Under-floor rattle when turning right?

[vitesse]

I love our Model S but we've had a rather challenging month; I had a puncture, the windscreen got hit by a stone and cracked and our home charge wall point, after working faultlessly for a month, has started to play up again.

Perhaps the most worrying thing is a hard metallic rattle that can occasionally be heard from under the direction of the front left seat and usually only when turning with a fair bit of lock over a bumpy turn - to the right.

I think this has been discussed by other owners although with mixed outcomes - often Tesla tightening things up but not curing the problem.

The car will have to go to Tesla once our replacement screen is fitted a couple days from now so the camera can be checked and, if necessary, calibrated. So I will ask them to check the suspension at the same time.

If anyone else here has had a similar experience, I'm all ears!

On the positive side, #batterygate has so far avoided us and we're still getting 200 miles at 90% and 222 miles displayed at 200% after 4000 miles and 12 weeks of ownership.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

If it was regular vehicle, I would say potential CV joint - don't know your mileage, but its typically a wear thing. Sound often difficult to pinpoint in cars and problem often not where you think you hear it. It's not normally a big job on a regular vehicle. No idea with Tesla.

 

[vitesse]

Thanks, 34,000 miles. I hope this kind of thing is covered by the warranty.

 

[Peteski]

Perhaps the most worrying thing is a hard metallic rattle that can occasionally be heard from under the direction of the front left seat and usually only when turning with a fair bit of lock over a bumpy turn - to the right.

Suggests something loose and rattling over bumps. Could be many things, but I would check the front brake disc backing plates (basically a thin metal disc) as they are prone to making the metallic rattle you describe over bumps. But it's really down to the SC checking it over thoroughly.

If you are interested, here is a walkaround description of the Model S suspension. It's actually a pretty high end design for a road car, not the usual mac-struts you tend to see on mass produced cars. This design would not look out of place on an exotic supercar.

2012 Tesla Model S Signature Performance Suspension Walkaround | Edmunds

 

[jojack82]

I had a rattle under the seat when I turned, for me it was when I went left or right though. In my case it turned out to be a bouncy ball in the HVAC under the seat.

 

[zap fizzle]

As per the above - if it's from inside the car and sounds like something moving around in a small space, it's a foreign body in the HVAC duct under the seat.

The vent is under the seat, in the floor - pull the seat all the way forwards to see it - and has no protection at all, so small stones, toys, etc, can easily find their way into it and rattle around in there forever.

 

[vitesse]

No it's a muted metallic sound from outside the cabin, coming from the nearside right wheel. Something sounds loose. It only happens when the steering is on lock and you're going over some bumpy surface.

I've got a booking for next Thursday via the app (let's see how that goes!) and also to check the camera since the windscreen replacement.

 

[vitesse]

Sorry for resurrecting this thread; the SC added some shims to the suspension and tightened everything up but although I thought it helped, it soon transpired that the knocking noise on hard lock right hand turns was still there, I had my first ranger visit this morning and he confirmed it and I have been advised to book it back in for service. Although not confirmed, the finger is now pointing at a possible nearside front wheel bearing.

I was wondering if anyone else has had premature wheel bearing failure on their MS?

 

[SirRob]

When was the last time you saw your cat?

 

[vitesse]

When was the last time you saw your cat?

BOTH felines alive and well and bossing us around this lunch time

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

No it's a muted metallic sound from outside the cabin, coming from the nearside right wheel. Something sounds loose. It only happens when the steering is on lock and you're going over some bumpy surface.

On more traditional cars that I have owned, I would have pointed finger at CV joint. Problem with knocking like that is that it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where, especially which side, the problem is coming from. So its either 50:50 fix if you change one side, or double work if you change both - not as daft as it sounds as if one side has gone, other side may not be too far behind.

 

[vitesse]

On more traditional cars that I have owned, I would have pointed finger at CV joint. Problem with knocking like that is that it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where, especially which side, the problem is coming from. So its either 50:50 fix if you change one side, or double work if you change both - not as daft as it sounds as if one side has gone, other side may not be too far behind.

Lower arm replacements are frequently reported. It's quite a disturbing sound but it's intermittent. I had to drive half a dozen turns before it sounded. The ranger heard it loud and clear from the passenger seat.