Hmm. I've heard the cooling pumps spin up every time the contactors close, but they usually spin down to idle if not needed for passive cooling. Also, simply waking the car from the mobile app will not close the contactors unless the 12 V has dropped below a trigger voltage.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Refreshed Model S: constant buzzing noise?
- Thread starter SteveW25561
- Start date
Hmm. I've heard the cooling pumps spin up every time the contactors close, but they usually spin down to idle if not needed for passive cooling. Also, simply waking the car from the mobile app will not close the contactors unless the 12 V has dropped below a trigger voltage.
hacer
Active Member
Mine's been doing this too, since I got it in June, except, mine is coming from passenger side (USA so same left-hand drive as canada). It sounds the same as your recording. I posted about it on Tesla's forums here Noise near right headlight while parked | Tesla Motors back in June. At that time nobody seemed to know what it was.
My theory was always that it was the DC/DC converter itself making the sound. Ingineer's idea also seems plausible, but why run the glycol pump without running the fan when parked? Anyway it definitely hasn't contributed to vampire drain or had any other ill effects in the 3 months I've had it.
STbreaker
Member
I've also occasionally walked in on my car doing this. It seemed to happen more during the summer than it does now. After an email to my DS and various thread reading I settled on "it's a normal part of the battery management system."
I do think Tesla can do a little better job of explaining "what to expect with your new Tesla." Basically when you're not driving the car is in "sleep mode" and still actively managing stuff. If you've never had an EV, then you're probably expecting your car not to do anything when you're not in/around it aside from pulling electricity from the wall at the scheduled time. It's not hard for them to add in a few minute segment about things your car might do that you otherwise wouldn't know about/might startle you.
Case in point: When driving home from picking up the car, I stopped at a supercharger (I live like 2.5 hours from the service center) and there was another car parked there charging. I stepped out of my car and heard this really loud fan/blowing noise. At first I thought it was coming from behind the transformer enclosure, but I realized that it was actually coming from the car. I had never been close to a Tesla actively supercharging so I had no idea that there are fans that kick in, though I know it makes sense that supercharging gets pretty hot. The owner (obviously unfazed by said noise) walked up and asked me about my literally brand new refresh S. At that point I realized that while I knew how to charge the car, I had no idea what to expect when supercharging (or even home charging) my car.
I do think Tesla can do a little better job of explaining "what to expect with your new Tesla." Basically when you're not driving the car is in "sleep mode" and still actively managing stuff. If you've never had an EV, then you're probably expecting your car not to do anything when you're not in/around it aside from pulling electricity from the wall at the scheduled time. It's not hard for them to add in a few minute segment about things your car might do that you otherwise wouldn't know about/might startle you.
Case in point: When driving home from picking up the car, I stopped at a supercharger (I live like 2.5 hours from the service center) and there was another car parked there charging. I stepped out of my car and heard this really loud fan/blowing noise. At first I thought it was coming from behind the transformer enclosure, but I realized that it was actually coming from the car. I had never been close to a Tesla actively supercharging so I had no idea that there are fans that kick in, though I know it makes sense that supercharging gets pretty hot. The owner (obviously unfazed by said noise) walked up and asked me about my literally brand new refresh S. At that point I realized that while I knew how to charge the car, I had no idea what to expect when supercharging (or even home charging) my car.
Camera-Cruiser
Fully Charged
You Sir, should really be paid by the post! Always informative.
Question, based on what this is, and the other things that makes the noises in our respective Tesla's, what could they do in terms of specifying components to lessen or eliminate these noises?
The owner may have been running the A/C on high while supercharging. We stopped at the Woodburn supercharger on our way back from picking up a kitten. We needed to get some take out and my SO was very concerned the cat would suffer. I turned on the A/C, but she wasn't happy until it was going full blast. From outside the car the A/C fan at 11 makes a lot of noise.
Kind of ironic the A/C is louder than the car.
I've heard the noise of the pumps on the right side of the car too. I've never heard any noises like the OP reported on the left.
I've now got the same issue and it is coming from a replaced left headlight unit (refreshed)... They pulled data this afternoon and are still diagnosing
hybridbear
Active Member
I've heard this same noise. I heard it every time I was near the car when we were on Vancouver Island during our road trip. I have only noticed it a couple times since returning home to MN. I figured it sounded like a cooling pump, but I did wonder why the cooling pump would run with the car off & unplugged. My Focus Electric cooling pump for the HVB would make a very similar noise, but that pump would only run when the car was plugged in or turned on.
Any update from Tesla to figure this out?
I've not yet heard from my local service center: they were pulling logs remotely but not sure if anything's been found yet.
Hi guys.
