(VIDEO) - 3P+ Loud mechanical / failure noise from front compartment while driving

[ColoradoVoltage]

Hi everyone,

I've been enjoying my model 3P+ delivered September of last year (5 time Tesla owner, big fan).

This morning, there was a super loud, major massive catastrophic noise coming front he front and proportional either to motor speed or vehicle speed. Possible some kind of mechanical thing let loose. Car kept driving fine and no warnings or errors.

Related, in the past few days, there have been particularly strange noises coming from the front area audible in the cabin, beyond the normal "clunk" we've become accustomed to.

I couldn't see anything in the wheels or tires, fender wells, shocks, etc. No strange smells.

I was already recording video when it happened since I started hearing sounds ahead of it.

Tesla service suggests possible front drive unit issue and should use roadside assistance to tow in.

Got back to the car after work and it drive fine, no warnings or anything.

Video linked here (Google Photos), loud noise begins at approx 5 seconds in.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/i4AaPdzpdjY1LSbR9

Any other thoughts, has anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[al503]

Dude. I get the cold weather, really loud pop but I think you win the prize for loudest whatever the heck that is... I'd have it towed in or drive it to the SC if you don't want to risk any scratches/paint chips (like I got) from the tow truck.

 

[brandonee916]

Sounds like a chain saw.... WTF

 

[TORQU3]

Sounds like the ring gear or half shaft splines let go to me. Get that to a sc ASAP!

 

[Finkleson]

i kindna cringe when i heard the noise.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I think you may win the award for the weirdest sound any Tesla has ever made.

Straight to the service center with it. And I'd love to see a picture of the shredded metal that they're going to find in your front drive unit.

 

[SD_Engnr]

That sure was painful to listen to! You definitely need to call Tesla Roadside.

I had a "front drive unit failure" within the first 1k miles, but it sounded nothing like that. It was a high pitch squeal that I was able to replicate by turning the front passenger hub by hand (car lifted and wheel off).

I use the quotations because I really think it was more of an inner CV joint failure, but Tesla opted to replace the drive unit.

 

[ColoradoVoltage]

UPDATE: Car is being towed to Littleton service center today for diagnostics. We shall see.

 

[timk225]

Damn, something broke! You weren't even on it hard at the time. Get photos of the fragments.

 

[richyrich]

Wow. Craziest car noises I've had are when a stone got trapped against my brake disk (a piercing squeal like you've never heard) and a few weeks back when some rebar on the highway impaled the bottom of my TM3 and proceeded to make "steel dragging over concrete" noises, but this takes the biscuit! I guess it's lucky you have dual motor cos that sure sounds like one is busted.

 

[ColoradoVoltage]

Part of me is wondering is something did in fact get caught in a caliper or similar. Either way, hope it's reasonable to get it looked at -- and I have a list of other small stuff so needed to do the service thing anyway.

 

[rhaekar]

Wow that was a scary sound, never heard about anything remotely close to that. Unlucky man. I'm really curious to what it was now.

 

[timk225]

Upon listening to it again, it does seem to have that high pitched sound that only a brake rotor can make, but that'll be one chewed up rotor if it is! Since the car seems to drive fine otherwise, my guess is something got tangled up in the brakes. But what?

Way back in the days of driving my 1971 Plymouth Valiant, and other similar era Chrysler cars, if I tried to make a worn out set of brake pads last too long, the sounds of metal to metal on the brakes were unmistakable.

 

[mswlogo]

Crap, I'm sure any Tesla Owner that saw that video had this awful feeling in the gut hearing that.

Keep us posted and good luck.

Elon said it would keep running if one drive stopped functioning. Amazing it's not throwing errors.

 

[zhu-]

Is your software on 2020.8.5? This is just the exterior speaker playing the latest engine simulation soundtrack for warning nearby pedestrians. I'm impressed they even integrated the ignition firing at 0:05.

 

[mswlogo]

Some noises sound like it’s rotating faster than your rotors are turning.

My guess is some sort of fan got something in it.

 

[ent3ndu]

major massive catastrophic noise

The noise was crazy but calm down lmao

 

[Johnny Mac]

Sounds like a door rattle. Haha

 

[mainecoon]

That sort of happened to me a few months ago. I say 'sort of' because it was not exactly the same as your event. I was driving and suddenly heard a sound similar but not as violent as yours. It was a metallic sounding high pitched sound. I tried driving really fast to see if the sound would go away and then tried going in reverse and it was still there. I was not far from home so I went back and parked it and after a few days, I backed it out of my garage and the sound was gone. I had gone to the SC just in case and they told me that a small pebble/rock may have gotten into the rotor and then fell out which is why the sound is no longer there.

 

[ColoradoVoltage]

Follow up: There was a rock was in the brake backing plate! Service notes: "Found scraping noise from the right front. Rock stuck in brake backing plate. Remove rock. Drive. Noise no longer present."

So that was interesting . While it was there, I had a bunch of other stuff addressed as well (turn signal, spoiler, alignment).