A/C vibration

[M109Rider]

Wondering if this is a normal thing, or perhaps a problem I need to have looked at. Thought I would see if others do or don’t experience this.

When my air conditioner is running, there is a slight vibration you can feel and hear. Especially when the fan or pump under the hood cycles on and off.
I’m not sure if it’s a fan or pump under there ?

I’m not talking about the fan that blows air in the cabin. That remains constant and is fine.
It’s something under the hood.

I don’t recall hearing it before, but this is the first summer with it, so I’m. It sure.

Thanks

 

[SammichLover]

Wondering if this is a normal thing, or perhaps a problem I need to have looked at. Thought I would see if others do or don’t experience this.

When my air conditioner is running, there is a slight vibration you can feel and hear. Especially when the fan or pump under the hood cycles on and off.
I’m not sure if it’s a fan or pump under there ?

I’m not talking about the fan that blows air in the cabin. That remains constant and is fine.
It’s something under the hood.

I don’t recall hearing it before, but this is the first summer with it, so I’m. It sure.

Thanks

When I park after driving hard the car is howling. You can hear it from inside but stepping outside it is much louder. Same with SCing in the TX heat. Yes, there is also a pump for the coolant loop but I've never noticed any variance in it?

I'm not sure about "feeling" it though? Sensory capabilities vary between people.

 

[M109Rider]

When I park after driving hard the car is howling. You can hear it from inside but stepping outside it is much louder. Same with SCing in the TX heat. Yes, there is also a pump for the coolant loop but I've never noticed any variance in it?

I'm not sure about "feeling" it though? Sensory capabilities vary between people.

Thanks.
I have heard the fan from the outside also.

It’s likely typical, but I have a feeling this vibration and sound may be something else.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[SammichLover]

Thanks.
I have heard the fan from the outside also.

It’s likely typical, but I have a feeling this vibration and sound may be something else.
Thanks for the reply.

The compressor is what makes the most noise, I think. The Supercan. The car only uses that if it has a lot of heat to shed. It also runs for A/C in the cabin but that'll be masked from inside by the air blowing and the HVAC fan.

 

[disapr]

Sounds like a fan blade that is out of balance and makes a buzzing noise from the passenger side under the hood?

 

[CharleyBC]

Wondering if this is a normal thing, or perhaps a problem I need to have looked at. Thought I would see if others do or don’t experience this.

When my air conditioner is running, there is a slight vibration you can feel and hear.

Thanks

I've noticed what I might describe as a rumbling sensation when the AC is running hard, especially when first starting the car. It seems to relax after a minute or two. I assume this is the compressor really cranking at first, and then backing off once the work gets easier. I feel it almost more than hearing it.

 

[kbecks13]

You guys ever figure out what was causing this? I have had something similar ever since getting the car (Performance) and my old RWD Model 3 absolutely did not do this so i don't think it's normal.

 

[Tom Lombardi]

I just bought a new model 3 standard range plus last week and noticed the same thing. At first startup there's a rumble and if you feel the edge of the display you can feel a vibration, after a few minutes it fades. It seems like it's the A/C compressor and that it might me hard mounted.

I'm okay with this if it's normal, but this is a brand new car and I'm a little paranoid.
Tom

 

[SammichLover]

Something like this came up as a question sent in to Sandy Munro during his Model Y teardown series. Excessive noise in a handful of the Y heat pumps (basically the same thing as the air conditioner compressor, AC is a 'heat pump' but purposed only for cooling). It turned out that Tesla Service was able to correct. There was a bubble in the coolant loop which was likely causing cavitation, large bubbles created at the pump, that was causing the much larger noise.

It was even more obvious in the Ys because they don't yet have the acoustic form encasement around it as the 3's Supercan compressor does.

Something to look into if you're getting a lot of extra noise.

 

[Tom Lombardi]

Something like this came up as a question sent in to Sandy Munro during his Model Y teardown series. Excessive noise in a handful of the Y heat pumps (basically the same thing as the air conditioner compressor, AC is a 'heat pump' but purposed only for cooling). It turned out that Tesla Service was able to correct. There was a bubble in the coolant loop which was likely causing cavitation, large bubbles created at the pump, that was causing the much larger noise.

