POLL: Does your Model Y make this humming sound?

[fablau]

I have a LR MY coming next year, I'll have to look for this on the day I take delivery. Hopefully mine won't have this issue.

I had a 2016 Harley Davidson Road Glide which had water cooled heads, and for a few weeks before the water pump blew out on it the pump made a sound very similar to this. It was easy to hear because the pump is external on a motorcycle, I could even hear it over the sound of the engine and exhaust at idle. Harley eventually did a recall to replace the pumps because they were faulty and would fail prematurely, so if this Tesla sound is caused by a water pump then I'd wager its not a good thing for long term reliability.

Thank you for your posting, this is enlightening! And that's exactly what I am afraid of with these noisy water pumps. It is crazy that Tesla is ignoring this problem so much.

 

[Mengy]

Thank you for your posting, this is enlightening! And that's exactly what I am afraid of with these noisy water pumps. It is crazy that Tesla is ignoring this problem so much.

Harley tried to ignore it for a few years too, but the problem was too common. Eventually Harley dealers became so overrun with bikes needing water pump replacements, the service shops ran out of room and they couldn't keep the pumps in stock, and Bosch (who made the pumps) could not make them fast enough. Harley was forced to do a recall, and they completely redesigned the cooling system one year later to use a different pump.

With Tesla it seems like this humming issue is rather uncommon, yet common enough to be troubling. Hopefully Tesla can design it out too.

 

[fablau]

Harley tried to ignore it for a few years too, but the problem was too common. Eventually Harley dealers became so overrun with bikes needing water pump replacements, the service shops ran out of room and they couldn't keep the pumps in stock, and Bosch (who made the pumps) could not make them fast enough. Harley was forced to do a recall, and they completely redesigned the cooling system one year later to use a different pump.

With Tesla it seems like this humming issue is rather uncommon, yet common enough to be troubling. Hopefully Tesla can design it out too.

Nice story! I didn't know about it. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. Yes, that's exactly what we need to push Tesla to do. Another guy on YouTube where I posted my video, said that defective octovalve systems making noises of this kind are pretty common in the automotive industry. I really didn't know that either!

 

[Everlast]

My MYLR is at the service center today. The service advisor said that he had someone with a MY come in last week complaining of the humming sound. He said they listened to three other MYs and they all had the same sound, one of which was louder. He said he will have the techs check mine out and let me know. I told him about the message board and the website with petitions and he said none of that is looked at or considered by Tesla and only officially documented issues by Tesla are taken seriously. He also stated that if the water pumps or super manifold stop working, they will be replaced but likely not just for the noise. I’m fairly certain I’m going to get the standard response of the noise is within spec when I pick up later. I’ll provide an update then.

Got the car back yesterday and the service advisor said they ran a thermal systems test, everything checks out, there are no issues, the sound is normal, and they don’t want to replace anything that there’s not a known issue with.

 

[fablau]

Got the car back yesterday and the service advisor said they ran a thermal systems test, everything checks out, there are no issues, the sound is normal, and they don’t want to replace anything that there’s not a known issue with.

Usual response. Where do you live? Do you have a Tesla owners club near your place? They could help to deal with this issue. In any case, make sure to sign the petition on modelyissue.com

 

[coolpal]

Just wanted to provide an update from my service appointment today.
Unfortunately, as expected, they claimed it was normal. I had them see the video posted by @fablau and yet they say its normal, and after a lengthy argument with the service manager and having him compare to another (recent) model Y, which was slightly better than mine (33 db vs 37 db on my watch), he said he will try but can't guarantee that they will allow him to replace the super manifold as the tests show everything is working as expected. They called me later today to say that they couldn't do anything regarding the pump noise.

I am not sure if any other service center in my area would be any better, as the one I went to was supposed to be the best in the area.

 

[eurcynia]

Yesterday my husband stopped by and spoke to the SA about the sound and they compared it to other Teslas and none made the noise except the LR. Today we did another test drive and I filmed the noise a little more, starting with the decibel reading with my watch in my 2020 Model 3 vs this test drive model (in Nov 2021):

SA said he'd put in a ticket and have his service people look at it, so I'll keep you guys posted. I'm hoping they would do something about it or can share there's a memo about it.

btw: I just let my dog outside and my car has been charging a couple of hours and I can hear that same noise, but the dB is still lower than the LR this morning.

We didn't hear from the SA Wednesday (which is OK since he had two days off) but sadly when we checked in Thursday he said Tesla had shipped out the LR on Tuesday before Service checked it out. We won't have any test drive cars for a few months since we're just a Service Center, which is too bad.

I'm heading out of town next week, so I might stop by a Tesla dealer and see if their test drive models make the sound.

I still put in my order for my 4th Tesla, though. I hope by the time mine delivers (wanted to lock in the price), this will be resolved and not the new standard.

