Hi

Can anyone tell me what it is inside the cabin, around the centre of the dash, which makes a sound like a phone vibrating after about 10 minutes of the engine being off? It seems to happen every minute or so and lasts for ages. It's a constant source of wonder in car parks when my wife has disappeared to try on clothes...

This is a 64 plate Fiesta Titanium.

I can send a sound file (I recorded it) if needed.

...And it's not my phone :)

Cheers,

Jamie

 

Climate control stepper motor trying to control the temperature...?

Assuming you're sat with ign. on...

Nope, car ignition is off... 🤔

Mine does it once, a few minutes after turning the car off. I think it’s the air vent system setting to open for ventilation when off. Yours might be stuck and continuously trying to set itself to the correct position? 

I get a funny noise when the car is off every now and then,like a flap opening and closing so could have something to do with the climate,2011 titanium.

It's not the initial noise I think you're describing that happens once soon after the ignition is off. 

It's after much longer than that, maybe 10 minutes plus. Like a buzzing noise that sounds like a phone vibrating, then it repeats every minute or so. Very strange.

1 hour ago, jamieburchell said:

It's not the initial noise I think you're describing that happens once soon after the ignition is off. 

It's after much longer than that, maybe 10 minutes plus. Like a buzzing noise that sounds like a phone vibrating, then it repeats every minute or so. Very strange.

How long does it do it for, ‘every minute or so’ for an hour? Is it your wife’s phone 😉

😂 I've heard it do it every minute or so for ages once- like 20 minutes. I nearly dismantled the dash I was so curious.

I haven't got the recording on my phone anymore but I'll see if I can dig it out. Something for you to all look forward to

My bets are on CD player

I say this as I had the same issue and it drove me nuts, turns out it was the CD drive spinning, confirmed by removing the fuse for it

I was going to upgrade to sat nav anyway so after upgrading it all mine has now stopped making the noise

7 hours ago, jamieburchell said:

It's not the initial noise I think you're describing that happens once soon after the ignition is off. 

It's after much longer than that, maybe 10 minutes plus. Like a buzzing noise that sounds like a phone vibrating, then it repeats every minute or so. Very strange.

Yes get the same,turn the car off sitting there and all of a sudden this noise then happens again some minutes latter,i just put it down to a release valve or

something on the Climate side.

See I'm not crazy. 

11 hours ago, jamieburchell said:

See I'm not crazy. 

If you are it makes 2 of us

Yes there is another with the same mystery noise. Any further development on what this is?

Hi all,

Just sat eating my lunch with engine off and I noticed the same thing. Seems to be coming from centre dash area.

After a few mins it's like a phone is vibrating. Initially thought someone had left phone in the car.

I have 2014 fiesta Titanium

 Managed a recording of the noise as sat in car for ages at work.

if anyone is still on this, I think it's related to climate control as if the weather is warm it starts after 10 minutes but if it a little cooler it takes about an hour if it happens at all, I think it may be the car trying to equalise pressure or cool the car from the weather out side even with engine off it tries to controll the climate and as no one would usuallystill be in the car for that long after ignition off it still remainsan uncommon topic. But still just a theory. 

23 hours ago, Hillbillyjimbob said:

 Managed a recording of the noise as sat in car for ages at work.

if anyone is still on this, I think it's related to climate control as if the weather is warm it starts after 10 minutes but if it a little cooler it takes about an hour if it happens at all, I think it may be the car trying to equalise pressure or cool the car from the weather out side even with engine off it tries to controll the climate and as no one would usuallystill be in the car for that long after ignition off it still remainsan uncommon topic. But still just a theory. 

Has anyone tried cd player yet like I suggested? I would put money on it, just check for fuses for cd player and pull um, bet the noise goes away

Looks like the air flap of the climate control is stuck trying to reach to the closed position, normally this noise last for a couple of seconds, but 10 minutes is long enough to indicate that the flap is stuck, I suggest you check it as soon as possible as the flap motor would eventually overheat and fail , becoming more expensive to fix 

Has anyone tried cd player yet like I suggested? I would put money on it, just check for fuses for cd player and pull um, bet the noise goes away

I agree with you mate, definitely sounds like the CD players motor, I have previously had an issue with one of the actuators in my climate control and sounds nothing like the sound jamieburchell recorded. Do as Liam suggested and remove the fuse for the head unit and I’d say you will discover the issue is within the CD player
(edit) the OP doesn’t have climate control so definitely can’t be anything to do with that

I have this exact same problem. Was sat in the car 10 mins after the cars off and it kept making a vibrating sound from the dash every 30 seconds. Exactly like a mobile phone vibrating. Could also hear a slight noise from the speakers before it happens