It was even more obvious in the Ys because they don't yet have the acoustic form encasement around it as the 3's Supercan compressor does.

Something to look into if you're getting a lot of extra noise.

Seems like a plausible explanation, I'm taking it into service for a problem with the drivers side lumbar support, I'll ask them to look into it. Thanks.

 

[SammichLover]

Oops, that was supposed to say the refrigerant loop. Not the coolant loop.

 

[McFlurri]

I just bought a new model 3 standard range plus last week and noticed the same thing. At first startup there's a rumble and if you feel the edge of the display you can feel a vibration, after a few minutes it fades. It seems like it's the A/C compressor and that it might me hard mounted.

I'm okay with this if it's normal, but this is a brand new car and I'm a little paranoid.
TomView attachment 543462

ah yes... i see you ALSO park your plane in your garage.

Just like everyone else.

Good man!

 

[CharleyBC]

I just bought a new model 3 standard range plus last week and noticed the same thing. At first startup there's a rumble and if you feel the edge of the display you can feel a vibration, after a few minutes it fades. It seems like it's the A/C compressor and that it might me hard mounted.

I'm okay with this if it's normal, but this is a brand new car and I'm a little paranoid.
TomView attachment 543462

Maybe your vibration is wake turbulence from the plane.

 

[Tom Lombardi]

ah yes... i see you ALSO park your plane in your garage.

Just like everyone else.

Good man!

I had just drove it home from delivery and our garage didn't have a 14-50 outlet, so I had to park in our hangar.
I've since pulled the wire and installed a 14-50 outlet in the garage.

I really love these cars!

Tom

 

[kbecks13]

I had just drove it home from delivery and our garage didn't have a 14-50 outlet, so I had to park in our hangar.

I'll take "Things i never thought i'd read" for $1000, Alex. But that's awesome! You gotta share some details on the plane now though

 

[ALSETJC]

Reminds me of the time I had to park the car in my space station.

 

[redmosquito]

Wondering if this is a normal thing, or perhaps a problem I need to have looked at. Thought I would see if others do or don’t experience this.

When my air conditioner is running, there is a slight vibration you can feel and hear. Especially when the fan or pump under the hood cycles on and off.
I’m not sure if it’s a fan or pump under there ?

I’m not talking about the fan that blows air in the cabin. That remains constant and is fine.
It’s something under the hood.

I don’t recall hearing it before, but this is the first summer with it, so I’m. It sure.

Thanks

I've noticed this over the last few days, too (haven't driven the car much over the last 3 months). There is a noticeable noise and vibration when the fan is set to higher speeds (above 7). Air gets cold / hot just fine, and appears to blow into the cabin fine, but the noise and vibration is new.

 

[Tom Lombardi]

I've noticed this over the last few days, too (haven't driven the car much over the last 3 months). There is a noticeable noise and vibration when the fan is set to higher speeds (above 7). Air gets cold / hot just fine, and appears to blow into the cabin fine, but the noise and vibration is new.

I have the same issue on my new 2020 model 3 SR+. The buzz and vibration is worse when it's hot and the A/C has to ramp up to high settings. I live in Arizona and daytime temperatures in my garage are always > 90F in the summertime.
Touching the bottom edge of the display I can feel the vibration. It seems like the compressor is hard mounted to the frame?

Tom

 

[texas_star_TM3]

same slight vibration at start of car in hot weather when fan cranks way up... it goes away after a few minutes with the fan speed going down. probably the fan not being perfectly balanced or compressor hard mounted to frame. regardless - it seems to be very common and I *doubt* that Tesla will fix under warranty nor do I want the SC go through the dashboard etc and make things worse.

 

[DMBM3]

I've noticed what I might describe as a rumbling sensation when the AC is running hard, especially when first starting the car. It seems to relax after a minute or two. I assume this is the compressor really cranking at first, and then backing off once the work gets easier. I feel it almost more than hearing it.

I have the exact sensation and sound when the car first starts on a hot day. 2020 LR AWD delivered in Dec.