1990 K2500 crackling noise at high fan with a/c on

[movietvet]

Yesterday, me and my girl, went to the recycling place to drop off some STUFF. On the way back home, with a/c only on high, there was a sound coming out of the heater-a/c box area, low and passenger side end, that sounded a little like loose small marbles or the crinkling noise the empty thin plastic water bottles make when crushing them. I got home and of course the noise was very intermittent and quick but with my stethoscope and rubber cone cup, could barely hear it at the bottom passenger side end of the heater-a/c box. I did check at the blower motor housing and no noise was heard except for the quiet whir noise of the blower cage. I decided to look at it today and first was going to remove the glove compartment box by removing the four 7mm screws that holds that box in there. I could see that was no help for the heater-a/c cover removal. While that box was out I listened again and there was no noise. A quick look under the heater-a/c box cover, looks like can hopefully remove the cover and pull down, if need to. Since it now does not make the noise, I am just in the research phase.

Any thoughts and answers are appreciated.

One other thing that I saw in there is that the p/s end of the inner glove box cover has a cracked plastic hinge stub. The stub actually inserts in to the bottom inner portion of the small air flow directional box. that box is where you direct the air flow left or right and up or down. Looks to be easily removed with 2 screws. The glove box cover has the outer part that is the same color as the interior color. The back side of that cover is attached with screws to the inside of the colored cover and is black. The p/s lower end of that black inner cover is where the hinge pivot stub is cracked at.

Again, any thoughts of a replacement source would be appreciated. The fact that it is all together is what is holding the cracked spot in place.

 

[movietvet]

More info: As it turns out, the black inner glove box cover, that has the two stubs/hinges to allow the glove box cover to pivot/swing up and down, attaches to the interior colored glove box cover and the p/s attaching spot for the black cover at the hinge was cracked out on that interior colored cover. Ours is like a Buckskin color and there are none available at ebay. The black inner cover is part #15590569. The broken pieces are all there for the inner and outer covers. I have Super glued the threaded lug that allows the attaching screw that holds the inner black cover. I have ran the screw in to it and it is not trying to crack out again. There was a previous repair attempt and that is why you see a mini screw threaded in to the end of the stub/hinge. The broken black corner is glued to the white lug that is part of the interior colored cover. For now, I am going to have to use what I got and when I reinstall the black inner cover, I will glue it to the existing broken black corner. I could easily fix with any color glove box cover but her interior is in such good shape that I am going to have to search for the correct color. If anyone knows of one, please let me know. Thanks.

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[movietvet]

After Super Glue application last night and letting sit over night, put it all back together. For extra support, I added a strip of black Gorilla tape. The attaching screw went back in without cracking out the threaded lug that is part of the cover. I am still on the lookout for a "BUCKSKIN" colored cover, if anyone knows where to get/find one. If you look close enough, you can see where the other repair attempt used a small sheet metal screw down the center of the hinge/stub. See pics.

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[Keeper]

Did you source the rattling sound?

Could a mouse have left you some gifts of nut hull pieces, maple helicopters, nest parts, etc? Sounds like you heard them rattling in the squirrel cage as the fan was blowing them out and into the back of the heater core... the last few heavier pieces can hang on in there for quite a while. Much better scenario than if the mouse was still in there, or better yet, had a nest full of baby pink piglets in there. The ensuing visuals, and odor, from that is memorable, to say the least. Just throwing it out there in case it is a mouse and you need to take defensive action.

 

[movietvet]

Did you source the rattling sound?

Could a mouse have left you some gifts of nut hull pieces, maple helicopters, nest parts, etc? Sounds like you heard them rattling in the squirrel cage as the fan was blowing them out and into the back of the heater core... the last few heavier pieces can hang on in there for quite a while. Much better scenario than if the mouse was still in there, or better yet, had a nest full of baby pink piglets in there. The ensuing visuals, and odor, from that is memorable, to say the least. Just throwing it out there in case it is a mouse and you need to take defensive action.

Since I could not duplicate the loud rattling sound and could only hear a very intermittent muffled rattle only once more, I concentrated on the glove box door problem, that I found while doing research on the noise.

Does anyone know if the lower box cover drop down?

 

[89RCLB]

The glove box door on my '89 C1500 had the same problem with a broken hinge/stub/nub/whatever the hell it's called, lol. While searching for a replacement I discovered that there was a second design that is much better. Not sure what year the second design was introduced, though. Maybe 92 or 93. Anyhow, I could never find one in the color I needed so I took the equalizer/tape deck trim piece and headed to the paint store. There wasn't an exact match (of course) but SEM Color Coat Camel #15173 came very close so I ran with that. I ended up painting all of the center facing pieces in Camel just to refresh and have everything match. Another option is to take one of the dash pieces and have it color matched at the paint store, still won't be perfect, in my experience, but will probably be closer than Camel.

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[movietvet]

The glove box door on my '89 C1500 had the same problem with a broken hinge/stub/nub/whatever the hell it's called, lol. While searching for a replacement I discovered that there was a second design that is much better. Not sure what year the second design was introduced, though. Maybe 92 or 93. Anyhow, I could never find one in the color I needed so I took the equalizer/tape deck trim piece and headed to the paint store. There wasn't an exact match (of course) but SEM Color Coat Camel #15173 came very close so I ran with that. I ended up painting all of the center facing pieces in Camel just to refresh and have everything match. Another option is to take one of the dash pieces and have it color matched at the paint store, still won't be perfect, in my experience, but will probably be closer than Camel.

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Thanks for the info. The painting of the rest of the facing dash makes sense.

 

[movietvet]

I did look at a video and it looks like there are 6 screws removal to allow for the lower cover to drop down and inspect for noise source. Looks like the same steps as replacing the heater core.