[First post here] - I have a 2004 two door 4x4 blazer (bought new, added 30" tires) with a very aggravating noise problem. It has occurred on and off for almost two years now and has become very similar to a Chinese water torture lately. It is a periodic clicking noise coming from seemingly under the dash. It happens about once every 10 seconds and goes from barely audible to very noticeable. It only happens when I’m moving and goes away when it’s below about 35 degrees. The speed of the vehicle has nothing to do with the frequency, it stays the same regardless. It almost sounds like a relay but I have a suspicion that it could be related to the speedometer, but who knows. My warranty ran out last month and I mistakenly never took it in to get it looked at. It stopped completely over the winter but has now come back with a vengeance. When the driver's window is rolled down it is slightly louder and then appears to be coming from underneath instead. I’ve searched online forever and have never found a clue. It’s scary how repetitive and consistent it can be. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even want to drive it anymore because I keep waiting for the next tinging sound, which always comes! I think that the dealer would laugh me out of the shop if I did take it in. Any ideas? Thanks very much in advance! Frank

 

i had a similar problem and found out it was my trip odometer getting stuck on my 97. try resetting it and see if that works. it did for me.

 

My 1999 did the same thing, it was something to do with the turn signals,hazard relay, it was repaired under a service contract that I bought, (paid for its self as well) anyway, hope this helps, Rick.

 

I have an electronic trip odometer and I zero it out everytime I fill up but... I just tried zeroing it out anyway when the clicking started and sad to say, nothing changed. Thanks for the input though.

I went into the fuse box under the hood and pulled all the fuses and "boxes" in and out just for the heck of it. Thought maybe I'd get lucky with a bad contact, but nothing. Since you mentioned this though, it does sound like it could be cominng from that fuse box. I don't have a clue on how to test any of this. If I knew which one was bad (if that's the problem) I'd just swap it out, but in the meantime I'm still scratching my head.

 

The moral of the story: take EVERYTHING to the dealer while the car is under warranty and get a written record of the complaint. If you don't, you are in trouble when the problem develops into something chronic or serious.

Next time you hear the click, step on the brake pedal lightly. If the click stops, it's probably an issue with the muulti-function switch (turn signals, cruise, wipers, etc.). In my '99 there is a relay behind the glove box that clicks, but mine does it more on cold days. When the clicking won't stop, sometimes cycling the 4-way flasher switch on/off/on/off many times in fast sequence will stop it.

If it's the multi-function switch, it's $$$ to fix permanently.

 

I tried the brake thing and the 4-way flasher trick. It didn't do anything. I guess my choices are turn the radio up or take it in and get raped.

 

IfYOU CAN'T FIXit and someone else charges you...even if they charge alot...how is that getting raped?

 

1.) I believe, based on experience, that dealers charge more than they should. Charging too much is getting raped. If they fix the problem I still got charged too much. This is especially true when someone knows that you have no where else to go.

2.) It appears that you are a GM auto technician. Do you have a solution to the problem with my Chevrolet?

 

Sometimes It isn't as simple as someone explaning the problem, If it was in my shop, and I could put my hands on it, then it would be fixed, with only the part needed and at a reasonable price. I honestly wish I could do more for you, and I would never "rape" you or anyone else for that matter.

Edit.......If you're not insinuating that I don't know how to do my job, then disregard this question......... Do you honestly expect me to fix your car every time with only your description of what is wrong? Also, I understand what you mean when you say "have nowhere else to go" you say that because the independent shops will try 2 or 3 parts to fix something, and then say "well we don't know what else to do with it, you're going to have to take it to the Dealer" that's just their way out of "living" with it. Dealers are often the last hope, and that means someone else who didn't know what they were doing was in there making it worse, that's part of why the average repair is more expensive at the dealer. Just for the record, I agree that dealers charge too much, Mine charges $90.00 an hour and others in the area charge as much as $125.00 per hour, but NOBODY knows your car better than the people who service ONLY that brand EVERY day.

 

I agree that dealer labor rates are often a bit higher than independent shops, but I recognize that from that labor charge the dealer has to pay the mechanic, replenish shop materials, pay for the building and other overhead, and still make a profit.

I also agree with Lastcoupe that NO ONE knows the car better than the guys who work on them every day. If you have a good group of experienced mechanics, they often will be able to diagnose problems faster than an independent shop because they know all the typical problems and behaviors of the vehicle. This can (but does not always) result in your getting a faster solution.

I'm a 56-year-old guy who has been working on his own cars since 1968, and it REALLY bugs me to take something to a mechanic when I think I should be able to deal with it. But I have learned that sometimes they have the experience to do it right and do it now, whereas I'd spend weeks messing around trying one fix after another before resolving it. There are times when it's well worth it to have it done right, done now, and then pay the bill.