It's that time again - embarrassing loud AC compressor

[AmpedRealtor]

I had the acoustic blanket & vibration bracket removed, in my situation the noise reduction was hardly noticeable compared to the loaner that didn't have the work done & for reasons unexplained I wasn't going to drive around with the AC set on LO when I was perfectly happy prior to the blanket leaving it set to 68-69, while the blanket was on they ran extensive tests & everything was working properly & even offered to replace the compressor even though they didn't think it would help, I declined the replacement because I didn't want thousands of dollars of shareholder money wiasted on a low confidence fix when they didn't see a problem with the unit.

I have driven the car for a brief period & so far back to 68-69.

Everyone here has been very pleased with the blanket so I even talked to the head technician at the SC & he recomended having it installed & said no negative side affects & it was thouroughly tested in Arizona so I thought fantastic, here is another example of my car getting better...well in this case it didn't.

So far you are the only one reporting this. I live in Arizona and am involved in various Tesla clubs in the area. Nobody has reported this problem.

 

[Runs Kwh]

I haven't noticed this issue and have had the work done and have 5.12 installed. I tend to keep the temp at 73 and only lower it when I am sitting in the car and the angle of the sun is beating down directly on me... Even then I only have ever gone down to 68. But some people like it colder than others... Needless to say I haven't changed my habits.

I should have the SC take a look at my car. I have to have the AC at around 65-66 to get the car comfortable around 72-74. I hope Casey in Van Nuys can help on this. I've had a few troubles with the car (including the master charger going out last week).

 

[Lump]

So far you are the only one reporting this. I live in Arizona and am involved in various Tesla clubs in the area. Nobody has reported this problem.

I should have the SC take a look at my car. I have to have the AC at around 65-66 to get the car comfortable around 72-74. I hope Casey in Van Nuys can help on this. I've had a few troubles with the car (including the master charger going out last week).

Van Nuys is my SC & dealt with Kasey & the Technicians directly last week, I hope they resolve your issues & you don't become as frustrated as I am.

 

[bollar]

A cold front came through yesterday and for the first time since April, I could drive in peace with no AC at all. Ahhhhh.....

 

[pete8314]

A cold front came through yesterday and for the first time since April, I could drive in peace with no AC at all. Ahhhhh.....

Amen to that. California for a day

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I received the sound insulating blanket TSB. Absolutely no difference with the noise as far as I can tell. This confirms the experience I had a couple of months ago when I met other Model S owners in the area. We were comparing the AC sounds of cars with and without the sound insulation, and I could not tell the difference at all.

 

[Lump]

I received the sound insulating blanket TSB. Absolutely no difference with the noise as far as I can tell. This confirms the experience I had a couple of months ago when I met other Model S owners in the area. We were comparing the AC sounds of cars with and without the sound insulation, and I could not tell the difference at all.

I am not surprised, hopefully you won't encounter a change in performance.

I am still baffled by some reporting a huge reduction in noise & for others its almost negligible.

 

[mknox]

I received the sound insulating blanket TSB. Absolutely no difference with the noise as far as I can tell. This confirms the experience I had a couple of months ago when I met other Model S owners in the area. We were comparing the AC sounds of cars with and without the sound insulation, and I could not tell the difference at all.

For me, the noise and vibration inside the car is exactly the same as before the TSB work was done. I can hear it as well as feel it in the steering wheel and even in my foot on the brake pedal. Where there is a HUGE difference is outside the car. It now just sounds like a fan noise as opposed to the loud, vibrating turbine it used to sound like from the exterior.

 

[rtz]

Let's see some pics/video of the actual compressor. Specifically the rubber isolator mounts. If they had a softer durometer; they may quiet it down if that is the source of the noise. Or is it the electric motor that drives the compressor; or internally in the compressor itself?

 

[scaesare]

I have seen a few posts that suggest the freon lines leading to/from the compressor can in some cases make contact with some structural members of the car thus transferring sound & vibration.

I have no idea how true that is, what percentage of cars suffer from that, or if it's part of the TSB procedure to correct that... but it might explain why some people have louder cars than others... or the TSB isn't as effective in some cases.

 

[invisik]

The local service center called me last week and said my parts were in. I said what parts...? The AC parts? Yes. Only been waiting since like June and now won't be using AC for another 6 months, heh. At least it's installed. I hope they can get more of these kits done for people over the winter so they're not all backlogged next summer...

-m

 

[apacheguy]

@invisik - are those parts you mention just the insulation? Or is there a new TSB out to correct issues owners are reporting even with insulation?

 

[invisik]

It is just the original TSB, to my knowledge. It has been on order that long. I'll check my receipt when I get it.-m

 

[tinm]

I'm posting in this thread even though my noise issue is not, I don't believe, the A/C compressor. (My car has that noisy A/C compressor sound, always have, and it's particularly embarrassing when pulling up at a red light and everyone around me can hear that noisy buzzing from the Model S.) What I'm talking about is different.

