they said!) that sits somewhere around the right hand side front wheel arch. It is very very irritating. Another alfa dealership has said that the Carbon Filter should make this noise but you shouldn't be able to hear it in the cabin. They are currently ordering a replacement to see if it fixes it.

We'll see...

 

The nuts behind the dash sounds about right

It's the nut behind the wheel you have to worry about....sorry, cracker jokes are wearing off!

wrinx

 

I have that too in my 147! I think it's related to the climate control since it only happens when it's on.

It's the nut behind the wheel you have to worry about....sorry, cracker jokes are wearing off!

wrinx

 

The second noise is a ticking noise that speeds up as the engine revs but is mostly there at idle. A blip of the throttle usually makes the noise disappear for a couple of seconds but it soon returns. Alfa Reading has said this is a normal noise and is the Carbon Filter (think that was they said!) that sits somewhere around the right hand side front wheel arch. It is very very irritating. Another alfa dealership has said that the Carbon Filter should make this noise but you shouldn't be able to hear it in the cabin. They are currently ordering a replacement to see if it fixes it.

We'll see...

The second noise you describe I have, diffreing in that I can only hear it with the window down and in a completey silent surroundings. Interesting as I was wondering what it could be (assuming it is the same).

 

It's definitely something to do with the wipers because giving the stalk a quick flick (single wipe) makes it disappear.

 

3 guesses as to what I will try next time the rattle materializes :lol:

 

I think I am getting the same problem. It sounds like a tappet noise. Although don't think it is. If you stand in front of the engine with the bonnet up I can't hear it. If I go back round as I am about to get in I can hear it. I can't hear it when I am driving but when I pull up at a junction there it is. It also only does it some times. Does this sound the same anyone worked out what it is?

 

I'm getting a strange, intermittent 'ticking' noise from behind the dash of my 156. It seams to happen when the heater has been on for a long time and the car is very warm.

Any ideas?

Obviously it can't be the clock as the noise would be there all the time.

Possibly just heat expansion.

 

No its not heat, its too regular. I have spent more time yesterday and as stated earlier in thread noise does come from wing. If I place my ear on wing you can hear it all the time. The strange thing is only sometimes when you turn the car on will it do it loudly. I am going to investigate this filter. Anyone know how to get one out?

 

I think the 156 has the charcoal cannister in the front wing drivers side, something todo with the fuel system and i think it has a solenoid on top. Could be that acivating.
Other strange noise from behind dash could be the aircon fan, little fan behind the small grill in the sucks air in to get the cabin temp this can dry out and create noise.

 

I used to get a ticking now and then from behind the dash in my 147. It sounded JUST like the ticking of a second-hand on a clock, it even was every second.

Of course if the 147 had an analogue clock like the 156, this would be understandable, but it had a digital clock!

Never did find out what the tick was, but in five years nothing ever went wrong, so I don't think it's major.