# Strange crunching noises under my dashboard

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-crunching-noises-under-my-dashboard/170483>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mercury, sable\
**Created:** [September 27, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-crunching-noises-under-my-dashboard/170483 "2020-09-27T01:54:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SpudMuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@SpudMuffin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SpudMuffin)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-crunching-noises-under-my-dashboard/170483/1 "2020-09-27T01:54:58Z")

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Just bought the car two weeks ago. Everything seems to work okay but when I turn the ignition on before I start it, I hear this crunching, like 10 mice are chewing inside the wall type of noise. It also sounds kind of like a modem sound but more mechanical. I was told from a friend that it sounds like a relay going bad. It’s not loud and I can’t really hear it where the engine running. but when sitting silent with the ignition on it’s pretty obvious.

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**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2020, 12:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-crunching-noises-under-my-dashboard/170483/2 "2020-09-27T12:03:17Z")

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Could be the fuel pump priming when you turn the ignition on.

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-crunching-noises-under-my-dashboard/170483/3 "2020-09-27T12:26:26Z")

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> [@COROLLAGUY1](#):
>
> Could be the fuel pump priming when you turn the ignition on.

Under the dashboard?  
🙄

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-crunching-noises-under-my-dashboard/170483/4 "2020-09-27T13:21:06Z")

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Bad blend door actuator seems most likely to me. Feel around under the dash with the under panels off. You should be able to feel the crunching.