P3D+ Sheet metal pop sound

[ElectricGhost]

P3D- Vin 56095. I have had this several times. It also happened during elevation changes driving to lake Tahoe on a trip this summer.

 

[Bighorn]

P3D- Vin 56095. I have had this several times. It also happened during elevation changes driving to lake Tahoe on a trip this summer.

Sticking with a hypothesis, the battery gets hotter when ascending or may cool on descent.

 

[mongo]

Sticking with a hypothesis, the battery gets hotter when ascending or may cool on descent.

Or the vent pressure differential coupled with the air pressure change causes a ballooning effect. (lots of surface area for a small pressure delta to act on)

 

[Bighorn]

It would be nice to know if it’s a sealed system.

 

[scottm]

If you're an HVAC kinda guy, you might take a ball-peen hammer and whack the sheet metal that is doing the thermal oil-canning.

Putting a nice little well defined ding in a slab of sheet metal could be just the ticket for model 3 floorboard.

Anybody know if it's metal cover of the battery pack or the sheet metal floor of the model 3 making the sound? Or are these the same thing in model 3.. ?

 

[ChrisH]

I’m fairly certain I heard this noise the first and only time I’ve used a supercharger. Took delivery of my LR RWD in late August. VIN 490xx

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

I got my car less than 24 hours ago, and first heard it while it was charging. I park it and my S in my garage office. So I work a few feet away from the cars (the positive of an EV, no stinky car). It scared the sugar out of me. I thought someone had run into the side of the garage door. Then I remember reading this thread prior to delivery and wondered what the odds were in getting one of these. For me, 100%.

It's popped several times since, both plugged in and unplugged.

I took a 20 mile or so drive and was just sitting in the parked car finishing up a call when BAM! It felt like the car got rear ended. This and the key thing is not what I expected from a $70K+ car (I thought the FOB was going to be the answer).

I fear my wife will hate the key situation and get locked out often. She's a Landscape Architect and has a big bag. She normally throws her phone and key fob for the S in it and puts it behind the passenger seat. She'll get to a destination, exit, close her door, walk around the the other side and get her bag out from the back door, even if the handles have closed, they always reopen because of the fob. I'm guessing that is the exact recipe to get locked of a 3 with her phone inside and no way to call someone to remotely unlock it.

It doesn't help that she saw me sit in it, press the transmission stalk repeatedly, then reach for my wallet and the card to get going this morning. The look she gave me was incredulous.

I've waited since day one for it, but I may return it day two.

I'm going to take another drive and see what happens.

 

[TheWalkingDad]

I have an AWD, vin 117XXX, have had it for about a month and heard it thump a couple of times while driving and supercharging. My Prius made similar noises under the hood when waking up before driving it.

my LR RWD does this too. I notice it more when parked. i hear a loud clunk the rear bottom and sometimes on the front bottom. I thought it’s just the cooling system valves or something? should I at least call my DA to document it? i’m on the 3rd day of ownership. everything drives ok.

 

[ChrisH]

I got my car less than 24 hours ago, and first heard it while it was charging. I park it and my S in my garage office. So I work a few feet away from the cars (the positive of an EV, no stinky car). It scared the sugar out of me. I thought someone had run into the side of the garage door. Then I remember reading this thread prior to delivery and wondered what the odds were in getting one of these. For me, 100%.

It's popped several times since, both plugged in and unplugged.

I took a 20 mile or so drive and was just sitting in the parked car finishing up a call when BAM! It felt like the car got rear ended. This and the key thing is not what I expected from a $70K+ car (I thought the FOB was going to be the answer).

I fear my wife will hate the key situation and get locked out often. She's a Landscape Architect and has a big bag. She normally throws her phone and key fob for the S in it and puts it behind the passenger seat. She'll get to a destination, exit, close her door, walk around the the other side and get her bag out from the back door, even if the handles have closed, they always reopen because of the fob. I'm guessing that is the exact recipe to get locked of a 3 with her phone inside and no way to call someone to remotely unlock it.

It doesn't help that she saw me sit in it, press the transmission stalk repeatedly, then reach for my wallet and the card to get going this morning. The look she gave me was incredulous.

I've waited since day one for it, but I may return it day two.

I'm going to take another drive and see what happens.

If you haven’t already, try to keep the Tesla app open. That should help the phone key work regularly. Also, the 3 shouldn’t lock just by walking around it unless you have your phone with you.

 

[Jaywlker]

P3d+ 74,xxx happens everytime I supercharge and its been cold <50F all the times I have...I've supercharged like 5 times so far with 4k miles. Sounds like like it's coming from the rear floor area

It could be a large electrical relay.

 

[Jaywlker]

Interesting that this happened when supercharging. If it was a sheet metal buckling I would expect sounds like these to happen as the chassis flexes. Though its still possible that the sheet metal is sprung and stays that way during driving, but pops as it relaxes.

The fact that it happens while stopped pretty much eliminates the sound coming from anything rolling around loose and banging into something. I guess its possible it could be related to the battery cooling system, since that is certainly active while supercharging.

Also possible its something else entirely. You mention it happens at random times, does it happen more while cruising, driving hard, cornering, accelerating, speedbumps/uneven surfaces or braking?

It could be an electrical relay.

 

[Vines]

It could be an electrical relay.

If you have heard it and listened to the recording posted above its clearly not a large relay. The sharp snap of a relay is not similar.

 

[lswall46]

VIN 86xxx. Hear the noise both supercharging and driving.

 

[lswall46]

VIN 86xxx. Hear the noise both supercharging and driving.

I want to add some more comments. Yesterday I had the Mobile Ranger out to fix a minor problem on our Model S. I took the opportunity to query him about people reporting this noise. He knew about it and said the service center was dealing with it. It appeared the 'solution' was a layer of some damping material. I had been reluctant to take it in to the SC because of the unpredictable/random occurrences while driving. Today was my first supercharging ot the Model 3 and I got it to 'thump' more than a dozen times while charging. I plan to make an appt with the SC soon. BTW this M3 is non-P, AWD.

 

[donalah]

heard / felt it for the third time. P3D+ VIN55xxx. all 3 times occurred while driving, this last time was softer - I took note of the conditions:
turning left and going up a steep hill (there are a lot where I live), less than 20 miles per hour, heat and rear defog were on (I have been frugal with using heat but my family was in the car), had already driven probably about 11 miles including some freeway driving but was residential driving for a couple of minutes already. Odometer was at 11996. It wasn't as loud as before and felt like an aluminum can side popping under my left foot.

I can buy into the idea that it is metal shifting (kind of sounded like it). I just wonder what it is that causes this to happen while driving.

 

[waywardwit]

I hear this "clunk" noise consistently when supercharging. I had just assumed it was normal. VIN is 114xxx. I'm taking it to the service center tomorrow for some other work - will mention this when I'm there.

 

[waywardwit]

Apparnetly I can't edit the last comment? Anyway - I have a non-performance AWD long range model.

 

[TigaFF]

Same problem. P3D delivered August 2018. VIN 63,XXX. Clunk when changing elevation and once supercharging. Currently at the service center for a dead center screen likely unrelated

 

[Vince3]

33138 - RWD august

Heard it once in near freezing temp within first 10 minutes of supercharging on a cold almost empty battery. I assumed the battery was warming up and caused some sheet metal to expand.

 

[Vines]

Just heard this today myself. Was barely noticeable since I had the radio on loudly, but I felt it through my feet for sure. It did get colder this week and the sound happened when changing elevations.