 

[fablau]

Just wanted to provide an update from my service appointment today.
Unfortunately, as expected, they claimed it was normal. I had them see the video posted by @fablau and yet they say its normal, and after a lengthy argument with the service manager and having him compare to another (recent) model Y, which was slightly better than mine (33 db vs 37 db on my watch), he said he will try but can't guarantee that they will allow him to replace the super manifold as the tests show everything is working as expected. They called me later today to say that they couldn't do anything regarding the pump noise.

I am not sure if any other service center in my area would be any better, as the one I went to was supposed to be the best in the area.

I am sorry about that, usual experience indeed. It's amazing how they keep saying that "it's normal" Unless all technicians at the service centers have been hired in the past 3 months, how can they deny that's NOT normal for a Tesla making that damn noise??!! Whoever has ever driven a Tesla knows that it is NOT normal. What about comparing the noise with a Model S or a Model X? Do they have the same problem? I haven't had the chance to compare those models lately to see if the newest cars have also this problem as well.

 

[fablau]

We didn't hear from the SA Wednesday (which is OK since he had two days off) but sadly when we checked in Thursday he said Tesla had shipped out the LR on Tuesday before Service checked it out. We won't have any test drive cars for a few months since we're just a Service Center, which is too bad.

I'm heading out of town next week, so I might stop by a Tesla dealer and see if their test drive models make the sound.

I still put in my order for my 4th Tesla, though. I hope by the time mine delivers (wanted to lock in the price), this will be resolved and not the new standard.

Finger crossed! Please, keep us posted

 

[alidixon]

If you own a Model Y, please, check the following and post your answer below:

1. Make sure your car A/C is off.

2. Close all doors and let your car cool for 5 minutes.

3. Open the door: Do you hear a humming sound coming from the front-right side of the frunk that never stops? Can you also hear it from inside, sounding like a continuous humming sound similar to an airplane or a faraway lawnmower?

If so, please, post below your Model Y year and purchase date. We are trying to understand how many cars are affected by this problem, which may be caused by defective water pumps of the cooling system (octovalve system) or other related components as explained on this thread. You can also look at this video where I explain the problem:

It looks like newer Model Ys are affected by this problem, whereas older models are completely quiet.

If we get enough people reporting this issue, we can potentially open a case with Tesla and have the problem fixed for everybody.

Thanks in advance to everyone!

Exact same problem but it occurs when I turn the heat up. I have a brand new model y long distance. What did it end up being? Tesla clearly needs to fix this issue.

 

[fablau]

Exact same problem but it occurs when I turn the heat up. I have a brand new model y long distance. What did it end up being? Tesla clearly needs to fix this issue.

Does that mean that when the climate control is off, the noise is NOT there? If so, you don't have the same problem we are talking about here. The noise we have is always there, no matter if the climate is on or off. It stops only when you leave the car alone, parked for more than 5-15 minutes.

 

[Falcon73]

Hi All,

I'm finally caught up on this thread to the point I can start contributing. And hi to my neighbor @fablau

I test drove 3 MYLR's before my car was delivered on 11/5. Only one of the 3 test drive cars had the sound. I mentioned it to the SA at that time and she was like, "huh, no one has mentioned it yet..."

The last one I test drove from the Irvine DC didn't have the problem, so I concluded it was a one-off, until I got mine. Yeah, it's there alright. Annoying for sure, but music can usually overcome it. It's our 3rd BEV and none of the others have had this problem (the Bolt was since turned in).

Our other (my wife's Volvo) BEV puts the MY to shame on how quiet it is and I am well aware of the PDA system after fighting with Subaru for months on our PHEV (yes it's been a very busy car year for us!) The PDA system on the Volvo P8 and Tesla MYLR don't bother us.

But yes, the humming noise is there just a few moments after the car wakes up, whether by app or opening the door. I will see about posting a video later with readings from the cool decibel app you turned me onto fablau.

Rn, the car is getting a ceramic coating, but I hope to get her back today. The paint problems she had were disappointing as well, and some were fixed at delivery, but I'm happy for the USB ports. (2021 model year)

 

[fablau]

Hi All,

I'm finally caught up on this thread to the point I can start contributing. And hi to my neighbor @fablau

I test drove 3 MYLR's before my car was delivered on 11/5. Only one of the 3 test drive cars had the sound. I mentioned it to the SA at that time and she was like, "huh, no one has mentioned it yet..."

The last one I test drove from the Irvine DC didn't have the problem, so I concluded it was a one-off, until I got mine. Yeah, it's there alright. Annoying for sure, but music can usually overcome it. It's our 3rd BEV and none of the others have had this problem (the Bolt was since turned in).

