Tap tap tappity effing tap!!

Hi all

There is one very annoying noise that I have spent months trying to knock on the head. It sounds like it's in the cab in the drivers footwell. It's not a clunk or bang, but a little tap sound, sort of like a plastic electrical connector tapping on the firewall or something. I have cable tied every bit of electrical wire, plug, hose, bonnet cable, everything I can see. But I'm at a complete loss as to what it could be.

Is there anything within the pedal assembly that tends to make a tap noise?

If I'm driving over bumps, it makes the noise, if I speed up or slow down, this also makes the noise.

The car has all new bushes, new body mounts and isn't making any suspension clunking noises.

If anyone has any suggestions, please throw them at me.

Cheers

Andy

Nothing behind the RH kick panel, or something like a flasher cam hanging under the dash

Stressed metal flexing?

Flasher can is secured. I've removed all panels, even the fuse box to make sure nothing was loose behind. Everything is secured. With regards to the metal flexing, I wonder how I could test for this?

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Originally Posted by Parksy

With regards to the metal flexing, I wonder how I could test for this?

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Yeah buggered if I know mate. If you are absolutely sure nothing is loose under the dash it's worth considering.

My wagon had a similar sound but it's now parked up in the paddock before I found the annoying racket.

could it be something in the inner guard like the plastic bit flapping? or old antenna lead
In between the battery and the guard?
Just throwing stuff out there

Had the same problem in our Toyota van. After extensive searching, it turned out to be dried grease inside the steering column. It was sticking to the plastic wear pads and dropping them. It made a clicking tapping noise and droves us nuttier than we already are. I have just looked at the GQ steering column in the manual, but it doesn't seem to have the same set up. Maybe something to check out though.

Have similar problem with my 1991 Safari, feels like something intermittently thumping under my feet. Only happens once in a while and as hard as I've looked I can't find anything that seems like it could be responsible. Not much help I'm afraid but thought you'd take some solace knowing your not the only one being driven loopy.

Happy hunting, Lee

Thanks all for your replies. The steering column idea is interesting. As is the inner gaurd idea. I wonder how hard it is to remove a patrol steering column?

I know how annoying such noises can be & how hard it is to actually isolate the area that they come from ( or maybe that's just my poor hearing ) . Once had a noise from passenger side of my ute that only occurred when someone was in the seat.Took ages to find. Turned out to be the ratchet mechanism in the seat belt locking & unlocking as we traveled - didn't have to be a rough road . Of course if you are certain that in your case the noise is coming from the footwell then your search for the cause will go on.

Can you use a stethoscope to try and isolate it further?

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Originally Posted by nissannewby

Can you use a stethoscope to try and isolate it further?

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Hose and small funnel.

Sounds are funny things, in my previous car it sounded like a werring noise coming from the front passenger footwell, turned out to be a failed rear wheel bearing.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I may have found it. Under the bonnet, the rubber strip that runs along the underneath the trailing edge of the bonnet. The end on the drivers side was loose and for what ever reason would make a clicking noise if i moved it. A little bit of silicon underneath it and a drive around the block and the noise is gone! But tomorrow will tell when i drive to work whether i've fixed it or not.

Yep, common issue on the Hilux also, only it's the black plastic between the bottom of the screen and the bonnet, and more so in winter than summer, but I was some what hesitant in bringing that up. LOL!

A quick update. This did get rid of 90% of the noise, but occasionally it still came back. So I removed the rubber strip completely to clean it all up and stick it down properly and I think this revealed why it's making the noise.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...81B0FEDE2A.jpg
When I re painted the car, the paint pooled onto the rubber section, creating a hard section that would tap onto the body which made the annoying sound. So really, it's my own fault for doing a shody job on the paint job, but at least I'm fixing it properly now.

Thanks Parksy, ours intermittently has a noise that sounds like the same thing as yours. I'll have to look there next time it does it.