Model S Technical / Mechanical Issues

[znino]

Noticed a new strange sound on the Model S a few days ago. It happens non-stop, even when I shut the car down and close the door. Sound seems to be coming from in front of driver position somewhere in the front and it sounds like a fast rhythmic banging (almost like if someone was in there with a hammer banging on metal). It is not super loud but loud enough that I noticed it. It did not make this noise before. It is so obvious I would have noticed it. Seems to be about 7 bangings per second frequency. I have attached a video (which is really to hear the sound) of what I am hearing. This does not seem to be from the HVAC (OFF) and even if the car has been locked for 30 min, I go and listen from the outside and can hear the banging noise..... Anyone else noticed this?

 

[Lloyd]

Gremlins!

 

[Zapped]

Main battery compressor/cool fan.
I could really hear a lot of compressor / fan sounds when supercharging, coming from the driver's side front wheel well area.

 

[znino]

Main battery compressor/.

If it's this fan then why would I have never heard it before. It's so noticeable it is impossible I never heard it. It seems to be making this noise non stop

 

[Zapped]

Good question. I'm running version 5.x and all fans stop after I shut off the car. This wasn't the case with version 4.
I'm finding that noises come and go especially fan noises. ... cooling fan behind the screen for example ..
There would be an unwelcome battery draw if it never turns off. Might want to check with TESLA.

 

[Bugeater]

Sounds like you have a squirrel in there somewhere. A big one! Or maybe a really big rattlesnake...

 

[mal42north]

Did you had explanations about this curious problem !? Because I don't understand how inverter can do a "humm" noice, getting worse time after time. Maybe it's not really an inverter problem but rather a powertrain/gearbox mechanical problem !?

The inverter can be pumping hundreds of amps of current into the motor, and that amount of current generates significant magnetic fields and therefore (Lorentz) forces in adjacent current carrying conductors. If any of those conductors is even slightly free to move then its likely they will vibrate with the changing currents and create a hum. Usual suspects for this are cables interconnecting components or inductors used to step-up or step-down voltage. When you accelerate the frequency of the drive inverter increases in proportion to your speed. If you have a loose conductor, at some speed you will hit the mechanical resonant frequency of that conductor and the noise will get much louder. My MS60 makes a noise around 35mph, for instance, but much less at other speeds. The noise will tend to get worse over time, because the mechanical vibration of the conductor will tend to loosen it up.

 

[mknox]

I had problems with my UMC not latching into the car, and replacing it resolved the issue.

I'm on my second already, and was starting to suspect the car. I just happened to be driving by the Yorkdale Mall Store today and thought I'd pop in and try their HPWC. It worked like a champ as does my J1772 adapter, so I guess I have another bad UMC.

One thing I did find distressing is how hot the HPWC handle got. I charged at 80 amps for about 2 hours, and when I came out I actually burned my hand a bit on the chrome part of the handle where the button is. I almost couldn't press the release button it was so hot. I pulled it out by holding on to the plastic part which itself was almost unbearably hot. As I wound up the cable, the entire length of the cable was very warm -- I'd call it hot too. I put my hand on the car's charge port and surrounding areas and it wasn't hot at all.

Is it normal for HPWCs to get this hot? I'm wondering if most people don't notice since the car may have finished charging and the connector may have cooled down by the time they come out and disconnect.

 

[yobigd20]

, and the most important of all... CAR HAS NO INVERTER OR MOTOR NOISE!

Do you know if any TSB was applied?

I had mine in for service yesterday in Queens and I had them listen to the sound (very clearly) and they said that this is absolutely normal and that every model S sounds like that when you're punching it. I had a brand new P85 as a loaner and I punched it and sure enough it has the same sound in fact even noticeably louder. According to them there's no issue here with this sound. "Nothing to fix..."

 

[Eggplant]

Are you sure you're not confusing this "loud hum" with the high acceleration "balloon squeal?"

I'm told the squeal is normal. My car does it. I drove a loaner that did it too.

 

[nlc]

The inverter can be pumping hundreds of amps of current into the motor, and that amount of current generates significant magnetic fields and therefore (Lorentz) forces in adjacent current carrying conductors. If any of those conductors is even slightly free to move then its likely they will vibrate with the changing currents and create a hum. Usual suspects for this are cables interconnecting components or inductors used to step-up or step-down voltage

Don't know how they inverter is designed, but I designed some inverters and never had any moving parts. No reason they have moving parts too, thus this can only comes from output conductors to motor. But if it's the case I can't understand why this problem had not be seen (eared !) previously during development phase ?

