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Rattle noise coming from front Air Suspension (2017-18)

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#1,262
hroussel said:
Hello. Just wondering if anything was discovered about the noise.

I have a 2017 S75D, with the clunking noise at the front, and I'm considering the Arnotts.
Click to expand...
Hello. the front Arnott struts might have the same issue as the Tesla ones. After 2 months, they started making noises, mainly at low speed ;(
First was the passenger side and then now the driver side. Seems to get worse with freezing temperatures here in Montreal, Canada.
We are still investigating to find a solution, I'll keep you posted...
 
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#1,263
Hey folks, this is going to sound crazy, but have y'all tried removing your Shock Tower Covers?

It's the plastic cover right above the struts, and below the long side plastic mouldings in the frunk area....

1639977708723.png


I had some rattling up front at low speeds that I SWORE was coming from my struts....had them replaced by the service center twice, always came back a few days later....then I removed these plastic covers, and no sound since.

They have to take the pieces out to replace the struts, and they're just clipped in loosely, so I'm curious if they start rattling around after a while.
 
#1,264
Aggmeister2010 said:
Hey folks, this is going to sound crazy, but have y'all tried removing your Shock Tower Covers?

It's the plastic cover right above the struts, and below the long side plastic mouldings in the frunk area....

View attachment 746161

I had some rattling up front at low speeds that I SWORE was coming from my struts....had them replaced by the service center twice, always came back a few days later....then I removed these plastic covers, and no sound since.

They have to take the pieces out to replace the struts, and they're just clipped in loosely, so I'm curious if they start rattling around after a while.
Click to expand...
I removed all the plastic covers on the front but unfortunately, noises are really coming from the suspensions ;(
 
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#1,265
InternetDude said:
Good luck with the strut tower braces, I'm quite sure your noise will return... My rattle came back after a short while, they did a bunch of things (firewall spot welds, strut tower braces, sway bar end links) and said it was the air shock upper mounts again and they wouldn't replace them again. So I replaced the car. My car was $193K+tax and they told me too bad, live with it until there is an updated part. Way to keep your long term customers...
Click to expand...
How was your car possibly $193,000 MSRP? Simply curious.
 
#1,269
Wonder where I land after reading 600+ comments…
The noise on my car is identical to the noise posted on pg 1, but I have a 2012 p85. I installed new air struts and immediately heard the noise, but even after replacing already new tie rods and away links, o can’t find the source of the sound. It simply must be my air struts, but it’ll be a costly or time consuming process to swap back to oem, await warranty parts or simple refund if issue won’t be solved, then order other front struts and so on. Stressful without a certain solution.
 
#1,270
BostonBurley said:
Wonder where I land after reading 600+ comments…
The noise on my car is identical to the noise posted on pg 1, but I have a 2012 p85. I installed new air struts and immediately heard the noise, but even after replacing already new tie rods and away links, o can’t find the source of the sound. It simply must be my air struts, but it’ll be a costly or time consuming process to swap back to oem, await warranty parts or simple refund if issue won’t be solved, then order other front struts and so on. Stressful without a certain solution.
Click to expand...

Have you tried something like a Chassis Ear to see where the noise is the loudest? That's how I was able to find my rattle in my brake pads.


I'd suggest taking all of the plastic trim out of the frunk area, hook up the chassis ear mics, and drive down the same stretch of road listening to each channel to see which one is the loudest.

I know folks like to blame the air struts, but.....there's just not much there that can rattle, man. It's a rubber bag around a standard shock. Is your Torx bolt that holds it to the lower arm tight? Have you tried lifting the car, removing the sway bar end link, releasing air from one of the struts, and shaking it around?
 
#1,271
Aggmeister2010 said:
Have you tried something like a Chassis Ear to see where the noise is the loudest? That's how I was able to find my rattle in my brake pads.


I'd suggest taking all of the plastic trim out of the frunk area, hook up the chassis ear mics, and drive down the same stretch of road listening to each channel to see which one is the loudest.

I know folks like to blame the air struts, but.....there's just not much there that can rattle, man. It's a rubber bag around a standard shock. Is your Torx bolt that holds it to the lower arm tight? Have you tried lifting the car, removing the sway bar end link, releasing air from one of the struts, and shaking it around?
Click to expand...
I did try recording several areas while driving the same patch and using a mic hooked up to a gopro. It always sounded muted and not necessarily further or closer. The 21mm bolt and nut that holds the strut to the lower arm is torque down, the top three studs are torqued down. It takes the weight of the car at low speeds over uneven pavement to produce the sound. I’ve been trying to find it for months.
When I have time I’ll tear into it once more.
 
