i have a loud clicking sound going on in my dash.
people say its the relay.

can someone please elaborate?
i drive a 98 civic ex. last week i hit a big pothole now i have an intermitten clicking sound in the dashboard when the car is on.

 

google is your friend

http://www.the12volt.com/relays/relays.asp

 

yikes. thats some hardcore reading. too much for this college student -_-

so, how does a relay cause a ticking sound
and how can i tell which one is busted

 

if it has a false contact it will cause to tick
so follow the sound and try tighten the connection.

 

is it really taht simple?
what does a relay look like?

 

It's a switch, just like a light switch, except it's controlled by an electromagnet.

I'm really not sure whcih relay they're talking about...there's lots of relays in a car.

 

i think i can pinpoint it when i take out my glovebox.

but how would i go about fixing the problem?

 

You can either replace it or see if its just a loose connection. A relay is used to either open or close a circuit depending on how it is wired. Here is some easier reading for ya: http://www.hyperdictionary.com...relay

Most likely in a car, it looks like a small black box.