Weird Noise Behind Dashboard?

I heard a noise yesterday on my 2005, but that was when the AC was on. I think that's probably the only other noise in the dash area

 

I had my A/C system replaced in January. Here's what they did:





Definitely not worth stopping the noise. I had the work done to fix the A/C. I don't know how they stopped the noise, but it hasn't happened since. I would usually here it when the temp is in the 80s outside. They probably moved something around. The sound sounded like it came from the steering column and they tore out the steering wheel as in the picture lol.

The car has the original battery.

 

I couldn't hear mine from outside

 

Does anyone know what the noise is? Mine seems louder than it first did. I can’t hear it from the outside and it doesn’t matter if I’m in park or have my foot on the brake in drive. It still sounds like coffee brewing. I changed the coolant inverter pump a couple months ago. I want to figure it out so it can be fixed before it becomes an issue. Any ideas????

 

Funny this thread got to 28 posts and nobody mentioned what the heater damper-moving servos sound like when their sensors need cleaning.

Trivial half-hour, no-parts job if it's either of the servos on the easy-to-reach driver's side of the heater.

Much more tedious job if it's the one servo on the passenger side, just because of access difficulties (photos in #23).

 

Is it down near the drivers floorboard area that sounds like coffee brewing? My car is an 07 Prius.

Is it the

 

Can you post some pics of where to find it and how to clean it or refer me to any YouTube videos on this? Will it hurt my car if I keep driving it? My AC and heat work fine.

 

It will probably get worse over time, slowly. Whether it first reaches the point where you notice the heat or ac not working, or first just the point where it annoys you enough to fix it, I can't say. It might eventually reach a point where the servo can't just be cleaned but has to be replaced, but I think the part's not much over $100 anyway.

My earlier post linked to more info with photos and a video. You might also search for a recent-ish post (in the last year maybe) from somebody else who had just cleaned one up in a gen 2. Seems like gen 1 and gen 2 are very similar in that design, but in gen 2 there's an extra ecu mounted down next to the heater that makes one of the servo mounting screws harder to get to. He had a picture of a very low-profile offset screwdriver he bought to save time reaching that screw.