Banging/clunking sound when driving over mountains in cold weather

[boiler81]

Seems like it is related to battery state and elevation changes.

From my observations, it seems to occur when the battery get warm/hot, and the outside temperature (and car body temp?) are cold.
I've had this noise several time when supercharging in cold weather, and when heading down mountain passes in winter (regen heating the battery?).

If the battery pack is pressure sealed, then changes in elevation could cause the noise independent of temperatures.
Any way you look at it, I don't think Tesla can fix it with an OTA update.

 

[StealthP3D]

From my observations, it seems to occur when the battery get warm/hot, and the outside temperature (and car body temp?) are cold.
I've had this noise several time when supercharging in cold weather, and when heading down mountain passes in winter (regen heating the battery?).

I was feeling left out but yesterday I got excited when I heard the banging noise for the first time!

 

[Sagedaddy]

Greetings!


Brand new M3 Dual Motor Extended Range owner. Overall I'm thrilled with the car! But having one issue that I've seen posted on Tesla forums, but not here. I've searched on this forum and don't see any threads about same issue.


When driving over mountain pass in cold weather (<32 degrees Fahrenheit), I can hear and feel a banging/thunking/clunking noise coming from random locations under the car. First time it happened was when I was driving home from picking up the car. I drove 200 highway miles on mostly flat road without single episode. But when driving over a 3000 foot mountain pass in 22 degree Fahrenheit weather, I could hear banging or clunking noises coming form under the car. Worse when going uphill, but happens on downhill too. Roads were slightly wet, and my first thought was this is ice forming in the wheel wells and getting slung against the wheel well or bottom of the car. But since then I've driven same pass several times with dry roads and had same sounds. Sound is random, can come from front/rear/sides of car. It is definitely originating from the "floor" of the car. You can feel the clunk in your feet and seat. One person described it as "oil canning" which sounds about right.

***********

Has anyone else had similar experience? Has anyone had productive response from Tesla about this?


Thanks!

Jim

Hey Jim, yes I have experienced this as well...but it's not limited to freezing conditions. I live next to a windy mountain highway and hear it sporadically while driving it. I don't know what is causing it...I've been concerned that there is a loose part.

 

[Sagedaddy]

Well in the absence of Tesla's official explanation of this problem, of which they are aware, you and I can only speculate how serious a problem it is. Hopefully, and I believe, as you, it is nothing serious. Still it could affect safety, due to distraction it can cause, especially if one has kids in the car and unexpected loud bangs happen under their feet so they start crying while the car is going 60 - 70 mile/hr....

Brushing it off as nothing, won't work, when so many are complaining about it. In fact it will make Tesla look bad as being non-responsive to customer care. I believe Tesla will come up with an official explanation and a fix in a timely manner, and everybody will be happy

Your bangs must be louder than mine. I notice them but they aren't major.

 

[boiler81]

Your bangs must be louder than mine. I notice them but they aren't major.

It feels and sounds like a rock hits the bottom of the car right below the pedals.
I continue to look in the rearview mirror expecting to see something on the road behind me, but there's nothing.

It scares my wife especially when I tell her I don't know what it is.

 

[StealthP3D]

It feels and sounds like a rock hits the bottom of the car right below the pedals.
I continue to look in the rearview mirror expecting to see something on the road behind me, but there's nothing.

I've only heard it once so far and we have two Model 3's first one delivered in mid-May. The sound came from under/forward of the pedals and sounded like a thin sheet of steel "popping". Not very loud and not very alarming. Especially since I had already heard about this phenomenon here and that it was normal and harmless. If that sound happened in my 2010 Ford F-150, I probably wouldn't have even noticed it.

The Model 3 makes a number of very unique sounds but the overall auditory signature of the car is one of exceptional quietness. It's very pleasant from an auditory perspective. Probably one of my favorite things about the car, that it's so silky smooth and quiet.

 

[KootsChewt]

It feels and sounds like a rock hits the bottom of the car right below the pedals.
I continue to look in the rearview mirror expecting to see something on the road behind me, but there's nothing.

It scares my wife especially when I tell her I don't know what it is.

I noticed something similar within a few days of owning my car. It isn't as bad as some folks seem to have (e.g. multiple pops/thunks on a drive), I've only ever had one (or maybe 2?) and I've driven up 4,000 ft to my local ski hill a few times this winter. The local nordic area I go to a few times a week, and it almost always happens on the way up the 1,000 ft.

I also happen to own a Nissan Leaf, and experienced a similar issue years ago and posted about it on the mynissanleaf forum... (including an audio recording). "Oilcanning" due to pressure changes was the most likely explanation from that thread. I've not thought about it on the Leaf for years now and am over 100,000 miles.

