Something rolling around....

[msb175]

Just picked up my M3P 22 Sept. Enjoying every minute of it and even wished my commute was longer.

One head scratcher though, when i accelerate or slowdown harder than normal, i hear something rolling around on the drivers side. not sure if it's in the front or back door or along the lower side sill. Almost sounds like there's a marble or rock in the side door cubbies rolling around...but nothing there. No sound during normal acceleration/slowing down.

Anyone experience the same or have ideas?

EDIT: i see a couple threads with no real solution other than fossilized food or kids stuff. I have had no kids or food in the car. And I started hearing this marble rolling sound on my way home from delivery.

 

[lowtek]

Just picked up my M3P 22 Sept. Enjoying every minute of it and even wished my commute was longer.

One head scratcher though, when i accelerate or slowdown harder than normal, i hear something rolling around on the drivers side. not sure if it's in the front or back door or along the lower side sill. Almost sounds like there's a marble or rock in the side door cubbies rolling around...but nothing there. No sound during normal acceleration/slowing down.

Anyone experience the same or have ideas?

EDIT: i see a couple threads with no real solution other than fossilized food or kids stuff. I have had no kids or food in the car. And I started hearing this marble rolling sound on my way home from delivery.

Same exact thing! Just picked up mine last weekend. Sound just like you’re describing, front left dash, only when accelerating, like a bb rolling around.

 

[jakieemma]

Same exact thing! Just picked up mine last weekend. Sound just like you’re describing, front left dash, only when accelerating, like a bb rolling around.

When I picked up my M3 I had a similar noise in the rear of the car. Sounded like metal plates riding a rail. I had some after market work done a couple days after delivery. The shop manager said he also heard the noise while moving the car. He explained he had to remove a section of the car while putting on the rear tint. He found a nut that was rolling around in the exposed area. There was no screw missing a nut so possibly an extra piece left behind during the assembly of the car. The noise was gone and I was happy.

 

[Parsa5]

I'm having this issue as of two days ago on a Sept 19th delivery.

 

[datoda]

Just picked up my M3P 22 Sept. Enjoying every minute of it and even wished my commute was longer.

One head scratcher though, when i accelerate or slowdown harder than normal, i hear something rolling around on the drivers side. not sure if it's in the front or back door or along the lower side sill. Almost sounds like there's a marble or rock in the side door cubbies rolling around...but nothing there. No sound during normal acceleration/slowing down.

Anyone experience the same or have ideas?

EDIT: i see a couple threads with no real solution other than fossilized food or kids stuff. I have had no kids or food in the car. And I started hearing this marble rolling sound on my way home from delivery.

The sound of wayward current?

 

[datoda]

He found a nut that was rolling around in the exposed area.

I thought some Tesla assembler was snacking on the job when I first read this.

 

[msb175]

i may have found the culprit. i was washing the car today and every time i took my microfiber cloth along the bottom edge of both the drivers side AND passenger side lower sills, it would get caught on something. So i look underneath and the black trim is all busted up. looks like from loading and unloading during delivery. driver side is so bad the black plastic is split. The rolling sound must be a trim piece or tab that snapped off and is rolling around in the black trim.

of course i made a service appt, but 13 oct is the earliest. i made note this is day 4 and would like it covered.

 

[AxlxA]

i may have found the culprit. i was washing the car today and every time i took my microfiber cloth along the bottom edge of both the drivers side AND passenger side lower sills, it would get caught on something. So i look underneath and the black trim is all busted up. looks like from loading and unloading during delivery. driver side is so bad the black plastic is split. The rolling sound must be a trim piece or tab that snapped off and is rolling around in the black trim.

of course i made a service appt, but 13 oct is the earliest. i made note this is day 4 and would like it covered.

Woah that's big! let us know if Tesla Service is gonna try to deny you warranty. They'll blame you some how for "modding."

 

[LionXng]

Holy Moly! I would strongly consider returning that.

 

[msb175]

Holy Moly! I would strongly consider returning that.

Is it worth returning? Looking at it, it appears the plastic trim (unpainted) is the parts thats messed up. There doesn't seem to be any other damage on the underside of the vehicle.

I am thinking of calling the SC tomorrow to verbally convey this issue and see what my options are.

 

[LionXng]

Is it worth returning? Looking at it, it appears the plastic trim (unpainted) is the parts thats messed up. There doesn't seem to be any other damage on the underside of the vehicle.

I am thinking of calling the SC tomorrow to verbally convey this issue and see what my options are.

I'm not sure... so yes! I can't tell where that is exactly but generally speaking I know the battery is down there and they make special jack pads and give lots of warnings not to lift it anywhere but on those special spots or else you could mess with your most expensive part; the battery.

What did that damage to that plastic? It wasn't an errant rock or a bump in the road. Was your battery damaged too? Would you believe Tesla if they said no? I would be constantly worried for the life of the car and October 13th is wayyyyyy too far outside of the return window to wait to find out IMO.

 

[SwedishJam]

Just picked up my M3P 22 Sept. Enjoying every minute of it and even wished my commute was longer.

One head scratcher though, when i accelerate or slowdown harder than normal, i hear something rolling around on the drivers side. not sure if it's in the front or back door or along the lower side sill. Almost sounds like there's a marble or rock in the side door cubbies rolling around...but nothing there. No sound during normal acceleration/slowing down.

Anyone experience the same or have ideas?

EDIT: i see a couple threads with no real solution other than fossilized food or kids stuff. I have had no kids or food in the car. And I started hearing this marble rolling sound on my way home from delivery.

