Where is this rattle coming from?

[aromasca]

My MS has this plasticy rattle that I just cant figure out, its coming from the front left of the dash and I touched any piece of trim and material around and nothing makes it stop. Tesla attempted to fix the same and apparently that didn’t work either

Any ideas if some one had a similar problem?

 

[Tam]

Too much ambient noise that drowns out whatever you are trying to point out.

 

[aromasca]

Too much ambient noise that drowns out whatever you are trying to point out.

It’s that continuous buzzing sound throughout the video

 

[Ande]

Try to press on the small triangle beneath airbag on the low/center spoke of the steering wheel.

 

[Terry_B58]

Sounds a bit like 'arcing' when there is a loose wire and not a great contact, either that or a relay is 'chattering'.

 

[aromasca]

Try to press on the small triangle beneath airbag on the low/center spoke of the steering wheel.

Intresting you mentioned that piece, I tried pressing it and thought the sound went away only to find out it continued later even if fiddling with it. Might be two similar rattles and this is half the root cause.

Sounds a bit like 'arcing' when there is a loose wire and not a great contact, either that or a relay is 'chattering'.

Good point, are those locates underneath the dash?

 

[Terry_B58]

Good point, are those locates underneath the dash?

Don't know, I have not picked my car up yet

 

[appleguru]

Press up on the binnacle cover (above the screen, under the dash), see if that helps...

Only other thought is pop the left access cover off with your door open. The key antenna is behind it, connected to the car with one wire that has a clip on it. If that clip came loose, it could be the rattle. (And if not, you may be able to shine a flashlight in and see other things that could be rattling while you have the cover off).

 

[vdiv]

Another source can be the louvers in the vents, try moving them around. Also check for dry leaves in the frunk, seriously the noise travels inside the cab, sounds like buzzing.

 

[aromasca]

Great pointers, I got a service appointment scheduled for this Wednesday to have them take another stab at it and will report back.

 

[Rudr]

I had a similar rattle from the knob that adjusts the direction of the air vents for climate control. Moving it around to direct airflow towards the top solved the rattle, but it re-appears everytime the knob points downwards.

 

[takeshiken]

I have the exactly same rattle from pillar.
Sent my car to SC and they put something like “sound absorbing material” (sorry, the report from Tesla isn’t in English) into the pillars having rattle ... and it’s gone!
I know it’s very hard to show the rattle for SC, but right now I’m very happy with the result

ps. I also showed them your youtube video and it helped a lot. thanks for sharing the clip.

 

[aromasca]

I have the exactly same rattle from pillar.
Sent my car to SC and they put something like “sound absorbing material” (sorry, the report from Tesla isn’t in English) into the pillars having rattle ... and it’s gone!
I know it’s very hard to show the rattle for SC, but right now I’m very happy with the result

ps. I also showed them your youtube video and it helped a lot. thanks for sharing the clip.

Happy they had it sorted for you!
In my case they replaced the pillar, and then in another attempt they tried again to play around with the AC vents.
It helped for about a couple of weeks but the rattle is back now and I am learning to live with it as my car was in service 3 times within a month I kind of gave up, I have little time to be going back and fourth and them not being able to fix this rattle.

 

[daktari]

If that sound is there on all surfaces, they need to fix it. Ask for a new car instead.

 

[aromasca]

If that sound is there on all surfaces, they need to fix it. Ask for a new car instead.

I have a CPO w/ 44k miles, IDK if it's reasonable to ask that for a rattle.

 

[daktari]

I have a CPO w/ 44k miles, IDK if it's reasonable to ask that for a rattle.

Hm, cpo. Ask them if they think it is acceptable for a certified car.

 

[Walta]

Happy they had it sorted for you!
In my case they replaced the pillar, and then in another attempt they tried again to play around with the AC vents.
It helped for about a couple of weeks but the rattle is back now and I am learning to live with it as my car was in service 3 times within a month I kind of gave up, I have little time to be going back and fourth and them not being able to fix this rattle.

I too was trying to get rid of a plasticy sounding rattle that would occur when I drove over roads that were not smooth. Roads that had a texture such that I could feel the steering wheel vibrate at a resonant frequency. The sound seemed like it was coming from the AC vent area to my left.
Well today a Tesla tech identified the problem. After a test drive barely yielded the rattle sound, he tried rapping on the steering wheel firmly. Low and behold it made the sound I had been hearing. Turns out as I drove over certain textured roads it would cause the steering wheel to vibrate and emit the plasticy sound.
They replaced the steering wheel and the sound is now gone.

 

[camthehombre]

I had a similar rattle from the knob that adjusts the direction of the air vents for climate control. Moving it around to direct airflow towards the top solved the rattle, but it re-appears everytime the knob points downwards.

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I was curious if you got this fixed and if so, how? I have the same thing on the far left air vent. I’m curious if there is an easy way to pop it out and tighten it or something. Thanks

 

[quickstrike12]

I’m glad you did resurrect the the thread.
I have maybe the same or very similyissue and I’m quire curious also.
Can’t tell if mine is the vent or maybe what sounds like a simple wire connector that’s flopping around somewhere in dash or steering column. Maybe just isn’t wire tied secure or something. It’s only on bumpy areas but has been a small thorn for a year a now to me.

 

[camthehombre]

I’m glad you did resurrect the the thread.
I have maybe the same or very similyissue and I’m quire curious also.
Can’t tell if mine is the vent or maybe what sounds like a simple wire connector that’s flopping around somewhere in dash or steering column. Maybe just isn’t wire tied secure or something. It’s only on bumpy areas but has been a small thorn for a year a now to me.

Mine is 100% the vent. I can adjust it and the slight rattle will stop. I can be on fairly smooth roads and still hear it. I do get another rattle on really bumpy roads and I’m 99% sure it’s the gear selector stalk. I think it’s where you press in to put it in park, but I don’t even know how I could go about that. It’s not a huge issue for the latter rattle, but the air vent one gets to me. If you think yours could be that, try changing the direction of the vent and seeing if that solves it temporarily.