1992 525iT crackling sound in footwell

[Bruce Kennett]

all:

there is a mysterious static/crackling noise that has come out of the driver's side footwell for as long as i've owned my car (a year). makes the noise even when key is out of ignition.

an *allegedly* pro car audio guy told me it was bad capacitors in the power amp and i should replace that, so i did. no improvement. today i yanked the leads on the speaker in the left wall of the footwell, noise still there.

i can now tell that it's coming from one of two perforated ports that are in the black "ceiling" of the footwell, to the L of the brake pedal. one port is round and has a whole bunch of small holes in it (like the openings in an old telephone handset), the other one is larger and has just a few larger holes.

could it be that something has gone awry in the warning mechanism that goes "bing" when you have left your keys in the car, and some electrical leakage is caus9ing this low-level signal to come and go?

i can't hear *anything* when i put my head down by the firewall out in the engine compartment -- it appears to be inside the cabin, behind the black panel in the footwell.

any thoughts as to what it is and how i can make it go away?

[Ross]

I'm with you on the gong. Try unplugging it.

[attack eagle]

yeah that would havebeen my next guess as well after unplugging the stereo and phone leads from the driver's side speaker.

[Bruce Kennett]

I'm with you on the gong. Try unplugging it.

in removing the black ceiling panel of the footwell, do i simply remove a screw in upper left and a plastic fastener or two (the kind that have a slot and rotate)? any other moves needed that you guys can remember?

thanks for the confirmation, i'll just give the gong a larynxotomy.

[attack eagle]

Don't remember honestly, but I got mine out no trouble a few months ago to run some wire for the rear fog mod. It was pretty self evident once i managed to get down to where I could see it.

[filip00]

well, it could be the "gong" you have that is supposed to chime when you leave the lights on, have any problems etc....it might be acting weird.

also, it might be that your electric motor for ventilation on the lower side - blowing air on your feet - isn't working properly. try to check that.

[g7syw]

in removing the black ceiling panel of the footwell, do i simply remove a screw in upper left and a plastic fastener or two (the kind that have a slot and rotate)? any other moves needed that you guys can remember?
From memory, there's 3 or 4 screws along the top of panel where it joins the bottom of the dash, you should be able to get away with undoing them and just lowering the panel down a bit. I can't remember if you have to remove the small carpet trim beside the heater on the center console

To remove the panel completely, there are 3 of those plastic fasteners (half turn type) at floor level between the pedals which you have to remove as well.

The cable to the gong just plugs in the same as most other stuff in the car - there are two cables going to mine. I also have the cabin temp sensor between the gong and the outside edge of the panel, from memory this has a tube and a cable coming from it.

[filip00]

the gong isn't working when the ignition is off, so it is possible it's the electric motor which controls the ventilation for the "feet direction".