2001 F-350 w/7.3L. I'm hearing what I describe as a "clicking" noise behind the instrument cluster/panel Kind of sounds like a geiger counter going off, or nylon gears slipping. It is intermittent to steady depending on the steering column tilt adjustment! Lower, and it is almost steady and tilted up and more intermittent. Maybe a few seconds between. And it never goes away.
It DOES stop when I use either turn signal, flashers are on, or even the brakes. VERY annoying. Sounds seems to emanate from directly behind the speedometer. Doesn't matter if I am stopped or at freeway speeds.
What is it?

 

Do all of your gauges work?

 

Oh yeah. None of them have ever failed or even acting funny.
Also, it stopped for over a year and is now back!

 

I had a similar sound that occurred from a leak on the windshield that was dripping onto the GEM module. It turned out that I had to dry out the module a few times until I replaced the windshield. Since the replacement, no annoying clicking issues.

 

chaffed wire causing relay to over heat and click?

 

Here's the latest . . . I pulled the access panel below steering column and would push and pull harnesses while driving and the "Geiger counter" going off. And it stopped when pulling on the big one under there. If I push up, it would make that noise. If I pulled down, it would stop. Now I need to trace it back and from conectors to see if they are the origins of the sound. Getting closer anyway.
Weirdest part of all . . . stopped making noise whenever turnsignals/flashers/or brake light were engaged!

 

Isn't there a flasher relay behind/near the stereo in the dash? The only reason why I mention this is because of the comment

 

I'll look. I think there is, but impossible to get to.

 

Yes there is. There's several videos on YouTube, you remove the radio and can see them down and to the right a bit IIRC there's 3 next to each other.

 

Not sure is the ‘02 are also different in this regard, but I can see the relay if I look under the center of the dash while leaning over from the outside of my truck, I can reach it really easily to pull the relay also. I believe there was only 1 in the sockets on mine also?

 

I'll try that. I am a driveway mechanic so I need to wait on decent weather.