Clicking noise in a car worries the car owners since they start thinking of reducing the noise. Sometimes the cars can even make a squealing noise and rattling noise that is the same as clicking.
When driving your car and hearing the clicking noise, consider finding the cause and fixing them immediately. The causes of the clicking noise in the 2011 ford explorer dash can be the heater which has issues, a faulty blend door stepper motor, and maybe effects of the relay.
When having such issues, consider first checking for the causes, which are mainly within the parts of the machine. Therefore, consider opening the car’s internal parts and checking the motor and other parts within the dashboard to fix the noises.
If they have faults, repair or replace them immediately. Consider reading the manufacturer’s instructions before starting the troubleshooting process and consult a technician if you find the process is complex.
If you have worries about how to work with the clicking noise, then you must keep them off since I will provide the possible causes of the noise in the 2011 ford explorer dash that you will first identify before fixing and then later the steps of fixing the clicking noise in the car. After that are the frequently asked questions, and lastly, the conclusion, which contains the entire article is about.
Steps on how to fix clicking noise in the 2011 ford explorer dash

Tools necessary
- Protective gloves.
- Hammer.
- New bolts.
- A screwdriver.
- A wrench.
- New replacement parts, among others.
The steps include the following:
- Switch the ignition on.
- Switch the button to auto
- Switch off the ignition
- Remove the fuse from the HVAC for a little time
- Switch on the ignition since the system is on relearn mode and can run through the blend doors positions
- Switch on the ignition for some seconds
- Start the engine since the heater will be in a good position.
Since the heater calibration can cause a clicking noise, follow the steps carefully to fix the heater if the calibration is wrong. Remember, calibration fixes most problems with the heater system.
Replacing the stepper motor

To replace the stepper motor, follow the steps below:
- Switch off the ignition
- Remove the pigtail connector
- Remove the bolts within the system
- Remove the ratchet and socket
- Replace the stepper motor.
- Switch on the ignition and start the engine
Causes of the clicking noise in the 2011 ford explorer dash
1. Heater motor calibration
In the 2011 ford explorer dash, there is a special kit for the heating ventilation air conditioner that works mostly with the car’s heating system. The heater motor system uses sensors, blend doors, and motors to control the heating or cooling of the car.
The HVAC controls the temperatures of the whole system. Therefore, problems arise when the motor is calibrated in the wrong position that causing the clicking noise in the car. You need to follow certain steps to calibrate the heater to avoid such noises when having the heater Faulty stepper motor
A faulty stepper motor can also cause a clicking noise in the car. A stepper motor in the car is an electric motor to enhance movements in the car that mostly work with automotive systems. The stepper motor causing the clicking noise is near the blend door that works with the dashboard; hence can cause the clicking noise.
To check the clicking noise from the issues with the stepper motor, you can choose to use a scan tool that sends a code to locate the problem area to fix. However, some people will lack the scan tool they will have to use their ears to follow the area of the clicking noise. After checking the stepper motor issues and you realize the motor has some issues consider replacing the motor. To replace the stepper motor, follow the steps below:
- Switch off the ignition
- Remove the pigtail connector
- Remove the bolts within the system
- Remove the ratchet and socket
- Replace the stepper motor.
- Switch on the ignition and start the engine
2. Faulty relay
Every vehicle has a relay which is part of the electronic kits that work with the car. The electronic kit contains some other parts like circuits, control modules, and relays. In most cases, the relay issues result from the fuse.
A relay is a small electro-mechanical device that works to control a heavy amp circuit using a low amp circuit. To find a relay in the car, consider checking the circuits, lights, horn, wipers, starter motor, and power seats.
The relays work through the power that the motor sends through the control side of the relay that magnetizes it and causes copper armature contact points to close, completing the circuit and powering the consumer. In this process, the relay will produce a clicking noise which is a normal thing. However, when the relays are faulty, the clicking noise will keep repeating, which causes discomfort to the user.
To check if the relay is faulty, choose to listen to the point the clicking noise is coming from using your ears, or you can place your hands on the relay position where you will feel the clicking sound from it. You can still change the relay in your car to use with a different car to identify the noise.
And if the noise is there, consider replacing the relay, which requires a few minutes since the only thing you need to do is switch off the engine and remove the old pins holding the relay and remove the relay, then fix a new relay in the position.
3. Faulty battery
The batteries in the car provide power that helps the motor run and enable the car to move. The issues with the battery are that there can be a poor connection of the battery to the motor, that the motor lacks enough power to run the car, or that the battery is flat. When the battery is flat, there will be no power in the motor.
When you start the car, the motor will try to provide the little energy it has to start that causing the clicking noise with its struggles. The major problems that can cause the errors with the battery include the electrolyte, which has issues. Therefore, if you hear the clicking noise check the battery that it can cause the parts to produce the noise and change their state.
Frequently asked questions:
- What are the different types of noises in the car?
The types of noises include the rattling noise, which results from loose parts in the system, squealing noise, ticking noise, and humming noise. Some of the noises are normal, so when you hear them, it shows the system is working, but when they become louder, you need to fix a problem to reduce the noises.
Conclusion
Clicking noise from a 2011 ford explorer dash can be a normal type of noise that you can easily ignore when using your car. When you hear the clicking noise, it is good to check the part causing it so that you know if it is normal or not.
You may be having worries about what to do with the noises or how you can fix them. The article below shows the causes of the clicking noise in the car, which is from the heating system, the relays, the battery, and the stepper motor. There are the steps to identify the noise and fix the problem in the article below.
Kindly follow the steps carefully to help fix the noises from your car. Consider reading the manufacturer’s instructions in the manual book when working with issues with your car to avoid causing more errors when fixing the problems. If you find it hard to fix the noises, consult a technician to help fix the problem.
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