Vibration and Noise over 70km/h

[iKhalid]

My Model S has developed a very noticeable vibration and a wheel-bearing-noise at 70km/h and above accompanied with some weird behaviour:

• More noticeable and louder the faster you go
• It almost disappears when you accelerate
• The vibration is shaking the entire car that I can hear the interior plastic pannels.

At first I thought it could be the bearing, but it wasn't a gradual symptom as it became very noticeable in a span of 2 days. I took it to the service centre and the mechanic wasn't able to determine what it is or whether it's a safety concern.

Any idea what this could be?

 

[jerry33]

There are only so many moving parts in a Tesla. Motor, bearings, CV joints, etc. In addition tires, wheels, and excessive caster can cause these symptoms. So the first thing to do is use the pencil test to determine the frequency of the vibration/noise. That may remove some components. If you can't pin it down, then the next step is to place some automotive noise microphones in suspected locations and see which one is the loudest.

 

[Yaozers]

This happened to me when I went above approximately 50 mph. The speed when the vibrations kicked in wasn't constant. The vibrations dissipated when I was trailing another car/truck. It felt like it had something to do with the wind. I checked wheel alignment, that wasn't the problem.

From reading online, it sounded like I had a problem that others had: the front bumper was causing the vibration. The bottom of the front bumper would give too much when you squeeze it softly by hand. Tesla service installed a foam and that fixed it. No more vibrations.

The vibrations were very subtle in the beginning. I definitely just thought it was the bad winter roads. But it got more and more noticeable after about 4 months. If I were you, I'd squeeze the bottom part of the front bumper. If it allows your hand to squeeze it, then that's possibly the problem

 

[iKhalid]

Just got my car back. It turned out to be loose lug nuts! They replaced all of them, and the issue is gone now.

 

[Canuck]

Just got my car back. It turned out to be loose lug nuts! They replaced all of them, and the issue is gone now.

I see from your signature that you have summer and winter rims. Did you go back to summer recently? If so, who did the change over?

 

[iKhalid]

I see from your signature that you have summer and winter rims. Did you go back to summer recently? If so, who did the change over?

There was another event after the seasonal switch. Not too long ago I painted my callipers; however, the shop that did it is well known for doing so many Teslas here in the GTA. He actually torqued my wheels in front of my eyes, so to me, the reason is still a mystery!