Rattle from bumper? Check your noisemaker!

[gaspimp]

I just picked up a new production September 2019 Model 3 with the pedestrian noisemaker speaker. It had a weird rattle coming from the front bumper, which I planned to get inspected by Tesla.

Today I went to disable the noisemaker because it is obnoxiously loud. Turns out the two screws holding it down were very loose, to the point where I could lift the speaker up and down by 1/2” if not more. This was most certainly responsible for the rattle. I tightened down the screws, and unplugged it.

If you need to access yours, turn your wheels all the way to the left, and then pop out the 3 push-pins on the passenger’s side wheel well liner. The speaker is right there. The only tool you’ll need for disconnecting is a flat head screwdriver. For tightening, you’ll need a really short torx driver or perhaps a right angle drive adapter and a torx bit.

 

[WilliamG]

There’s been some concern among some users about unplugging that speaker. If you hit someone at low speed and they said they never heard the car coming, well... if your car is equipped with that safety feature and you disabled it - it may not look good.

Good info about the screws!

 

[Dan203]

Because there are versions of this car that don’t have it and some that do I think it'll be difficult to prove any sort of negligence if you were to hit someone. They would be unlikely to know that the car was even suppose to make a noise. Now once this becomes common place, especially for cars that always have it like the Y, then it could become an issue.

 

[ecarfan]

I tightened down the screws, and unplugged it.

I would never recommend taking such drastic action, no matter how much that noise annoyed me. Hmm...you say to access it you turn the wheels all the way to the left, detach part of the wheel liner on the passenger side, and use a screwdriver? Hmm...

 

[gaspimp]

Not looking for lectures from people. If this was a real issue, they'd recall my other model 3 without the noisemaker and every other EV sold in the past for that matter.

That video confirms my screw issue btw. At the angle he shows the noisemaker, my screws were visible whereas his are recessed properly.

 

[Akikiki]

The sounds an EV will make couldn't be louder than a city bus. It's ridiculously ironic how there's this concern about EV's creeping up on people in parking lots, yet these same people step off the curb in front of a city bus and we uncurl their fingers from their smartphone that consumed their attention with free Netflix.

 

[mswlogo]

There’s been some concern among some users about unplugging that speaker. If you hit someone at low speed and they said they never heard the car coming, well... if your car is equipped with that safety feature and you disabled it - it may not look good.

Good info about the screws!

Plug it into a wall outlet (to blow it out) and hook it back up

It's not your fault if it was blown. And it's not part of inspection or anything that your responsible for it to be maintained (yet).

 

[ngogas]

That’s an awful annoying sound.

 

[ord3r]

No LEO is going to give a care if you disable that speaker. Just don't run over pedestrians, pretty easy to not do.

 

[Dan203]

Does anyone know exactly what type/size of connector that is? Just wondering if I can buy a cap rather than relying on tape/balloon method.

 

[golfleep]

Does anyone know exactly what type/size of connector that is? Just wondering if I can buy a cap rather than relying on tape/balloon method.

After taking pics of the connectors, I found them available individually at Mouser:

Male connector:
1-1718643-1 TE Connectivity | Mouser

Female connector:
1-1703498-1 TE Connectivity | Mouser

I bought a few of each since shipping's the most expensive part anyways of ordering small numbers of parts like this. I plan to use each connector to plug the corresponding side on the harness and speaker. I don't think they'll get wet where they are located, but dust/dirt will definitely get into any exposed connectors in that location.

 

[Bill Foster]

Because there are versions of this car that don’t have it and some that do I think it'll be difficult to prove any sort of negligence if you were to hit someone. They would be unlikely to know that the car was even suppose to make a noise. Now once this becomes common place, especially for cars that always have it like the Y, then it could become an issue.

Not if you unplugged it

 

[Dan203]

After taking pics of the connectors, I found them available individually at Mouser:

Male connector:
1-1718643-1 TE Connectivity | Mouser

Female connector:
1-1703498-1 TE Connectivity | Mouser

I bought a few of each since shipping's the most expensive part anyways of ordering small numbers of parts like this. I plan to use each connector to plug the corresponding side on the harness and speaker. I don't think they'll get wet where they are located, but dust/dirt will definitely get into any exposed connectors in that location.

if you glue (or melt) them butt to butt then you can create a locking spacer that will hold the connector where it should be but not allow the electrical connection.

 

[Dan203]

Not if you unplugged it

Unless they take your car apart and look how would they know?

 

[Akikiki]

PSA. If you are trying to find a connector source part number on a Tesla, squint and check both sides of the connector. Often a part number is on the connector that will cross reference on Mouser or DigiKey or others.

 

[Electrph]

After taking pics of the connectors, I found them available individually at Mouser:

Male connector:
1-1718643-1 TE Connectivity | Mouser

Female connector:
1-1703498-1 TE Connectivity | Mouser

I bought a few of each since shipping's the most expensive part anyways of ordering small numbers of parts like this. I plan to use each connector to plug the corresponding side on the harness and speaker. I don't think they'll get wet where they are located, but dust/dirt will definitely get into any exposed connectors in that location.

Did u receive these yet .. if they do fit both the male and female i and likely others would buy any extras u have off u to avoid more shipping charges .. i’m sure could be sent 1st class super cheap

 

[drdumont]

No LEO is going to give a care if you disable that speaker. Just don't run over pedestrians, pretty easy to not do.

LEOs won't give a damn. Hit someone who says he didn't hear you and his lawyer will make an issue of it.

 

[drdumont]

Unless they take your car apart and look how would they know?

You have a point. But once a lawyer is involved...

 

[Akikiki]

And the paper trail here where someone boasted of disabling the speaker instead of keeping their own mouth shut.
Does this mean that their millions of retroactive lawsuits awaiting for a lawyer or two with the angle that their client should have heard the bus or car that ran over them and suing because they didn't?