Clicking noise when accelerating

[SDKoala]

I started having the exact same problem as being described in this thread. LR RWD, Build 3/2018. I'm at about 14K miles. Clicking noise coming from the rear wheels, left louder than right, when accelerating from a stop pretty much every single time. Also happens when letting off the accelerator to slow. Sounds like another a service appointment.

 

[jebinc]

Could be the flux capacitor acting up?

 

[Funkmobile]

My question is two-fold:

1) Wanted to confirm whether your problem was the "single tap" noise upon acceleration, and upon deceleration. Or was it slightly different symptoms?

2) Wanted to see whether you're still hearing this noise even after the half-axle replacement?

If it did go away with the half-axle, it seems like that would imply some excessive play in the CV joint - this wouldn't be a gear lash issue.

I guess I should have thought of some more experiments when I had the wheels off the car. Biggest impediment, honestly, was not being able to safely go under the vehicle - could not put my ear up against the motor to identify the source of the tapping.

Went on a mini road trip over the weekend and the sound is still present. I guess I'll book another appointment and see what happens.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Went on a mini road trip over the weekend and the sound is still present. I guess I'll book another appointment and see what happens.

If it is the same thing I am hearing I would not worry about it. It’s probably just some minor lash issue. If you have a chance to lift one wheel, you can move it back and forth and see whether it taps. Then it is either a CV issue or an issue with the drive unit. Not really an issue, necessarily- just some play.

This must be the sort of issue that overwhelms the service centers. So far, I am not hearing about a firm issue here that is common and clearly identified. The tightening of the axle nuts seems difficult to believe as a fix...

I personally like to wait for this sort of thing to get worse (change) before taking it in. Service center is terribly inconvenient and exposes the car to risk of damage.

 

[Big Earl]

Fixed. Service center replaced rear half shafts and hubs. I could have sworn the front was clicking, too, but the car is silent again.

I generally agree with the post above about waiting. Our car was clicking for a good 15,000 miles before it finally got loud enough to irritate me into taking it in.

 

[ElementPowder]

Yeah if I'm playing music I don't even hear it.

I agree on just monitoring it; I can't see how they would address this without either a drive unit replacement or half axle replacement, which would be insane to have touched, so I figure I'll just monitor it for getting worse. If it's a lash issue and not a CV issue, presumably at some point it'll wear out or break the gears, if there really is "too much" lash.

So my P3 i can still hear the noise in the front with the radio on normal volume,
There is another thread about this here Model 3 Performance/AWD Clunking sound

Service center told me ALL performance 3s make the noise and its 100% normal, My first P3 i owned didn;t make it and someone else i know with a P3 doesn't have the noise at all. So its pretty much tesla using a excuse to not fix the car and saying its "within spec" but when i asked for the specs and how they measured that it was within spec they told me they can't give out that info

 

[CanadaCarCare]

Mine is clicking also. I asked before I went to the track if it was anything to worry about and the mobile tech said no, its common with the 3's and the model X.

Waiting for our service center to be built in August and the mechanic said they will pull the half shafts and re apply the lithium grease.

Happens when I accel or decel. Consistently.

 

[scubastevo80]

I'm not going to take "its normal" when I go in for my service appointment. I've had Honda's with clicking drivetrain parts, and the sounds and wear don't get better, only worse. If the car made certain motor noises from day 1, perhaps I'd feel differently, but this developed on an 8 month old car with ~9k miles on the odo.

 

[CanadaCarCare]

whoever says its normal, is flat out lying to you.

 

[Big Earl]

whoever says its normal, is flat out lying to you.

Common, yes. Normal, no.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Fixed. Service center replaced rear half shafts and hubs. I could have sworn the front was clicking, too, but the car is silent again.

I generally agree with the post above about waiting. Our car was clicking for a good 15,000 miles before it finally got loud enough to irritate me into taking it in.

Well that is good news! At least it is silent again. Your issue was from the back though.

Has anyone managed to have this problem actually resolved when it comes from the front axles? And what, precisely, was replaced?

It looks like I'll have to add this to my list of 13 items for the Service Center to look at, when I finally bring the car in...

Mine continues to tap, but it's the same as always. No change so far.

 

[Baked76]

Sounds like a CV joint issue. Joints can't handle the torque.

 

[CanadaCarCare]

Common, yes. Normal, no.

I'm talking about service advisors telling customers that this is normal and nothing to worry about. Might not be serious, but it does need to be addressed and fixed.

 

[JLuszczek]

I had the same ticking noise in my LR RWD, but I perceived it as coming from the front and only when turning from a stand still.
Anyway, I took it to the Service Center and they tightened both front rotor retention bolts to spec. They were found to be below spec which apparently caused the clicking.

 

[lirandy]

Had knocking sound on the rear suspension for a few weeks and brought the car to SC on Tuesday. My car is a year old LR RWD, around 11.6k miles. First tech at the SC first replaced axle nuts and washer and said the clicking noise was solved. I went there and pick up after 2 days and the noise was still there when I was pulling my car out of their parking lot. I returned and had another tech to tested the car with me. End up was a blown shock on the left rear. They replaced the left spring and shock and the noise now is gone.

 

[Hkbruin]

Update: had my axle nuts tightened at 12k miles. Now pushing past 32k miles and still no clicking in either rear wheels yet.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

and they tightened both front rotor retention bolts to spec

Hmm. That’s a new one. I found one of my rotor retention bolts had backed out a bit when I swapped wheels. Tightening it changed nothing. Not sure if they can back all the way out with the wheels on, but they are held by a closed cavity on the wheel/rotor hat interface by the OEM wheels, in any case.

These bolts serve no purpose other than to prevent rotors flopping around and falling off on the assembly line before calipers are installed...AFAIK. They don’t even need to be installed was my understanding...

I could only see them being a problem if they started rattling around the aforementioned cavity, which I am not even sure is possible. Interesting that it solved your problem.

Going to swap wheels again tomorrow, and maybe I can figure out where my noise is coming from exactly...

 

[scubastevo80]

Finally had my appointment yesterday. The fix was retorquing the axle nuts all around. The service center also replaced (1) charge port insulator pins, and (2) readjusted frunk hood latch w/ shims.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Finally had my appointment yesterday. The fix was retorquing the axle nuts all around. The service center also replaced (1) charge port insulator pins, and (2) readjusted frunk hood latch w/ shims.

Did tightening the nuts actually fix your problem, and did it sound anything like the noise in this video?

Model 3 clicking sound near the rear wheel area

 

[scubastevo80]

As best I can tell, it sounded like that but I only heard it from the driver seat during low speed accel and regenerate transitions. I never took my wheels off and tested. Yes - the noise is gone post Tesla service.