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Clicking from the dash?

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7K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  greg_sikes 
#1 ·
So my wife came in tonight and said the D90 (97 SW) is making a clicking sound. Turns out I'd experienced this once before, and made it go away the same as I did tonight.

Here's the details:
1. Sound is from upper left dash.
2. Frequency seems about that of the wiper blades on slow speed (not intermittent), or maybe the turn signal.
3. It was raining outside, and she did have the wipers on.
4. She also had the left vent open for a brief minute in the rain (I doubt this has anything to do with the noise).
5. Noise continues even with the engine turned off.
6. Noise stops when I restart the truck.
7. I experienced this once before, under very similar circumstances ... except for possibly the open vent (#4).
8. No visible indicators of what is going on (indicator lights, wipers moving slightly, etc.).

Anyone else experience this ... or have any idea as to what's happening?

Greg
 
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#2 ·
Yes Greg I have this on rare occaision too. From my diagnosis it is something triggering the relay for the turn signals without actually actuating the circuit. It happens so scarcely and fixes with reset of the ignition, so I leave it at that.
 
#4 ·
Wicks ... I am suspecting a relay as well. It's not an urgent issue with me ... but I am somewhat concerned. For a relay to be "clicking", or switching on/off, it would have to be drawing power, would it not? (Disclaimer ... Electrical is not my forte.)

Phillip ... it might well be my wiper relay causing this, although the wipers are not operating when this noise occurs.

I think next time I'll simply allow the noise to continue and take apart the dash. In the interim, I'll look up in my workshop manual what relays might be in the neighborhood of where I heard the noise.

Thanks.

Greg
 
#5 ·
Greg, I think (not sure 97s are the same as 94s) that all of the relays are behind the fuses, and next to the ECU. The wiper motor is behind the dash on the left. There is a dash cover below and to the left of the heater controls that are on the left of the steering wheel. Thats where I would start. Don't you hate those occaisional electrical problems. My wipers not only have a delay setting but sometimes they have a random setting and they will go on 2 or 3 wipes then be off for 30 seconds then go back to the normal delay. This only happens in the delay setting, I think it makes the experience that much more fun.
 
#9 ·
Same problem

I have the same problem. It's the alarm relay. They use the same wiring as the Disco's. The wire has a cap on it. When it rains or gets damp it sets of the "Alarm". I took my 97 SW in to get it fixed and what ever they did it didn't work I hear it all the time. Our Dealership can't fix anything. I just live with it. I also have a battery draining problem that can't be traced. So I put in a battery disconnect on my seat box. Every time I turn the switch on the "Alarm" relay starts clicking. Typical Land Rover crap! I still love my 90
 
#10 ·
Well, I thought I might procrastinate ... but looks like I'll take the dash cover off and see what I can see. (Thanks for reminding me Mike about the relays.)

Keith, I hope it's not related to an alarm ... my truck doesn't have one, although seems to be wired for one (long story ... blew my alarm fuse the first day of ownership while dorking around with the taillight electrical ... took me an hour to figure out why my truck wouldn't start). Maybe my leaving the vent open on the left will come back into play (my #4 in the original post).

The clicking sound is definitely mechanical and not like a turn signal. Problem is that I can't replicate it.

Thanks for all your guys input.
 
#11 ·
Keith and Mike,

I concur ... it's the alarm switch. I took off the access panel today, and the only possible source of the clicking noise was what I presume to be the "Engine Immobilisation ECU" box (labeled "Lucas"). I also checked my workshop and electrical manuals and that seems the only possibility. So I guess that when the vent is open and it gets damp, the switch inside the ECU begins to toggle on/off, and that's the mechanical clicking we hear. I'm also presuming that the truck restarts because, while the truck is off and switch is toggling on/off, the switch will toggle off (enabling the engine to start) at some point while key is turned in the ignition to restart the truck. Somehow this resets the ECU and switching stops.

At this point, I guess one option is to water proof the unit; although, this didn't work for you, did it Keith? So, it seems the current procedure of turning the truck off/on and reseting the ECU is the solution as it works.

Greg
 
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