GUIDE: Fixing Polo Dashboard Rattles & Noises

[Barracuda]

So lately i've experienced a number of irritating noises and rattles coming from around the dashboard centre console (as discussed here).

Anyway, I got so tired of them that I asked my dealer to take a look at the dash and make any necessary adjustments / alterations to try and eliminate these noises. When I picked the car up they assured me that they had insulated around the dash to stop the noises. I'll illustrate later, but what they did was absolutely useless.

Having said this, I decided to take the issue into my own hands and fix it myself. I took photos along the way so that anyone else with these issues can follow this guide and fix these irritating noises once and for all. I apologise if this guide is posted in the wrong section. Mod's, if I've put this in the wrong forum, feel free to move it.

Firstly, I found that the issue emanates from around the air conditioning head-unit - so that's where the most insulating needs to be done.

What you'll need:

- A TORX 20 Screwdriver
- Self-Adhesive Foam / Fabric Tape (usually used to prevent scratching on floors)
- Self-Adhesive Door Seal Tape.



1. Remove the plastic fascia that covers the RCD head-unit. Use a plastic wedge or butter knife wrapped in Glad Wrap to pry it off (credit to TSI_Dan for the butter knife and Glad Wrap method). I found it easier to start from the top right of the fascia (just below the row of buttons where the hazard lights button is). Slowly work down each side of the seam carefully unclipping the fascia one clip at a time (it may need a bit of a pull once you get to the bottom).



Once the fascia around the RCD is removed, the fascia around the air conditioning head-unit can be easily unclipped (no tools needed).

2. Once you've removed both of the plastic fascia's, you'll see this:



Use the TORX 20 screwdriver to remove the four screws around the RCD. Once the screws are removed, slowly pull the RCD head-unit out of it's cubby and unclip the antenna and power plugs.

This should be what's left behind...



3. Locate the two screws in the storage area underneath the air conditioning unit. Use the TORX 20 screwdriver to remove the two screws. Once you've done this, you can slide the AC unit out. I wouldn't recommend unclipping the two plugs as there isn't much slack on the cables so it would be hard to plug them back in once complete.



4. As I said earlier, I asked the dealer to fix these noises and they 'insulated' around the AC unit. Their idea of 'insulating' was sticking some tape in the most useless place. In fact, they've put tape in areas that aren't even in contact with anything else. In the photo above, you can see the small pieces of tape that they put on the AC Unit. They weren't even touching anything!

Anyway, take the self-adhesive fabric tape and cut a piece about 15cm long and place it on the underside of the AC Unit as illustrated in the picture below:



This is the most important piece as it actually comes into contact with the underframe of the fascia which, if left uninsulated, could cause squeaks or rattles.

5. Next, apply two separate pieces of the foam door seal tape and wrap them around the bottom corners of the AC Unit (as pictured below). This area is also important as the corners of the AC Unit also come very close to the underframe of the fascia and a sudden bump in the road can sometimes cause a shock through the dash which will make the two surfaces creak.



6. Do the same for the top of the AC Unit - Apply two strips of the door seal tape around each corner.



7. Place a piece of the door seal tape between the fascia underframe and the piece of plastic that's actually part of the dash (above the storage compartment). Sorry, I know that sounds complex and it's hard to describe but this photo may help:



8. Put the AC Unit back into the dash and refasten the two TORX screws underneath the dash (just above the storage compartment). Make sure they're quite tight, but not too tight so that you risk cracking the plastic. If you feel and try to move the AC Unit now, you'll be able to feel that it's much more solid and makes less noise than before.

9. Almost done now! Next, apply one strip of the door seal tape on the top of the RCD unit.



I don't know whether this strip will do much, but I figured it wouldn't hurt.

10. Place the RCD back into the dash and replace the four screws with the TORX 20 screwdriver. Make sure that each of the screws are very tight (but be careful to not over tighten and break the plastic)

Reassemble the dash fascia. Replace the small piece of fascia that goes around the AC Unit first and then clip the large piece of fascia back over the RCD unit from the top down.

Go for a test drive and this time, instead of avoiding the bumps, go for them and hopefully there shouldn't be a peep from the dash.

Worked for me, I hope it helps you guys out!

- Barracuda

[mythik]

Just completed this on a family members car with this exactly really frustrating issue with great success! The dealer too tried various methods of felt tape and felt pads without success.

Bloody ripper!

[gavs]

Stickied!!!!!

[Barracuda]

Stickied!!!!!

Thanks Gavs!

[fastlane]

Perfection, will be performing this shortly. Thanks champ!!!

[GTI JOE]

Well done Barracuda, great little guide for those who have rattle issues

This should be forwarded to all VW stealerships!

[kevinctr]

This is exactly my issue, the surrounding trim itself also have some creaks and I believe this method will rid off the creaks once any for all! Thank you so much for this.

[Barracuda]

No worries at all, guys! It's a frustrating issue and I believe this fixes 90% of them.

I usually hear a creak (even after doing this) when I go over an unavoidable join in the road and I think the noise emanates from within the RCD head-unit - It could be the CD stacker or something else inside of it.

[kevinctr]

No worries at all, guys! It's a frustrating issue and I believe this fixes 90% of them.

I usually hear a creak (even after doing this) when I go over an unavoidable join in the road and I think the noise emanates from within the RCD head-unit - It could be the CD stacker or something else inside of it.

Nocreaks if I press onto the right trim tightly while driving. its from that area for sure. i intend to apply special lubricanting paste to the clips and any plastic to plastic contact areas to quiet them down.

[Barracuda]

Nocreaks if I press onto the right trim tightly while driving. its from that area for sure. i intend to apply special lubricanting paste to the clips and any plastic to plastic contact areas to quiet them down.

Yeah, that would also help. After a couple of weeks, I also made some adjustments to my job. I removed the white 'door seal' foam around the AC head-unit and put the black Felt Tape there instead - It made the AC unit a real tight fit back into the dash frame, but it's completely abolished any noise coming from the AC head-unit. I also placed some of the black Felt Tape around the areas which I found the RCD510 to be coming into contact with the dash frame. Put some felt in those places and go for a test drive. Not a single sound at all! Sounds better than when I drove it out of the dealer!