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Awful NOISE when not moving and Pushing on BRAKES

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Has anyone else been experiencing a loud noise when idle and pushing on brakes? It goes on for a few seconds and then stops but continues to do the same thing every time I push on the brakes. I took it to the service station 3 times already. They kept saying it's the vacuum pump, but when I sent them the recording of the noise (which I was trying to post here, but somehow it didn't work), they seem to not know what the noise is. So if they tell me it's normal, shouldn't the noise they are hearing be recognizable and "normal" too? I have the 85 and supposedly have the vacuum brakes and not the new electric brakes. I'm getting annoyed because I know this is not normal and it wasn't making this noise when I first got the car. They changed the vacuum pump "just in case" but the next day, it was still making the noise.

The funny thing is that the loaner they gave me that supposedly has the "new electric brakes" was making the same noise the night I returned it!! So, now what?!?

Anyone else hear this noise on their car~??! Please help! BC Tesla is not helping right now! :-/
 
1. I haven't experienced this "awful" noise you speak of every time I push on the brakes, however, I can hear the the pump run only when I first get into the car and depress the brakes.
2. I wonder if you have a vacuum leak (line/valve/canister) that is "bleeding down" causing your pump to run excessively.
3. I would attempt to upload sound/vid so other owners and the SC can listen to this noise and attempt to determine the root cause.
4. Might you take your S to another SC?

btw, Zwede, lola, ArtInCt, and kennybobby and several others are quite sharp at this kinda "stuff"
 
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Okay, I finally found a way to share the noise. It took hours to do this, so hopefully it will help you guys diagnose this issue.

http://youtu.be/o_2ZUp8-BgU

And this is the response I just got from one of the technicians at Tesla:

"I'm sorry you are still concerned with the noise you are hearing from your Model S. However, I must stress to you that there is nothing wrong with your vehicle. After you and I spoke the first time where I explained that this was most likely normal operation but if you were concerned I would be happy to investigate. Since you were still worried about the noise, we brought your Model S in. We have tested your brake system in every way possible and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the system. The recording that you sent sounds abnormal solely for the reason that it was recorded from underneath the vehicle. As for your loaner car, while it is true that there is a newer brake system(without vacuum) in the latest vehicles, it is not the case for the loaner car you drove. I apologize for the miscommunication, but it does clear up the fact that your loaner car also made this totally normal noise."


 
I also hear the vacuum pump run the first time I depress the brake pedal. I can only hear it if the climate controls are off. Runs for a few seconds and that's it. I would not call it an awful noise. If anything else is running (climate, radio, etc.) I cannot hear it.
 
Sounds like the vacuum pump to me. One of the things about an ICE car is that the engine noise drowns out all the other sounds. I don't hear anything in your video that I would consider a problem.
 
I do hear the noise, and unfortunately, I agree with you and that the noise is unacceptable. In any other $130k+ car, you don't hear strange noises like that regardless. In most Mercedes S Classes, you don't even hear much of the engine while idle, so that makes this even more annoying.

From my experience, Tesla service varies greatly from center to center. I had a ticking issue with my car that was addressed in two very different ways. Long story short, the Burlingame service center was just dismissive, every thing i complained about was "natural" however, when i went to Fremont, they addressed everything.

I'm my opinion, try to find another service center if you can?

Okay, I finally found a way to share the noise. It took hours to do this, so hopefully it will help you guys diagnose this issue.

http://youtu.be/o_2ZUp8-BgU

And this is the response I just got from one of the technicians at Tesla:

"I'm sorry you are still concerned with the noise you are hearing from your Model S. However, I must stress to you that there is nothing wrong with your vehicle. After you and I spoke the first time where I explained that this was most likely normal operation but if you were concerned I would be happy to investigate. Since you were still worried about the noise, we brought your Model S in. We have tested your brake system in every way possible and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the system. The recording that you sent sounds abnormal solely for the reason that it was recorded from underneath the vehicle. As for your loaner car, while it is true that there is a newer brake system(without vacuum) in the latest vehicles, it is not the case for the loaner car you drove. I apologize for the miscommunication, but it does clear up the fact that your loaner car also made this totally normal noise."


 
That sound is just the brake booster pump. Totally normal. I'm assuming you recorded this from outside the car. It shouldn't be anywhere near that loud from inside th car but is still audible. You'll only hear it when the car needs to recharge the pressure on the brake system. You can take it to 100 service centers but they can't do anything to make that stop.
 
Yep, that's the brake boost vacuum pump. Gas combustion engine cars can draw a vacuum directly off the engine, electric cars cannot so they have to generate boost some other way.

I can tell in your video you're pumping down on the brake pedal over and over again. No need to do that! In normal driving you'll hardly ever need to use the real brakes as regen braking will do most of your stopping.
 