It is a bit more disconcerting on the Model 3 though as I feel it right in my feet - the first few times I thought it was frozen slush falling off, or flipping up a chunk of frozen gravel or something off the road.

Still seems like this is something that shouldn't happen in our cars!

 

[ForeverFree]

Experienced this syndrome for the first time yesterday.

Up in local mountains. Elevation changes (sea level <--> 7000 feet), snow, and temperatures in high 20s and low 30s at altitude.

Probably happened ten times. Sounded like ice breaking off under car, but there hadn't been enough snow/moisture on road surface for that to be the case.

 

[boiler81]

Yeah, Had it happen again a few times driving through mountains (5000 to 6000ft) in below freezing weather. Roads were bare and dry so, I knew it wasn't ice or road debris.

 

[al503]

It feels and sounds like a rock hits the bottom of the car right below the pedals.
I continue to look in the rearview mirror expecting to see something on the road behind me, but there's nothing.

Same exact thing I thought it was the first time. I might have ran over a rock and it popped up and hit the undercarriage. It was very loud and I could feel the pop physically through the floorboard with my feet. I live up on a hill about 1000 ft in a little less than .5 miles. It only seems to happen when I'm going up the hill at the end of the climb. I haven't had it happen on flat roads. It happens about 1 out of every 10 trips. Hope they come up with a fix.

 

[slickrock]

My situation is just like al503 above: live 1000ft up a step hill with twists along the a way up. One clunk is almost guaranteed and happens when car is thrown into a left turn and then right turn (or vice versa)... basically when car is in torsion. Seems to happen at the end of the route after what feels like the sudden unwinding of pretensioning on the chassis. My original RWD Model 3 did not do this, but my with my new P3D, it is consistent.

 

[al503]

One clunk is almost guaranteed and happens when car is thrown into a left turn and then right turn (or vice versa)...

Wow. There is a right to left at the top of the climb when it happens for me as well. Not 100% sure but I thought I had it happen going down hill as well yesterday. Not nearly as loud but a similar pop.

 

[slickrock]

I have not experienced it going downhill. Seems to happen only when the gravity vector is pushing aft.

 

[MountainRatMat]

So this is obviously an "unwanted feature" since lots of people report it (me included, more times than I can count) but the real question:

Has anyone heard of a fix or had theirs fixed?

 

[StealthP3D]

So this is obviously an "unwanted feature"...

Not so fast there. I've now heard it one time that was for sure the real deal and two other times a softer, shorter sound that I'm not even sure was the real deal. So I'm still feeling a little left out and want to hear it at least 20 or 30 times (good ones, not little wimpy sounds) before I'll want it "fixed".

 

[WileyTheMan]

I've heard the noise before when the car was parked. Startled me because it sounded like someone hit it.

Good to hear there's a logical (if not official) explanation for it. If it truly is a thermal expansion/contraction of the battery pack, I'm sure they will figure out a way to address it in future cars. It doesn't bother me that much.

 

[al503]

Same exact thing I thought it was the first time. I might have ran over a rock and it popped up and hit the undercarriage. It was very loud and I could feel the pop physically through the floorboard with my feet. I live up on a hill about 1000 ft in a little less than .5 miles. It only seems to happen when I'm going up the hill at the end of the climb. I haven't had it happen on flat roads. It happens about 1 out of every 10 trips. Hope they come up with a fix.

I spoke too soon or jinxed myself. 2 loud pops going up hill in 3 trips and another pop (not nearly as loud) going down hill. Hope this is just a cold weather thing and they figure out a fix before next winter.

Every time I drive up to the house, it feels like someone threatening to pop a balloon with a needle in front of your face, lol. Not a first world problem but very annoying nonetheless...

 

[slickrock]

OK, I heard it once going downhill at the bottom of my hill, but much softer. I still feel there some "windup" is involved; it doesn't occur out of the gate. My guess is that temperature, hill inclination, and side-to-side pitching is involved.

My car is scheduled for service next week on a different matter, so I'll bring this it up and see how it goes. I doubt I'll get traction on this because they will have a hard time reproducing it since it is intermittent and the service center location is flat without twisties.

 

[al503]

OK, I heard it once going downhill at the bottom of my hill, but much softer. I still feel there some "windup" is involved; it doesn't occur out of the gate. My guess is that temperature, hill inclination, and side-to-side pitching is involved.

My car is scheduled for service next week on a different matter, so I'll bring this it up and see how it goes. I doubt I'll get traction on this because they will have a hard time reproducing it since it is intermittent and the service center location is flat without twisties.

I can't remember where I read it (on this forum or a different one) but someone mentioned that Tesla is aware of the issue and is (hopefully) working on a fix. Let us know how the appointment goes.

 

[speiererg]

Has someone until now become a clear answer from Tesla ?
Thank you !