I just got mine yesterday, and only started hearing that buzzing tonight. It was intermittent at first but has been uninterrupted for the past 7 hours! Worrisome. I took a quick video as well, identical sounds to OP: Dropbox - 20160921_235220.mp4
I've contacted my SC and waiting for an update, will keep you posted!
I just got mine yesterday, and only started hearing that buzzing tonight. It was intermittent at first but has been uninterrupted for the past 7 hours! Worrisome. I took a quick video as well, identical sounds to OP: Dropbox - 20160921_235220.mp4
I've contacted my SC and waiting for an update, will keep you posted!
I'm still having the constant buzzing noise and I'm waiting to see what my local center will do. They did pull my logs and said the cooling system is working properly.
I checked after reading some of the posts here: I also now think it's actually coming from the headlight. In fact, both buzz now, but the driver's side one is very much louder than the passenger side light.
I took my stethoscope and it's quite clearly coming from the headlight, loudest at the upper lateral corner of each light. Lower pitched on the driver's side, higher pitched and quieter on the passenger side. I'm trying to figure out a way to record audio from my stethoscope to share, but I'm pretty sure it is indeed the lights.
In fact, if yours is buzzing, you might be able to actually feel the vibrations on the headlight. Try it and report back...
I checked after reading some of the posts here: I also now think it's actually coming from the headlight. In fact, both buzz now, but the driver's side one is very much louder than the passenger side light.
I took my stethoscope and it's quite clearly coming from the headlight, loudest at the upper lateral corner of each light. Lower pitched on the driver's side, higher pitched and quieter on the passenger side. I'm trying to figure out a way to record audio from my stethoscope to share, but I'm pretty sure it is indeed the lights.
In fact, if yours is buzzing, you might be able to actually feel the vibrations on the headlight. Try it and report back...
Yep, mine is the headlight. The one that was replaced (due to drl LED burned out) is the louder of the two. They pulled my data and ive not heard from the SC.
Yes, my experience is limited so far with refresh cars. I haven't experienced the hadlight noise on the few I've worked on so far. The cooling system is more hum than buzz, and it starts off loud and quiets down to barely audible. It most definitely is always on whenever the contactors close. It doesn't need the fans to run because the slight amount of heat rpoduced by the DC-DC is easily dissipated passively through the radiator by convection, and sometimes depending on ambient and pack temps, they dump waste heat into the packto warm it up.
I also haven't taken apart the new headlights, but inside the pre-refrsh HID system, there is only one actuator on US cars, and 2 on some EU spec cars (for automatic levelling). The first actuator is used to activate low/high beam shutter and is only energized when the high beams are selected.
I can't imagine what is going on in the refresh LED headlights, and why it would even be powered when the car is off. I know they've had some "issues" with the X lights. Visteon was the supplier for all the lights on the S, but I'm not sure if they are still using them on the refresh, they might have taken it in-house.
I also haven't taken apart the new headlights, but inside the pre-refrsh HID system, there is only one actuator on US cars, and 2 on some EU spec cars (for automatic levelling). The first actuator is used to activate low/high beam shutter and is only energized when the high beams are selected.
I can't imagine what is going on in the refresh LED headlights, and why it would even be powered when the car is off. I know they've had some "issues" with the X lights. Visteon was the supplier for all the lights on the S, but I'm not sure if they are still using them on the refresh, they might have taken it in-house.
I have seen glows from the headlight housing when the car was in the garage. Sometimes it's making noise, sometimes it isn't. The first time I saw it was only the right headlight, the other day it was both. The light looks like it's coming from behind the headlight and I can only see it when the garage is completely dark.
hybridbear
Active Member
There have been issues with the new lights on the refreshed cars & LEDs going dark.
DRL: Now you have it, now you don't...
DRL: Now you have it, now you don't...
I bought 60D in end of August. I had this problem over past 4-5 days. Car was in my garage and weather here in NJ was decent (between 62-74F) - so it was not hot weather triggered air-conditioning for battery. Yet car was making constant buzzing sound near driver side headlamp (not much in the wheel well as someone said on this topic). I toggled off smart preconditioning, but it did not help. Buzzing was nonstop. Sound came only from left side.
Like steveW25561, I took the video and sent it to Springfield Service Center. The service guy came back within half an hour with this response....."Our tech reviewed your video and it looks like we are going to have to replace the head light. I will put in a parts order and once we receive the part we can schedule an appointment to replace the head light." Amazing service ! Hope this solves the problem.
Like steveW25561, I took the video and sent it to Springfield Service Center. The service guy came back within half an hour with this response....."Our tech reviewed your video and it looks like we are going to have to replace the head light. I will put in a parts order and once we receive the part we can schedule an appointment to replace the head light." Amazing service ! Hope this solves the problem.
