Is my Model S brewing coffee (or maybe sewing?)

[JeffZ]

So I have an intermittent strange noise coming from behind the dashboard of my 2014 S60. It sounds like the car has a coffee maker - or maybe a sewing machine - going every once in a while. At first I thought it might be something with the speakers / audio system, but the noise is there independent of whether or not any audio source is connected or playing.

I've also eliminated the brake vacuum pump (wrong kind of sound and no correlation to braking) and the AC (sound happens whether or not AC is on).

This has been going on for several months maybe every 5th or 6th drive but now it is happening almost every time. Of course the noise isn't happening when I am ready to record it, but once I capture it I'll edit my post or add a comment with the noise.

Any thoughts?

 

[WallysRide]

Failing AC actuators can make that kind of noise even when the AC is off. The way I got rid of a dashboard noise (sounded kind of like a hard rainfall noise/rapid tapping) that frequently occurred when everything was off was to replace almost all of the AC actuators. That was the most efficient way to go - the parts are cheap, so it wasn't worth trying to diagnose exactly which one was failing.

 

[geordi]

Failing AC actuators can make that kind of noise even when the AC is off. The way I got rid of a dashboard noise (sounded kind of like a hard rainfall noise/rapid tapping) that frequently occurred when everything was off was to replace almost all of the AC actuators. That was the most efficient way to go - the parts are cheap, so it wasn't worth trying to diagnose exactly which one was failing.

Interesting... What do the actuators do? I think I've got a problem with my blend doors, where they don't seem to want to properly mix floor and dash on occasion, when I will see the window fogging up b/c cold air is being delivered up there when it shouldn't be. But I also have a gurgling sound behind the glove box area when plugged in and charging sometimes - supercharging.

 

[WallysRide]

Well, I didn't learn that much about the specific actuators because I replaced all of them except for 1 where my self-sourced replacement part didn't fit. But I know that there is a specific "blend door actuator." There's also an "inlet actuator" that's behind the glove box.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

I heard the coffee percolator in my dash, have been hearing it since May 2021 when I bought the car.

Assuming it's freon or ?

 

[VaztheDad]

I heard the coffee percolator in my dash, have been hearing it since May 2021 when I bought the car.

Assuming it's freon or ?

This is the battery coolant you're hearing. Very common and at times can be reduced by having the SC flush the system.

Mine has done it for years with no ill effects.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

Air bubbles likely from when the drive unit was leaking.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

JeffZ, how old is your drive unit? Might need to have the sensor check done.