My wife thinks I am crazy but I am going to get rid of the vehicle. I can’t handle the sounds in the dash and mine has gotten worse. I also am skeptical of having the dash removed and then actually fixing anything. There is the popping plastic on plastic sound to the left of the center speaker and now something on the passenger side. My passenger door was rattling around the speaker but I stuffed foam around the speaker grill and that seems to have helped. I tried stuffing foam around where plastic comes together in the dash for defrost vents but that didn’t help.
2023 Denali ultimate dash rattle/sound
- Thread starter jjobev
- Start date
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TheAgency
Member
I've had this problem on the dash center trim piece, surrounding the center channel speaker, on my 2021 and 2023 Denali, worse on the 2021. I accepted that I'm extremely fussy and for me, it's never turned out great when I've tried to warranty out these things that I can fix myself, with far more care and a better result.
I find it's the metal retainer clips within the trim piece and you can fix it yourself with some patience.
Get a Skin wedge as your removal tool, also trim removal tool kit to help hold the sides of the trim up as you work your way around, and some squeak-reduction tape.
Carefully pry the piece up with the skin wedge, then insert a few of the red trim removal tools as you go around since the tension from the remaining clips will encourage the trim piece to want to pop back in. Wrap the metal retainer clips that you see in the squeak tape. Once you're done, just pop the piece back in and I can all but guarantee your problem is fixed for good.
I've had various little squeaks on every vehicle I've had, even the higher-end Germans have the problem.
SKINWEDGE: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/prod...Ye0qrV5eN0ZKpTNtECt5AOvGMpExS7rBoCs9MQAvD_BwE
TRIM REMOVAL SET: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07917TDL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
SQUEAK TAPE: https://www.amazon.com/5430-Squeak-...=squeak+reduction+tape,industrial,115&sr=1-12
I find it's the metal retainer clips within the trim piece and you can fix it yourself with some patience.
Get a Skin wedge as your removal tool, also trim removal tool kit to help hold the sides of the trim up as you work your way around, and some squeak-reduction tape.
Carefully pry the piece up with the skin wedge, then insert a few of the red trim removal tools as you go around since the tension from the remaining clips will encourage the trim piece to want to pop back in. Wrap the metal retainer clips that you see in the squeak tape. Once you're done, just pop the piece back in and I can all but guarantee your problem is fixed for good.
I've had various little squeaks on every vehicle I've had, even the higher-end Germans have the problem.
SKINWEDGE: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/prod...Ye0qrV5eN0ZKpTNtECt5AOvGMpExS7rBoCs9MQAvD_BwE
TRIM REMOVAL SET: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07917TDL6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
SQUEAK TAPE: https://www.amazon.com/5430-Squeak-...=squeak+reduction+tape,industrial,115&sr=1-12
I am personally scared of breaking something or making it worse. Then suddenly I am the cause of the problem and not whatever it was in the first place. It also isn’t clear to me which parts of the dash are trim pieces and can be easily removed.
Thank you for posting this picture. I was going to do the same thing to confirm the piece that actually comes off. Before I start trying to remove a piece that shouldn’t be removed!
I am going to give this a try. Will just try to pry the trim off slowly. Any other tips for removing and replacing? I do think if I can get this piece off it will give me access to where the sound is coming from.
I gave a quick try but didn't feel like I was making progress on removing. Is there a certain side to start from? I read on a different forum for chevy SS that they started near the windshield side because there were hooks on the passenger side that just pop out once the windshield side clips are free. I got a little gun shy doing this and just curious if there is specific technique for starting it and where the actual metal clips are located that I need to undo. Thank you
TheAgency
Member
Yes, to confirm, I'm referencing removal of the entire "t-shaped" piece that contains the defrost vents, speaker grill, and light sensor. I started on the passenger side, right of the center channel speaker grill (on the trim piece itself, not the speaker grill itself, the grill is attached to the larger trim piece that we are removing).
I've done it twice. Use the right tools. That skin wedge is amazing. Work your way around and lift to find where the clips insert, obviously, the insertions being where your pressure needs to be. Be gentle but assertive and it will work.
I've done it twice. Use the right tools. That skin wedge is amazing. Work your way around and lift to find where the clips insert, obviously, the insertions being where your pressure needs to be. Be gentle but assertive and it will work.
