How to evict the hamster living behind my glove box?

wrybread · Post by **wrybread** » 09 Jul 2019, 14:37

There's a noise behind my glovebox in my 2000 S70 that sounds like a hamster on a habitrail. It's not there all the time, and it happens even when the car isn't moving. It doesn't vary with engine RPM. When I first heard it I literally thought a mouse was stuck in my glove box.

I don't imagine anyone knows what it is?

Post by **Eddystone** » 09 Jul 2019, 15:15

Probably some relay chattering-buzzing-vibrating.

That's also the sound the passenger side airbag makes just before it explodes (joke).

: bomb.png (136.71 KiB) Viewed 1197 times

Reference: "The Mouse That Roared" (film) and sound effect.

wrybread · Post by **wrybread** » 09 Jul 2019, 15:23

Doesn't sound like any relay I've heard. Distinctly sounds like something rotating.

Post by **abscate** » 09 Jul 2019, 15:31

Try running with the AC off for a day and see if it makes the sound at the end of the day.

The blower motor lives back there and it can come on at odd times to keep the evaporator dry.

wrybread · Post by **wrybread** » 09 Jul 2019, 15:38

No AC required here in foggy coastal Northern California... I think I've used it a total of maybe 10 minutes since buying the car.

Interesting about the evaporator motor. Would it come on even without using AC?

Post by **Eddystone** » 09 Jul 2019, 16:52

Right front suspension, except that you say you hear when the car is not moving.

Aside from a relay or the blower motor, what could it be? Your sound system? Some alarm that's dying? Something battery powered in your glove box that has a battery going dead? The blower the first thing I thought of when you said a hamster, but there are a lot of us who don't know what a hamster in a habitrail sounds like. Maybe a description that is a little bit less wry and a little bit more accurately descriptive would help.

Post by **ZionXIX** » 09 Jul 2019, 17:28

My old blower fan used to make a horrible squealing that would disappear if I hit a pothole. Sometimes it would be quieter. I bet it's your fan motor squealing. You could pull the plug from the motor or which ever fuse powers it maybe? And see if it stops.

Post by **abscate** » 09 Jul 2019, 19:09

Recirculating damper door motor also lives back there. That can cycle itself in some modes

Post by **BEJinFbk** » 09 Jul 2019, 19:16

abscate wrote: ↑09 Jul 2019, 19:09 Recirculating damper door motor also lives back there. That can cycle itself in some modes

My money is on this!

wrybread · Post by **wrybread** » 09 Jul 2019, 19:34

Aha thanks for the tips. Those led me to this, good ol Robert DIY:

Lots of motors back there. Will do some tests to figure out which one is the culprit.