Flufferbot, 'Hollowgate' and the hollow floor noise

[mpt]

I received an odd question from a friend. He asked if my car made a hollow sound when you knock hard on the rear floor of the cabin just behind the drivers seat. Mine sounds like you're thumping a nicely carpeted brick wall. His doesn't, check out the attached video - does yours should like that and, what's your VIN range? Mine is 35XX and today I met with some Tesla friends and checked out another 3xxx which was solid but all the recent cars had the hollow sound. I'm wondering if this is fallout from the Flufferbot not putting in the sound deadening pads properly and being axed. The problem on later cars isn't going to affect interior sound levels according to Tesla but it's an odd problem.

Do we care?

 

[SION1771]

Mine definitely sounds hollow - was wondering if it was just me. :-(

Sounds like a rusted out car from the 70s - not on par with everything else in the car.

VIN 96xxx

 

[mpt]

Mine definitely sounds hollow - was wondering if it was just me. :-(

Sounds like a rusted out car from the 70s - not on par with everything else in the car.

VIN 96xxx

... or an empty metal dustbin! I think it's harmless and, unless someone actually bashes on the floor of your car... like we were all doing on Saturday at a meet up... it'll never be. problem

 

[chinnam3]

Mine is early may build and makes that hollow sound on both sides. Behind Driver seat as well as passenger seat. I thought with solid battery below, it would not sound like that.

Now, I know this, I can not ignore. (Ignorance is a bliss).

May be from may onwards they started saving some sound insulation material and install time.

 

[rtprime]

I just noticed a similar thing in my vehicle as well (VIN 40XXX) - if I step around the floor right behind the center console I hear a similar sound... it sounds like a piece of sheet metal flexing. I'd imagine it shouldn't do that just by stepping in that area.

 

[mpt]

Mine is early may build and makes that hollow sound on both sides. Behind Driver seat as well as passenger seat. I thought with solid battery below, it would not sound like that.

Now, I know this, I can not ignore. (Ignorance is a bliss).

May be from may onwards they started saving some sound insulation material and install time.

I think that's the cutover point where flufferbot got the boot. I imagine the fix would be battery out unless they can inject something in from inside the cabin.

 

[s2kysk]

Mine does that as well. Service dept. told me that they know about the problem and ordered "parts" to fix this problem for my car.

 

[mpt]

Mine does that as well. Service dept. told me that they know about the problem and ordered "parts" to fix this problem for my car.

That's interesting, please keep us in the loop with what they do and if it works.

 

[compu85]

I noticed this on ours too when cleaning the carpets, but I've never heard the sound when driving.

-J

 

[DirectBeef]

I am having this issue also. Found it by accident. Let me know if it is able to be solved

 

[plasmo]

I found this when my kids were banging their feet on the floor saying it felt like a "bass drum" - serious!

 

[echeeyo]

Mine does that as well. Service dept. told me that they know about the problem and ordered "parts" to fix this problem for my car.

Any updates from your service dept? My Model 3 as well as my colleague at work have this issue as well!

 

[FinallyGotMyM3]

Interestingly enough when I was out for a drive with a service tech I asked him if the earlier VINs had a lot of problems and he said no but mentioned that the earlier VINs had a lot of flex in the floor of the rear passenger seats and they’ve fixed a lot of those.

Maybe worth calling the service center.

 

[Big Earl]

I noticed this on ours too when cleaning the carpets, but I've never heard the sound when driving.

-J

I’ve been thinking that the hollow floor and the random sheet metal popping sounds while Supercharging are related. Two strikes against Flufferbot!

 

[SoCalGuy]

What is flufferbot?

 

[TEG]

Elon Musk explains how a ‘Fluffer Bot’ slowed down Model 3 production

I have an April production VIN 19xxx
It sounds mostly solid when I thump the rear floor but it varies as I get closer to the center console.
Hard for me to know for sure, but I would say that there is an uneven surface under there, but not completely hollow.

Generally speaking, I am happy with how solid my car feels. I don't hear any strange noises from it other than the various relays and contactors that start a party when software upgrades are happening.

Overall my main gripe is tire noise at freeways speeds on grooved pavement.

 

[Avid]

Didn't find this in my forum search.

Saw this on another forum, checked my M3, and found that I have the tinny sound.There is apparently a TSB for this issue

2017 Tesla Model 3 Body Technical Service Bulletins

Use the palm of your hand and hit the center of the floor pan moving outward toward the doors and you'll might hear the hollow tinny sound. If you don't hear it, it might mean they have corrected it during production. My guess is that there is a lot of cars with this "issue" and not know it. It sounds like they missed putting some sound deadening material.

I've not had any passengers in back, but I could see that under the right conditions the sound could be produced. So, this is a fyi, if it bothers you, there is a fix.

 

[Avid]

Here is the TSB for the issue in case your CS doesn't know about it.

2017 Tesla Model 3 Body Technical Service Bulletins

 

[SION1771]

Here is the TSB for the issue in case your CS doesn't know about it.

2017 Tesla Model 3 Body Technical Service Bulletins

So does that mean they'll address the issue?

 

[Avid]

So does that mean they'll address the issue?

My guess is yes, though I haven't had time yet to take mine in for the fix. The word is that there is 5-7 pieces to the fix plus some glue.