I'm in New Mexico, and have not had a need to use A/C in a long while. Whenever I turn the car on, the second I turn the car on in fact, I get this lower-pitched buzzing sound coming from the front of the car. I hear it in the garage. I hear it when I'm backing out. I hear it while driving, though eventually it goes away . . . only to come back again at various stages while driving. And when I slow to a stop to park, say, the buzz gets going again. I've even wondered if it had something to do with the brakes.

I'm not sure if there is a separate thread for this non A/C noise, if so I'll go there instead, but does anyone else know what I'm talking about? Is this a known issue with the car? My car has 24.5K mi on it. This sound started around the 20k mark.

 

[pgiralt]

I'm posting in this thread even though my noise issue is not, I don't believe, the A/C compressor. (My car has that noisy A/C compressor sound, always have, and it's particularly embarrassing when pulling up at a red light and everyone around me can hear that noisy buzzing from the Model S.) What I'm talking about is different.

I'm in New Mexico, and have not had a need to use A/C in a long while. Whenever I turn the car on, the second I turn the car on in fact, I get this lower-pitched buzzing sound coming from the front of the car. I hear it in the garage. I hear it when I'm backing out. I hear it while driving, though eventually it goes away . . . only to come back again at various stages while driving. And when I slow to a stop to park, say, the buzz gets going again. I've even wondered if it had something to do with the brakes.

I'm not sure if there is a separate thread for this non A/C noise, if so I'll go there instead, but does anyone else know what I'm talking about? Is this a known issue with the car? My car has 24.5K mi on it. This sound started around the 20k mark.

Hard to tell by your description if it's related to the AC or not. Any way you can get a recording of it? Maybe record a video and post to YouTube.

 

[chickensevil]

Just a quick guess it could be one of your water pumps turning on to cycle the liquid in your battery pack. But as stated, without a better description/sound clip it is hard to say.

 

[Cyclone]

Yesterday when I was going on a lunch run, I pulled up the app to precool my car. It said the cabin was at 108 degrees inside. I vented the sunroof, turned on the AC and got in the car seven minutes later. It was making a very, very loud buzz and had a strong vibration that I could feel in the car, especially on the brake and steering wheel. It went away after about 10 minutes. Today I went in and saw the service team for the first time. They took care of some due bill items and saw I needed some things worked on. I asked them about the sound and vibration and they said the AC TSB had not been applied to my car yet. They have a couple things to do to my car, so I will get that and everything else fixed on 6/1. Hopefully that will fix it b/c that was a very unexpected sound and vibration!

 

[Chris TX]

Is everyone aware of the silencing kit that's retrofitted upon request? I had mine done last year and it's very quiet now. You can still hear the humming, but it's a mere fraction of what it used to be.

 

[ken830]

I'm posting in this thread even though my noise issue is not, I don't believe, the A/C compressor. (My car has that noisy A/C compressor sound, always have, and it's particularly embarrassing when pulling up at a red light and everyone around me can hear that noisy buzzing from the Model S.) What I'm talking about is different.

I'm in New Mexico, and have not had a need to use A/C in a long while. Whenever I turn the car on, the second I turn the car on in fact, I get this lower-pitched buzzing sound coming from the front of the car. I hear it in the garage. I hear it when I'm backing out. I hear it while driving, though eventually it goes away . . . only to come back again at various stages while driving. And when I slow to a stop to park, say, the buzz gets going again. I've even wondered if it had something to do with the brakes.

I'm not sure if there is a separate thread for this non A/C noise, if so I'll go there instead, but does anyone else know what I'm talking about? Is this a known issue with the car? My car has 24.5K mi on it. This sound started around the 20k mark.

Just from your description, it seems to just be the vacuum pump for the brakes (assuming you have a pre-autopilot car). Probably completely normal. Sounds similar to the air suspension pumps too.

Yesterday when I was going on a lunch run, I pulled up the app to precool my car. It said the cabin was at 108 degrees inside. I vented the sunroof, turned on the AC and got in the car seven minutes later. It was making a very, very loud buzz and had a strong vibration that I could feel in the car, especially on the brake and steering wheel. It went away after about 10 minutes. Today I went in and saw the service team for the first time. They took care of some due bill items and saw I needed some things worked on. I asked them about the sound and vibration and they said the AC TSB had not been applied to my car yet. They have a couple things to do to my car, so I will get that and everything else fixed on 6/1. Hopefully that will fix it b/c that was a very unexpected sound and vibration!

On hot days, turning on the A/C can force the A/C compressor into the "max take-off" mode and yes, it's very loud. You will hear it from outside and inside of the car. And the whole steering wheel and pedals will vibrate. That's just the way it is. I've gone through three or four A/C compressors. Some are a little louder, some softer, some squeak loudly, some squeak extremely-loud, but they all make unpleasant noise. One way around it is to enable range mode and that will probably never allow max-a/c, thus eliminating the jet-taking-off sound/vibration.

 

[apacheguy]

@tinm - This could either be the brakes as mentioned by others or air suspension. I have a similar, continuous noise that I've isolated to active air. Recently the air compressor has been running excessively (for like 2 mins at a time) and lets out a disconcerting "poof" periodically. Sounds like something is definitely on the fritz with mine. Is yours similar?