#1,272
BostonBurley said:
I did try recording several areas while driving the same patch and using a mic hooked up to a gopro. It always sounded muted and not necessarily further or closer. The 21mm bolt and nut that holds the strut to the lower arm is torque down, the top three studs are torqued down. It takes the weight of the car at low speeds over uneven pavement to produce the sound. I’ve been trying to find it for months.
When I have time I’ll tear into it once more.
Click to expand...

If you remove the sway bar end link and depressurize the air strut, you may be able to get enough rapid movement to reproduce the sound - unless it's truly tied to a component being fully loaded.

For example, I had this gnarly rattle that I could hear while driving, but not hear while the air strut was pressurized if I lifted the car off the ground. Once I got the tension off of it, the noise-maker was immediately apparent.

https://imgur.com/4PJMuiq
 
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#1,276
By the way @Aggmeister2010 did you end up fixing that gnarly looseness/rattle that you showed in the video? Apologies, I'm too lazy to try to find the original post.

I actually got my front swaybar end links replaced today (by Unplugged Performance) in an attempt to sort out my super annoying knocking/rattling after seeing a bunch of posts and some videos from dual motor MS owners saying that solved their knocking/rattling problems. No luck for me - super annoying knocking/rattling is still there, and the UP tech inspected other suspension components and couldn't find anything amiss. 😭

I've got a service appointment later this month (April 19th) for the frunk latch and eMMC recalls, but I added an item about the ever-present suspension knocking that I would loooove to get fixed - basically just a check to see if Tesla has a fix yet ugh. (not very hopeful)

I realize that with all that's going on in the world that annoying noises coming from my Tesla is about as first-world-problem as one can get, but with Tesla now making tens of BILLIONS in annual profits I feel a wee bit short changed with my knocking jalopy. (as do many others in this 64-page thread I'm sure) Plus, if I wanted to sell the car I feel like it would be a challenge, as prospective buyers would be all like, "WTF is up with that knocking/rattling sound there, bruh?" I mean, the dashboard rattles and random buzzing and squeaking should be enough, right?

Sorry, I guess I needed to vent a little.

Brian
 
#1,277
bwherry said:
By the way @Aggmeister2010 did you end up fixing that gnarly looseness/rattle that you showed in the video? Apologies, I'm too lazy to try to find the original post.
Click to expand...

Yes I did! In my case, the sound ended up coming from the front brake pads rattling on the pins. When I replaced the pads, I forgot to lubricate the pins and the back of the brake pads, and so they were rattling around over bumps. I finally realized that the sound mostly went away when i touched the brakes over my "sample patch of road."
 
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#1,278
Aggmeister2010 said:
Yes I did! In my case, the sound ended up coming from the front brake pads rattling on the pins. When I replaced the pads, I forgot to lubricate the pins and the back of the brake pads, and so they were rattling around over bumps. I finally realized that the sound mostly went away when i touched the brakes over my "sample patch of road."
Click to expand...

Ahh, got it. Thanks @Aggmeister2010 . I'll have to try lightly touching the brakes the next time I'm going over a particularly "rattly" patch of road surface to see if it makes any difference for me.

So the play in the front lower control arm inner bushing that you demonstrated in the video you shared ^^^ - that's still there (as far as you know)? You just don't hear any rattling and/or it doesn't happen when the air springs are pressurized/car is on the ground/driving? Sorry if I'm being dense, just trying to reconcile the seemingly smoking gun nature of that video with the report of the rattling you were hearing while driving actually being something else (loose brake pads)... Thanks!

Brian
 
#1,280
bwherry said:
Ahh, got it. Thanks @Aggmeister2010 . I'll have to try lightly touching the brakes the next time I'm going over a particularly "rattly" patch of road surface to see if it makes any difference for me.

So the play in the front lower control arm inner bushing that you demonstrated in the video you shared ^^^ - that's still there (as far as you know)? You just don't hear any rattling and/or it doesn't happen when the air springs are pressurized/car is on the ground/driving? Sorry if I'm being dense, just trying to reconcile the seemingly smoking gun nature of that video with the report of the rattling you were hearing while driving actually being something else (loose brake pads)... Thanks!

Brian
Click to expand...

I fixed that noise as well. So, it was a "compound noise" if you will. Two factors. But the bushing itself was fine - essentially, the place that did my alignment just left it a little too loose.

BostonBurley said:
https://imgur.com/a/Lb0qT6V
Click to expand...

Nice sleuthing! That definitely sounds like the culprit. If you're under warranty, that's definitely the video you'll need to show them to get it covered. Maybe you'll even get a whole new steering rack out of it :)
 
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