 

[yobigd20]

The inverter can be pumping hundreds of amps of current into the motor, and that amount of current generates significant magnetic fields and therefore (Lorentz) forces in adjacent current carrying conductors. If any of those conductors is even slightly free to move then its likely they will vibrate with the changing currents and create a hum. Usual suspects for this are cables interconnecting components or inductors used to step-up or step-down voltage. When you accelerate the frequency of the drive inverter increases in proportion to your speed. If you have a loose conductor, at some speed you will hit the mechanical resonant frequency of that conductor and the noise will get much louder.

This is EXACTLY how it was explained to me at the service center , word for word (are you a Tesla service tech?? lol). Even to the point where he walked me over to one of the cars taken apart and even showed me these interconnecting cables where this sound comes from. So he said this is completely normal behavior. And the point this occurs is around that 330kW power (pedal to the metal). No issue to "fix".

 

[yobigd20]

(cross posting from http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...gh-pitched-whine-during-acceleration?p=449492 , sry mods usually I wouldnt do this but I think its important to highlight).

So I quickly opened up my recorded audio file in soundbooth and (for laziness) just made a video recording of it using my camera LOL. I'm sure I could do a higher quality screen cap with original audio, but this is good enough to get my point across.

As you'll see in the video, in the middle of the playback you'll see some horizontal lines in the purplish spectral frequency display. That is the high pitched whine I am talking about, or as I am described as the "balloon leak" sound. I've been told by Tesla that this is a "normal" sound and there is nothing to be fixed....(I tend to disagree, and would think this sound should not occur), so looking for others opinions here in if this is the sound that you guys are talking about too.

- - - Updated - - -

attaching zipped mp3 (higher quality) version of this whine sound that I captured used in the video above.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Yo, Big D! That doesn't sound "normal" at all; that's a pretty bad sounding squealing balloon. I have no such sound at full acceleration in my 60; just a smooth whoosh all the way.

 

[bareyb]

I hope to God that's not "normal". That sounds ridiculous. Does the Balloon sound happen on all models or just the "P"?

 

[Zapped]

Hard acceleration my P makes that sound. No worries.
Heck of a lot better than my ICE revving up and .... turbo lag... not moving.
Must be the extra pppower in the P

 

[cwerdna]

I'd say that given there are increasingly more and more Model S's on the road every day yet we see fewer and fewer posts about major problems here it's a good indication Tesla has worked out the major issues and the car is proving to be extremely reliable.

I agree w/almost all of your statement. The only part where the jury's out (for me) is the part I bolded.

It is a little too bad that this seems to be one of the threads where virtually all the problems go. It would be nice if there were separate ones (moving forward) where the issues were more separated out (e.g. interior, exterior, sunroof, electronics, body hardware, noises, etc.) This isn't necessarily the right set of buckets but something along the lines of the applicable trouble areas listed at Car Reliability FAQ | Answers to Reliability Questions - Consumer Reports is a start. Obviously, many of them don't apply to EVs, but I think you get the idea.

 

[SFOTurtle]

Experienced my first real issues with the car today after more than 9500 miles. This morning the right front door handle extended but would not open. Then when I started the car up, I could not turn the AC off as the pop up screen that controls the AC and fan speeds would not pop up. I did a re-boot when I got to work, and when I got in the car to drive home, I was able to open the pop up screen. About an hour after I parked the car in the garage at home, I heard the radio blasting. When I went out to the car, the radio was at maximum volume and would not turn down but at least I could shut off the sound by muting it. I did another re-boot but that hasn't done anything. Now the control screen is totally non-responsive, and there is a warning that the car needs service.

I haven't tried to drive the car again since returning home this evening, but will try to drive it to the service center about 20 minutes from my house (unless people here think that is a bad idea).

 

[bareyb]

Hard acceleration my P makes that sound. No worries.
Heck of a lot better than my ICE revving up and .... turbo lag... not moving.
Must be the extra pppower in the P

I've seen a ton of videos with the "P" accelerating and I've never heard that sound. If my new one does that I'm gonna be really disappointed... I'm only going off the recording, but I'd be embarrassed. It's pretty hard be a bad ass when your car sounds like my Grandmother farting. Surely there's a fix as I know damn well not every "P" car does that.

 

[Eberhard]

I have a problem with the panorama roof. There is a tongue in front of the glasroof, which slides underneath the rubber sealing of the car-roof. But the tongue sucked the rubber sealing down until finally the tongue slides now obove the rubber sealing when cloesed. now i have heavy wind noises and fear the roof to leak wen it starts raining.