I just had this problem with my MY. I did not secure a vase of marbles enough, and it tipped over and some marbles went everywhere. One of them made its way into the vent under the drivers seat. Whenever the car drove, it rolled everywhere like crazy, just awful. I tried backing out of the driveway and braking to get it to come out, nothing worked. Made a service appointment and had to pay $210 for diagnostic fee do to "outside circumstances", it took them 3 hours to find it and remove it. They had to unbolt and remove the entire drivers seat. The staff at the service center were very sympathetic, and said if they could do it for free they would but had to charge the diagnostic fee because of the labor of removing the drivers seat. They said that they have seen that commonly. So upset. I just ordered some grill vent covers from Amazon, hopefully it helps to prevent this from happening again! I have kids, and it's not even their faults lol. Most expensive marble ever, and I didn't even want this vase thing, I was coerced into taking it but ultimately I have to take responsibility for it.

 

[Rmchrger]

I just dealt with something very similar the other day. I temporary set my fluke meter on the front passenger side floor after a side job. The red probe was not attached to the cable. I noticed it was missing the same time I heard something sliding or "rolling" back and forth when I turned sharp or a hard corner. Left, then right, back and forth. I unbooted the drivers seat when I heard it under the drivers side. Directly under the slit it the carpet there is an empty channel that goes from one side of the car to the other. The probe had fallen into this area. I heard reports of change and other little items falling in there. Anything can fall into this area under openings under both seats. I cut some foam pieces and stuffed them in the void on both sides under the carpet to prevent anything else from accidentally falling in these areas again. Be careful of the seat harness when lifting up, I just had to tip both seats back to access the area on both sides. Then retrieved my probe and installed the foam. Here is a pick of the fluke probe sitting there before I took it out and installed the foam. AND, gave me a chance to vacuum under both seats...lol. Hope this can help someone else.

 

[xG8Rx]

Just picked up my M3P 22 Sept. Enjoying every minute of it and even wished my commute was longer.

One head scratcher though, when i accelerate or slowdown harder than normal, i hear something rolling around on the drivers side. not sure if it's in the front or back door or along the lower side sill. Almost sounds like there's a marble or rock in the side door cubbies rolling around...but nothing there. No sound during normal acceleration/slowing down.

Anyone experience the same or have ideas?

EDIT: i see a couple threads with no real solution other than fossilized food or kids stuff. I have had no kids or food in the car. And I started hearing this marble rolling sound on my way home from delivery.

Had the same noise on passenger side door. Pulled the door panel to find a speaker bolt sliding around

 

[bo3bdar]

Had the same noise on passenger side door. Pulled the door panel to find a speaker bolt sliding around

Interesting. I've got the same problem on my driver door. Something like a bolt or washer that slides on heavy braking or go-pedal. Thanks for the note.

Been thinking I need to get a service check, but not sure it's valid since I've had it since I got the car and didn't report it. Was not important enough during c-19. If they are going to charge me, I'll just dismantle the door myself.

 

[oghowie]

I just dealt with something very similar the other day. I temporary set my fluke meter on the front passenger side floor after a side job. The red probe was not attached to the cable. I noticed it was missing the same time I heard something sliding or "rolling" back and forth when I turned sharp or a hard corner. Left, then right, back and forth. I unbooted the drivers seat when I heard it under the drivers side. Directly under the slit it the carpet there is an empty channel that goes from one side of the car to the other. The probe had fallen into this area. I heard reports of change and other little items falling in there. Anything can fall into this area under openings under both seats. I cut some foam pieces and stuffed them in the void on both sides under the carpet to prevent anything else from accidentally falling in these areas again. Be careful of the seat harness when lifting up, I just had to tip both seats back to access the area on both sides. Then retrieved my probe and installed the foam. Here is a pick of the fluke probe sitting there before I took it out and installed the foam. AND, gave me a chance to vacuum under both seats...lol. Hope this can help someone else.
View attachment 669761

Do you have more pictures of this? I also have some sliding noise under my driver's seat that sounds like a loose bolt.

 

[Rmchrger]

I do not, sorry. If you unbolt the seat and tip it back you will see the seam in the carpet and the gap/channel right below it. Don't tip the seat to far or you can damage the plug (unless you unplug it of course) that picture it from the front looking back with the seat tipped back.

 

[Rmchrger]

I did find this picture online. I marked the areas where the front and rear carpets meet right above the channel. Good luck

 

[CarvingCanyons]

I also experienced this rolling noise when turning, and I found & solved the issue.

It's likely something slipped between the carpet seam underneath the front seats which is where the front and back carpets meet. It's easy to see why, as it's a wide gap and obvious design flaw. Some simple overlapping Velcro would have sufficed, similar to what's under the floor mats.

To find the object causing the noise, move both seats all the way forward, and then all the way up. This will leave enough room to see and pull back the carpets, which are next to air vents. Once you pull them back, take a telescoping wand (preferably magnetic, in case it's a screw/ball-bearing) and start probing things. Eventually I found this nickel which was behind the wiring harness, rolling upright against the aluminum frame. If you need to move the wiring harness to access the object, there are simple black clips stuck in the aluminum frame which you can carefully pull back and re-insert when done.

The sound drove me nuts, and I hope this post helps future Model 3 owners resolve their mystery sliding/rolling noises under their seats.

 

[XPsionic]

To find the object causing the noise, move both seats all the way forward, and then all the way up.

Great tip, but word of caution, watch where the headrest goes, otherwise you could crack the sunroof glass by accident.