Miata Mailing List: June 1995, Message #45
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   From: mott@flory.mit.edu (Dr. Peter H. Mott)
Subject: Tips from the grarage: sqeaks
   Date: Thu, 1 Jun 1995 14:01:23 -0400


Over the past three years, my miata has developed the most annoying
"creak-groan" kind of noise coming from the center of the dashboard.
It is apparent on cool days going over minor, medium-size bumps.  I could
make the dash make that sound by pressing down on the lower right-rear
corner of the dashboard center piece, just in front of the center
console (the plastic thing that the gear shift lever emerges from).
Looking back over a long term test in a magazine review of the miata,
the car that they tested also had the same problem.

So here is how I fixed it.

First remove the center console.  Pull out the eyeball vents: I had 
good success using the method suggested in the shop manual by feeding
string thru the vents and pulling out; the vents came out no pro'lem.
Now unscrew the screws holding down the center dashboard and pull it
off, disconnecting the hazard switch harness.  On the back side of
the center dashboard piece, you'll notice little pieces of tape stuck
along the outside edges where the it touches the dashboard proper.
These pieces of tape are sticky on one side, fuzzy on the other, and
I assume that their function is to cushion the dashboard center against
the dashboard proper, thereby preventing that nasty "creak-groan" noise. 
On my car, I noticed that several of these pieces of tape had moved
slightly off the edge, so now that plastic was rubbing against plastic
when the car flexed.  I pulled off all the tape from the outside edge
and replaced it with scotch foamy double stick tape, which was about
twice as thick as the original tape.  Then, put it all back together
and voila! no creaking noise.  Took about one hour.

Peter Mott