Our other (my wife's Volvo) BEV puts the MY to shame on how quiet it is and I am well aware of the PDA system after fighting with Subaru for months on our PHEV (yes it's been a very busy car year for us!) The PDA system on the Volvo P8 and Tesla MYLR don't bother us.

But yes, the humming noise is there just a few moments after the car wakes up, whether by app or opening the door. I will see about posting a video later with readings from the cool decibel app you turned me onto fablau.

Rn, the car is getting a ceramic coating, but I hope to get her back today. The paint problems she had were disappointing as well, and some were fixed at delivery, but I'm happy for the USB ports. (2021 model year)

Thank you for posting your experience, wow, full of information! And we must definitively meet!

I am wondering if you plan to deal with Tesla's service center to tackle the noise. And yes, a video will be great!

Thank you again

 

[Falcon73]

Yes, it's something I seem to enjoy doing. I will be taking it up the ladder.

I forgot to add that when the mobile tech installed my Homelink last week, he laughed the noise off as normal (I wasn't surprised). But then he also laughed off not having the usual rear-cross traffic warnings. He laughed that rear cross traffic alerts were a "Toyota" thing.

I feel that Tesla is trying to be high and mighty like Apple, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't hold them accountable. Also, with the competition really getting hot they shouldn't dismiss us so readily.

Other BEV's that I've test driven, that don't have any noise like this, include the two different eTrons, two ID.4s and a MME. I still have reservations for a MME and a Q4. I didn't like the pricing that VW wanted to sell me on the ID.4 or I may have one, despite it's quite poor buttons and infotainment system.

I tend to be overly detail oriented and critical, but this humming sound simply shouldn't be.

 

[ashwanigupta]

Hi All,

I'm finally caught up on this thread to the point I can start contributing. And hi to my neighbor @fablau

I test drove 3 MYLR's before my car was delivered on 11/5. Only one of the 3 test drive cars had the sound. I mentioned it to the SA at that time and she was like, "huh, no one has mentioned it yet..."

The last one I test drove from the Irvine DC didn't have the problem, so I concluded it was a one-off, until I got mine. Yeah, it's there alright. Annoying for sure, but music can usually overcome it. It's our 3rd BEV and none of the others have had this problem (the Bolt was since turned in).

Our other (my wife's Volvo) BEV puts the MY to shame on how quiet it is and I am well aware of the PDA system after fighting with Subaru for months on our PHEV (yes it's been a very busy car year for us!) The PDA system on the Volvo P8 and Tesla MYLR don't bother us.

But yes, the humming noise is there just a few moments after the car wakes up, whether by app or opening the door. I will see about posting a video later with readings from the cool decibel app you turned me onto fablau.

Rn, the car is getting a ceramic coating, but I hope to get her back today. The paint problems she had were disappointing as well, and some were fixed at delivery, but I'm happy for the USB ports. (2021 model year)

I have some newbee questions on ceramic coating. What is the advantage of ceramic coating? How much does it cost? I bought my model 3 in October. Is it too late to get ceramic coating as it has already caught some dust?

 

[fablau]

Yes, it's something I seem to enjoy doing. I will be taking it up the ladder.

I forgot to add that when the mobile tech installed my Homelink last week, he laughed the noise off as normal (I wasn't surprised). But then he also laughed off not having the usual rear-cross traffic warnings. He laughed that rear cross traffic alerts were a "Toyota" thing.

I feel that Tesla is trying to be high and mighty like Apple, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't hold them accountable. Also, with the competition really getting hot they shouldn't dismiss us so readily.

Other BEV's that I've test driven, that don't have any noise like this, include the two different eTrons, two ID.4s and a MME. I still have reservations for a MME and a Q4. I didn't like the pricing that VW wanted to sell me on the ID.4 or I may have one, despite it's quite poor buttons and infotainment system.

I tend to be overly detail oriented and critical, but this humming sound simply shouldn't be.

Usual Tesla's service behavior. Shameful.

 

[Everlast]

Anytime I go in the garage, I’m reminded of the issue. The sound is there whenever the car is plugged in, which is always.

 

[fablau]

Anytime I go in the garage, I’m reminded of the issue. The sound is there whenever the car is plugged in, which is always.

Does it never stop? Not even after 15-60 minutes you leave the car alone?

 

[Everlast]

Does it never stop? Not even after 15-60 minutes you leave the car alone?

I stand corrected. It does go off if I leave the car alone after some time. Probably within the 15-60 minute time frame you suggested. However, most of the time I’m in and out of the garage, I’m hearing the sound.

 

[fablau]

I stand corrected. It does go off if I leave the car alone after some time. Probably within the 15-60 minute time frame you suggested. However, most of the time I’m in and out of the garage, I’m hearing the sound.

Same issue my friend. So sorry. Have you contacted your Tesla service center about it?