Gauge Cluster rattle/creak

[NJohc]

So I picked up my 2017 FiST just over a month ago. I knew the interior was cheap, but I wasnt quite expecting to have rattles just 2300 miles into ownership.
Its not a big rattle, but the plastic hoods on the gauge cluster will creak/rattle over bumps. They seem to not be tightly pressed up against the gauge themselves, and create a ticking/rattling. When I press up against the left side it goes away. All it takes is a slightly cracked or uneven road and it's enough to make the noise.
Does anybody have a fix for this? Or does anybody know how the hoods on the gauge cluster are attached? Ive tried putting sticky felt in multiple places but it does not seem to be stopping the vibrations enough. I also am reluctant to take it to the dealer for such a minor rattle. I know its just a matter of me being picky.

 

[blongo804]

Stopping by because i'm also curious. If you take my cluster hood and wiggle it up and down, it's squeaky/creaky. It's definitely the worst squeak/creak in the car.

 

[letitreign]

I actually had this issue for some time after buying the car. I had initially thought that it was either the gauges bumping up into the hood or potentially the hood cover just flexing down when going over bumps. It turned to to be that the steering column cover below the gauges was causing them to sit up higher than they should. If you're not sure if this is the case, pull that steering column cover out and leave it out. Go for a drive and see if the noise is still there. The gauge cluster is also attached to the hood via a screw that goes straight up (its under a plastic cover). Make sure that the screw is nice and tight.

 

[sonicmn]

So I picked up my 2017 FiST just over a month ago. I knew the interior was cheap, but I wasnt quite expecting to have rattles just 2300 miles into ownership.
Its not a big rattle, but the plastic hoods on the gauge cluster will creak/rattle over bumps. They seem to not be tightly pressed up against the gauge themselves, and create a ticking/rattling. When I press up against the left side it goes away. All it takes is a slightly cracked or uneven road and it's enough to make the noise.
Does anybody have a fix for this? Or does anybody know how the hoods on the gauge cluster are attached? Ive tried putting sticky felt in multiple places but it does not seem to be stopping the vibrations enough. I also am reluctant to take it to the dealer for such a minor rattle. I know its just a matter of me being picky.

I believe that I had the same issue as you (I have a 2016 that it developed on in the first 5000 miles, it seemed to get worse when it was cold) it was easy to replicate by grabbing the cluster hood and wiggling it up and down.

The solution that I found was to use a bit of Silicone spray (a small amount to not make a mess)
see link for what I used (it is safe for use on plastics and will not harm the hood or cluster but it is silicone so any overspray will prevent further adhesion to surfaces so I tried to keep overspray to a minimum)
https://www.liquidwrench.com/product/silicone-spray/

I laid a paper towel around the cluster to keep the runnoff and extra spray from getting everywhere, and then used the straw and stuck it under the hood where it meets the cluster. I sprayed silicone in there all along the gap between the two. I then wiggled the hood up and down a few times to "work" it in the the material.

After a few wiggles the squeak was gone, I first noticed the noise last fall (October when it got cold) I waited until February to see if it would go away, once it didn't I did some digging and found another article related to this and suggested it as a solution. I did the solution listed above in February of this year and have been squeak free ever since.

 

[NJohc]

I know its definitely not the part that slides out easily that is connected to the steering column. Ive had that completely pulled out and the rattle still happened. I believe the problem is less the black hood that covers the entire cluster, and more the pieces of trip that protrude from the cluster itself which surround the speedo and tack. I will try adjusting the cluster itself though to see if I can get it in a better place, as Im still not 100% that its not the main black hood as well.

If adjusting doesn't help I will the liquid wrench idea. I just want to clarify if you sprayed this right under the main hood which is connected to the dash, or between the clear plastic of the gauge and the piece of trim that surrounds it?

 

[NJohc]

Update: Instead of putting some type of spray on the interior I cut a very thin piece of felt and gently put it between the dash hood and the gauge cluster. So far so good.

 

[sonicmn]

Nice! Good to know. I will keep that in mind for next time

 

[blongo804]

Awesome. Sounds like I have some felt to buy!

 

[kconklin33]

I can't say i've had any rattling in my cockpit but personally I feel as if our interior's are quite nice. In fact it's one of the things that drew me to the fiesta. I test drove a plethora of cars before buying and I can tell you ours is head over heals better than anything Subaru offers, better than the Civic hatch sport, and I personally like it more than the setup in the focus st as well.