My car makes this noise too, but not nearly for that long. I do realize you spliced together several occurrences into one video, but the individual occurrences are of a longer duration than mine goes for.. and some of them seem to imply the pump was struggling a little bit (noise was varying more than mine does)
if this is happening every time you step on the brakes, something isn't right... it should only do it every once and a while (mostly when you first set off after the car's been sitting for a while)... then the noise shouldn't happen again for a while... at least in my experience. Although, I will admit I could be getting used to the sound and just THINK it happens less in my car than yours.
 
Agree with EarlyAdopter. It sounds like you are pumping the brakes continuously because the pump should not be running that long. I was thinking more about this and I remembered that recently I had a loaner where the brake booster sounded a lot louder than my car (and every other loaner I've ever driven). It sounded almost like the pump was loose and rattling around a bit. I don't get that sense from your clip, but it's hard to tell what it really sounds like inside the car from your clip. If the sound really is very loud inside the cabin, see if you can find another vehicle to compare to. Regardless, the sound itself is normal to some extent.
 
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Jane:
First off, thanks for sharing that noise recording and having a great concern regarding the noise you are hearing.
To me, it appears to be an electronic pump noise, probably associated with your brake system. Most likely a break booster vacuum pump
which has come "ALIVE" when the Tesla is off and you step on the break pedal.
If that is "Normal" or not I really do not know. But I suspect it is.
So what can you do about it?
I would suggest you consider playing some music on the audio system.
Really, I am not being a wise guy here but that is a fairly low db noise so even some soft music would over-ride it.
Of course if you are getting out of the car and turning it off, etc, that is not much of a help.... sigh....

The next time you are at your local SC I would make a point of asking about that noise and demonstrating it and the cause (Pedal Depress).

Hope this is of some help.
 
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Is it possible that it's 'louder' because it's getting colder outside? I have a P85 and mine sounds exactly like yours does. My car is exactly one year old give or take a few weeks and every time I get inside her she sounds like that. That all being said I feel like some of the systems work harder when it's colder out or warmer our (ac etc) so they are louder.
 
Has anyone else been experiencing a loud noise when idle and pushing on brakes? It goes on for a few seconds and then stops but continues to do the same thing every time I push on the brakes. I took it to the service station 3 times already. They kept saying it's the vacuum pump, but when I sent them the recording of the noise (which I was trying to post here, but somehow it didn't work), they seem to not know what the noise is. So if they tell me it's normal, shouldn't the noise they are hearing be recognizable and "normal" too? I have the 85 and supposedly have the vacuum brakes and not the new electric brakes. I'm getting annoyed because I know this is not normal and it wasn't making this noise when I first got the car. They changed the vacuum pump "just in case" but the next day, it was still making the noise.

The funny thing is that the loaner they gave me that supposedly has the "new electric brakes" was making the same noise the night I returned it!! So, now what?!?

Anyone else hear this noise on their car~??! Please help! BC Tesla is not helping right now! :-/

As others have said, that is the Vacuum pump. It needs to keep the proper vacuum so you have power brakes. It's normal, and no way around it if you want brakes. I have heard much louder on other vehicles. Thats part of having a electric car. But by all means, if your ever unsure of a noise, post here. Better safe then sorry.
 
Thank you all for your replies. I just want to respond to a couple of your points. It isn't as loud inside the car, but still noticeable enough for our concern. I was repeatedly pushing on the brakes, just for the sole purpose of trying to get the sound and record it. It was not several instances put together to make the voice clip, yet about a minute and a half of us pushing on the brakes on & off. I did take it to the SC but every time I was there, it was not making this noise. Even when they kept the car for a couple days, it didn't make it either. I don't think it's due to the cold because it was making this about a month after my delivery at the end of June. It is true that I don't hear it much when I'm driving, yet when I'm idle and sitting in a driveway, and then push on the brakes. Any reason this pump works at random times or when idle, but not other times?

It makes me feel a little better that all of you are hearing this type of noise. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out. They are opening up another SC close to me, so I am going to get a second opinion from them, just to be sure. Until they open, there are not too many SC close by.

Thanks again!
 
Thank you all for your replies. I just want to respond to a couple of your points. It isn't as loud inside the car, but still noticeable enough for our concern. I was repeatedly pushing on the brakes, just for the sole purpose of trying to get the sound and record it. It was not several instances put together to make the voice clip, yet about a minute and a half of us pushing on the brakes on & off. I did take it to the SC but every time I was there, it was not making this noise. Even when they kept the car for a couple days, it didn't make it either. I don't think it's due to the cold because it was making this about a month after my delivery at the end of June. It is true that I don't hear it much when I'm driving, yet when I'm idle and sitting in a driveway, and then push on the brakes. Any reason this pump works at random times or when idle, but not other times?

It makes me feel a little better that all of you are hearing this type of noise. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out. They are opening up another SC close to me, so I am going to get a second opinion from them, just to be sure. Until they open, there are not too many SC close by.

Thanks again!
Like I said, nothing to be concerned about. In reality, it's when you DON'T hear the noise (when it's quiet outside and inside the car, as the sound is easily masked) that you should be concerned.