All,
I'm copying this from my post in the Yahoo FEH group. At least one other owner has described this very same noise. I'm wondering if it is some sort of early sign of an issue. For the record, my FEH is an AWD with a build date of 11/04, I have only 8000mi on it.

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While I was out driving today, my FEH started making a very strange
noise. I will try to describe. I was on the highway, crusing about
60mph...I was towing a trailer(see separate post) but had the cruise
on and the engine wasn't straining at all. Nearly flat...slight hills.
Anyway, all of a sudden, a rattle started from the center
console...sounded like it was behind the AC and radio controls...
sounded like it was inside the cabin (not engine). Stopped at a gas
station. As I slowed down, noise got quieter and quieter. When I
stopped...noise stopped. Opened hood with ICE running...could not
hear sound.
Left gas station...when I got at about 30mph noise started again.
Did not vary with RPMs....does not vary directly with road speed(i.e.
not like a tire noise), but will slowly gets quieter as you slow down-
-but not porportional to speed. AC Fan ON/OFF does not change noise.
The noise almost sounds like someone threw some small rocks into
a fan...almost a non-symetrical rattle...coming from behind the front
console. Almost 100% sure it was inside the cabin. Sounded like AC
Fan...but continued even after I turned the fan off. I was driving at
60mph....and just as mysteriously as noise started, it got quieter
and quieter and then just stopped. Not a peep of noise for the next
45min of driving. Weird.
Anyone have any ideas? Sounded like rocks thrown into a fan or an
aluminum can rattling from behind the dash.

Nate

probably something loose inside the dash rattling around. Since everything has a "frequency" certain speeds make certain things rattle (learned that in HS Physics). Maybe pick up a $5 set of radio pullers from Pep Boys and see if you can find anything in there rattling around.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 22,909
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


457 Gallons of gas saved
That's 9,150 lbs less CO2

I've had a similar noise that I've always traced to the driver's side sunvisor being out of its clip. The sound seemed to localize to the dash and drove me crazy until I found the source.

Have you tried turning the ventilation system to the OFF position to see if the noise goes away? This is the only position where the fan is completely off. If the noise is still there, this would at least eliminate that system.

Just a guess. Neither of mine make any noises like this.

Good luck finding it.

I may have had the same noise. I looked under the hood and found some friction tape around a wiring harness starting to unravel. I pulled the excess off, and and some of the noise went down. I think i may have had some more tape somewhere else that i couldn't see. The noise did finialy go away. I do still have the rear driver side squeek.
My other bummer is a rock hit the windshield on the passenger side, 1/4" from the edge. in the first 5 min, the crack grew 6". It's now halfway across the window. Not looking foward to the replacement cost.

Jasper
06' FEH

Same thing here. Got a gravel hit my windshield, driver side, about 1 inch from the bottom. Got to 3 inches real fast, next day it was 10 and by the afternoon it crossed half of the windshield. It is below the line of vission, but pisses me off big time. On the starting point there is a little chip like a pea.

I did look at the cost of replacing it, it will be close to $250.

06 FEH AWD - 06 HCH
Los Angeles, CA

The best advice I can give to anyone that gets a stone hit is to head STRAIGHT for a glass repair shop to have the hit repaired with the glue "trick" they use. Its $35 or less (some insurances pay for it even ignoring the deductible). It does work if you get the repair glued quickly enough. If you let it spread it doesn't work.

I've saved two windshields this way. Usually by going to the shop within a few hours (I even try to find the nearest one).

I've had pretty good luck with the $10 kit from AutoZone. My '05 got a rock chip at about a week old. I used the glue kit and 1 1/2 year later it is still hard to find where it is/was.

The funny thing, in Massachusetts there is no deductible on glass if you have comprehensive insurance. But they won't pay for chip repair. I could have got a new windshield for free but hated the thought of having a brand new car opened up. Plus I didn't want to get aftermarket glass.

I had the same sort of noise develop on my 4WD FEH at around 12000 miles. It sounded like a fan belt coming apart but was not directly proportional to engine RPM's. It sounded serious and lasted about 5 miles and then stopped. I tracked it down to a label that was attached to the drive shaft that gradually came unglued and finally flew off after hitting the chassis with each rotation of the drive shaft. I crawled under the car and found the adhesive from the label which was about an inch wide and possibly 3 inches long around the driveshaft roughly beneath the console and was probably a part ID label.

Ditto. Got a rock strike coming home from the dealership to pick up my plates when they arrived (I know... crappy luck!) Called my insurance company, Progressive, and they scheduled an on-site glass repair visit for the following morning in my driveway. That was over 8 months ago and the crack has not spread at all. It, sadly, is exactly at my eye-line when I drive but the repair is such that is is only annoying -- it doesn't broadcast/refract light or cause any issues other than an occasional grumble from me about how I could get a rock strike in a brand new vehicle after none in 14+ years in my previous vehicle.

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)