DIY: 1998 S70 Dash Rattle Ghetto Fix! Topic is solved

[RigsPGT]

Update:
The cabin is quiet
At first the vibration (light knocking) was still present but after keeping the car in drive and pressing every possible area of the passenger side, I opened the grove box door and the noise was gone. Closed it and noise returned so I isolated the problem to be around that area.
I removed the book and three loose CDs and the noise disappeared for good putting me a big smile on my face

Note: If you're going to try this, make sure you throw something on top of the dash as this foam will stain it if it drips. I had one spot on the top dash cover which I didn't wipe off right away but let it dry and the foam has etched it similar to bird drops on clear coat.

[erikv11]

Cool, any pics of this repair work? I am curious for some detail on where you applied the expanding foam stuff. Looks like you removed the dash cover to do it, any more detail about the process? One of your earlier posts said you were going to pull the whole dash out did you ever do that, or did you try the repairs instead?

[RigsPGT]

I never found time to mess with the removal of the dash eventhough that was a plan for both cars. I did however spray the foam only on the base and it helped tremendously but its not as good as the T5. Maybe the side brackets play a big role in keeping the dash put while the foam bonds everything in between the dash and firewall.
To spray the foam you don't need to remove the dash pad, you simply insert the straw in the channel between the windshield and plastic of the dash and attach the can squirting the foam. Stop when you see the foam approaching the top this way you don't have to scrape the foam when dry and repeat procedure a few inches apart. Do this until you've covered the whole perimeter of the windshield.
As for pictures, I will try to get some tomorrow during the day, just to give you a clearer view

[mary simons]

Thankyou Ozark Lee ! My first 2017 Hero!

[cn90]

This thread is now 3 years old.
The Ghetto fix is still alive and well.
Dash is rather quiet..

[Kara503]

This thread is now 3 years old.
The Ghetto fix is still alive and well.
Dash is rather quiet..

cn90, Just wanted to check in on your fix again. How is it holding up? I'm planning on stopping at the store to pick up some butyl rope to fix this issue in my fiance's 99 s70. It's driving her nuts!!!

Did you ever end up doing anything other than just tightening the side screws and using the rope? I saw another poster's dash was so saggy he had to drill new holes for the screws?

[scot850]

I did the repair on the dash with a plastic butane welder (like a large soldering iron), ABS weld sticks, plastic glue that was also compatible with metal. I bought some self tapping screws and a couple of metal straps. The dash is now way stronder and re-inforced than it ever was from the factory and was nice strong and quiet.

Good luck.

Neil.

[Kara503]

I did the repair on the dash with a plastic butane welder (like a large soldering iron), ABS weld sticks, plastic glue that was also compatible with metal. I bought some self tapping screws and a couple of metal straps. The dash is now way stronder and re-inforced than it ever was from the factory and was nice strong and quiet.

Neil, does that fix involve removal of the dash? Could you go into more detail?

I already have that project lined up for my 850 Platinum, but the fiance's car will only be with us a few more months- not worth the effort.

[erikv11]

If you're only trying to get through a couple months, first step is tightening the mounting bolts. You access them under the cowl. Don't overtighten, but I'll bet you they are loose and it will help. Especially for a car living in a mild climate like Oregon, the dash may be more loose than broken. Worth a look.

[scot850]

Erik makes a good point. Just nip the bolts up don't crank on them. Even in mild states, the plastic is still 22 years old and will go brittle as the mounts are part of the hot air venting system to the windshield. So gently goes it.

I pulled the whole dash out. A long job but worthwhile as I wanted to check all the servo motors and flaps were working in the A/C and heating system. It was a 2000 V70 and their heating system is different, but they break in the same way. It required top and bottom halves of the dash to be removed and that meant removing the center console and steering wheel and airbag. Not a quick job.

Neil.