Metal popping noise while supercharging - thin metal floor?

[Nuclear Fusion]

I never knew how ‘tinny’ the floor was in the 3, until I sat in the back seats & tapped my feet on the floor. Wow! Try it for yourselves. Pretty average for the price of the car.
Related, over the past 3 months the car underbody has been making a loud popping sound while driving, like the sound of a crushed tin can expanding in the sun
Then my partner heard it the other day several times over 15 minutes when the car was stationary with the heater running, which made me start to think it was to do with metal expansion.
Yesterday while supercharging it popped 6 times in a couple of minutes

Any thoughts? Is this normal? Is this an indication of a more serious issue? Is this due to poor underbody/floor manufacturing? Did they forget to put in sound deadening?

 

[Sam1]

Yeah supercharging makes that sound randomly if there's a big variation between the battery temperature and the ambient temperature

 

[JulienW]

"Bangs" and "Clunks" when charging?

 

[CertLive]

Got it a bit in winter when driving around the Scottish hills at -2, altitude differences and when charging. Not a peep now it is summer though so far 25c.

 

[PNWLeccy]

This is a common issue and I was surprised myself the first time I supercharged to hear the loud pops. There is actually a Tesla Service Bulletin for this so you can take it in to the Service Center to have it addressed. They seemed to excuse it as being normal until I referenced the service bulletin and then they decided to cover it under warranty.

What they do is replace the battery breathers to release some of the pressure from altitude or when supercharging to reduce the popping sounds. I have actually not supercharged since having them replaced to test them out but I will be going on a roadtrip next week and will see how much it improves the sound.

Unfortunately, this doesn't improve the hollow tinny sound in the rear seat floor which just sounds bad

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

"Bangs" and "Clunks" when charging?

Thanks for that. I tick all the boxes of ‘elevation changes’ (long winding mountain road to home), ‘cold weather’ & ‘supercharging’
I think I’ll cancel the service centre visit

Any suggestions for putting in more sound deadening?

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

This is a common issue and I was surprised myself the first time I supercharged to hear the loud pops. There is actually a Tesla Service Bulletin for this so you can take it in to the Service Center to have it addressed. They seemed to excuse it as being normal until I referenced the service bulletin and then they decided to cover it under warranty.

What they do is replace the battery breathers to release some of the pressure from altitude or when supercharging to reduce the popping sounds. I have actually not supercharged since having them replaced to test them out but I will be going on a roadtrip next week and will see how much it improves the sound.

Unfortunately, this doesn't improve the hollow tinny sound in the rear seat floor which just sounds bad

Thank you so much for such a comprehensive reply! Much appreciated on the detail you’ve gone into which replicates my experience.

I’m thinking a solution for the rear seat floor is a double or triple floor mat!!

 

[Tessaract]

Thank you so much for such a comprehensive reply! Much appreciated on the detail you’ve gone into which replicates my experience.

I’m thinking a solution for the rear seat floor is a double or triple floor mat!!

Or you can place a concrete patio block on the floor for that solid sound. Your range will only suffer a tiny bit. /s

 

[run-the-joules]

Maybe those of us with old enough cars to still have fluff in the battery pack for deadening will get a better resale value because of this

 

[SammichLover]

The Model 3's floors are very thin. Try taking the mat out of the back and then from just seat height drop a shoe on it. It sounds like it should be in the drum line of the orchestra. There is a large cavity underneath that keeps space between your feet and the battery pack, so it really echos. Disturbed the hell out of me the first time I heard it, I was worried I had broken something. But no, that's just how it is.

 

[PNWLeccy]

I've been actually sound deadening much of the car w/ Dynamat/Kilmat and am planning on doing this rear seat area to see if it helps.

I've tried the floor mats + 3d Maxspider mats on top and that doesn't improve it so I'm hoping the butyl sound deadener directly on the metal floor will help give the floor a little more solid feel if nothing else.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

I've been actually sound deadening much of the car w/ Dynamat/Kilmat and am planning on doing this rear seat area to see if it helps.

I've tried the floor mats + 3d Maxspider mats on top and that doesn't improve it so I'm hoping the butyl sound deadener directly on the metal floor will help give the floor a little more solid feel if nothing else.

Is the floor carpet easy to lift to apply this butyl?

 

[PNWLeccy]

Is the floor carpet easy to lift to apply this butyl?

Yea not very difficult. Lift the rear seat bench and the side door sill trim pieces.

 

[SlimJim]

someday they will figure out a way to avoid this and we will look back and say how primitive the 1st gen model 3 was

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

This is a common issue and I was surprised myself the first time I supercharged to hear the loud pops. There is actually a Tesla Service Bulletin for this so you can take it in to the Service Center to have it addressed. They seemed to excuse it as being normal until I referenced the service bulletin and then they decided to cover it under warranty.

What they do is replace the battery breathers to release some of the pressure from altitude or when supercharging to reduce the popping sounds. I have actually not supercharged since having them replaced to test them out but I will be going on a roadtrip next week and will see how much it improves the sound.

Well, Tesla replaced them on Friday & the problem has not changed. Since I live up a small mountain, with an elevation change of 1500ft in 5 mins, the popping sound is just as regular

 

[CertLive]

Amazing the difference with the models, in the summer so far not one single expansion pop from my m3. Hardly a fan noise even in the roasting 34c long hauls during supercharging. Park next to a model S / X and their fans are blazing cooling those larger packs. Expansion pops only in the cold and altitude changes. I expect the above comment is right, expansion is a must with current tech but will be solved eventually.