Model 3 Performance/AWD Clunking sound

[CAAD]

For some reason the P3 makes this noise more apparent. It does on mine.
I have other cars, they don't do this. Yes its how the gears are cut - helical vs straight cut.
"[Straight cut gears] They naturally create a hell of a lot of noise"

 

[Photo_Frank]

I have what seems like the same clunking sound intermittently, but it does not appear to be associated with any particular action on my part. Some times it occurs when I am turning, sometimes if I brake hard. A rear seat passenger said she felt it through the floor boards. Like it was right under her feet. Last night while hooked up to a super charger I got the same sound 4 or 5 times. Each time it sounded like it was coming from a different location but always from under the car. Obviously the car was stationary at this time so this is not related to any gear lash. Anyone else have this issue?

 

[Oyinko]

I have what seems like the same clunking sound intermittently, but it does not appear to be associated with any particular action on my part. Some times it occurs when I am turning, sometimes if I brake hard. A rear seat passenger said she felt it through the floor boards. Like it was right under her feet. Last night while hooked up to a super charger I got the same sound 4 or 5 times. Each time it sounded like it was coming from a different location but always from under the car. Obviously the car was stationary at this time so this is not related to any gear lash. Anyone else have this issue?

Yeah, your issue is different. It’s the thermal or physical flexion of a metal plate protecting the battery.

 

[Photo_Frank]

Yeah, your issue is different. It’s the thermal or physical flexion of a metal plate protecting the battery.

Thanks for your input. Have you heard this answer from Tesla Service? So it is something I should not be concerned about?

 

[Oyinko]

Thanks for your input. Have you heard this answer from Tesla Service? So it is something I should not be concerned about?

I read it online and It does also happen to me from time to time. You will mostly likely hear it the most when you use a SuperCharger. No need to worry.

 

[Photo_Frank]

I read it online and It does also happen to me from time to time. You will mostly likely hear it the most when you use a SuperCharger. No need to worry.

Thanks again!

 

[sonicP3D]

Oyinko, did you notice any change in loudness of the clunks from your new front drive unit since you had it replaced a year ago? Did you follow up with your service center on this topic?

Wondering if it is a fixed-behavior per drive unit forever, or if it is really things getting looser and looser with repeated high torque launches and it gets louder and louder as time goes by.

 

[srkerd]

I have has this exact clunk almost since I got my P3D couple months over a year ago. I am at 18K miles and it did not change over time. But It doesn’t seem to be as repeatable as it looks from the videos either. I have been to the service center with this complaint and they told me it is normal soon after I got the car.

 

[Oyinko]

Oyinko, did you notice any change in loudness of the clunks from your new front drive unit since you had it replaced a year ago? Did you follow up with your service center on this topic?

Wondering if it is a fixed-behavior per drive unit forever, or if it is really things getting looser and looser with repeated high torque launches and it gets louder and louder as time goes by.

I haven't noticed any change over the last 10'000 miles. I also have a friend at Tesla working on the drive unit that also confirmed that it was within specs.

 

[sonicP3D]

I haven't noticed any change over the last 10'000 miles. I also have a friend at Tesla working on the drive unit that also confirmed that it was within specs.

Do you know what this spec is around? Is it a technical "wiggle" spec amount on the gearing, or is it subjective loudness? What would be considered out of spec?

Just wanted to know so I don't need to waste everyone's time bringing it in to the service center just to be sent away as within specs.

 

[DrDabbles]

Do you know what this spec is around? Is it a technical "wiggle" spec amount on the gearing, or is it subjective loudness? What would be considered out of spec?

Just wanted to know so I don't need to waste everyone's time bringing it in to the service center just to be sent away as within specs.

All gear sets have lash tolerances that are based on several factors. For example: Gear Backlash | KHK Gears

You can likely pick up a second hand copy of Machinery's Handbook, jump to the section of gear cutting, and learn all about it if you want. And you might even find that Tesla's tolerances are wrong from whoever manufactures their gear sets. Then again it's a warrantied part and if it fails you get it replaced for free, so maybe trusting that they know what they're talking about is okay too.

 

[Oyinko]

Interesting enough, a friend of mine got a Model 3 AWD last week and his car doesn't have any clunk sound... despite being technically the same engines.

 

[Firewired]

After getting the TSB for the Nitto rubber valves on the battery clunk is still there, may be my imagination, but seems less noticeable. I have no explanation as how this would correlate with the supposition that it is a motor tolerance issue. That obviously would not make any sense. As an aside I am on my first cold weather trip since the service and I still get the metal clunking which you can both hear and feel in the car while supercharging when it is cold, so rubber plug change did not help with that.

 

[Bonk3rs]

Interesting enough, a friend of mine got a Model 3 AWD last week and his car doesn't have any clunk sound... despite being technically the same engines.

If this was a normal sound, every awd model would have it. That’s not true. And you have the proof there with you friends car.
I had the front motor replaced, with the same sound present. My logic then tels me that the sound is coming from somewhere else. To replace the motor is a dead end.
I’m more convinced the sound is coming from the CVD-joint. Just search on YouTube. Plenty of videos that have the same sound because of that.

 

[Oyinko]

Did you have them investigate this CVD-joint?

 

[Oyinko]

Interesting enough, a friend of mine got a Model 3 AWD last week and his car doesn't have any clunk sound... despite being technically the same engines.

Another friend got a brand new LR Dual Motor today and I immediately checked to see if his car had the clunk sound. To my surprise, the car had it! So I'm not sure what to think about this issue now...

 

[DrDabbles]

We can end this thread. The answer is gear lash. All gears have tolerances built in or they wouldn't mesh properly. You can look this up in the Machinery's Handbook where you learn how to cut gears with the correct specs for the material and application. Problem solved. It's lash.

 

[flynryan]

I didnt read all 4 pages but I had a very similar issue in my rwd. Turned out that the sway bar was loose so whenever power was applied or decreased quickly it would make the noise. Service center figured it out after having the car for a few days.

 

[ElectroFish]

My 3 performance has 360 miles on it and im hearing a clicking /clunking noise at low speed when getting on the accelerator and getting off 2-3 mph no hill needed.. Feels like something is loose upfront and you can feel it. Other than that the car feels stable at high speed and drives perfect.

 

[Dolemite]

I think I have the same thing and it's *barely* perceptible. 2,500 miles. I believe them about it being normal - I lifted up the whole car the other day for the first time & when you rotate the front wheels you can hear the diff clicking inside.

Guess that's the thing about having an EV - since there's no engine noise, you end up hearing everything else.