Wind, Bearing, or Coolant Noise?

[QuantumGlen]

Folks, I think I found the fix!!! This has been bugging me for more than a year. After I realized it wasn't bearings or coolant or pumps....it had to be air flow. The key was you would hear it going straight, or a right curve, but not on a left curve. So, what I did today was to add a rubber sealing strip at the vertical gap between the driver's side frunk and the left front quarter panel. Voila! The noise is gone. Next I will do it to the right front gap as well, and maybe even along the top edge of the frunk. Bottom line....that high speed air (40-80 mph) was getting inbetween metal surfaces along that substantial gap, and causing rustling or vibration noises!

I did a further experiment. I took blue painter's tape, and taped the gaps between the frunk and front quarter panels. Now the noise is completely gone (my rubber seals weren't 100% closing the gap, I will have to get thicker ones).

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[mcorf]

What doesn't make sense for me is why mine only makes the noise when it is cold outside. All summer with the AC running there is nothings I'm not sure how this will fix my problem. But I will get some painters tape this week and give it a try.

 

[65SoYoLO]

What doesn't make sense for me is why mine only makes the noise when it is cold outside. All summer with the AC running there is nothings I'm not sure how this will fix my problem. But I will get some painters tape this week and give it a try.

Maybe the AC is equalizing the pressure so it doesn't leak into the cab. try turning the heater fan on full blast see if it still does it.

 

[Darryl2006]

So I have the exact same noise, presenting in the exact same way. Took the truck in. After 4 days of diagnostics and going back and forth with the engineers at Tesla, the SC concluded it was the front drive unit. They proceeded to change it out. Got the truck back and drove home. No noise! I was overjoyed. However, the following morning it came right back just as it was. Now the SC is stumped and we are at an impasse.
Has anyone conquered this gremlin and found the solution? SC swears they isolated it to the drive unit. They say we have to wait and see if a newer version is coming some day that can solve it.

 

[trentsize]

Is it possibly the moving air dam inside the front bumper? I don’t know if it’s possible to see if it’s open or closed while actually driving. It could make sense why it’s happening in the cold.

 

[Darryl2006]

Mine began a couple of months ago and it happens in both warm and cold weather. I do detect an easing of the noise on turns, too, as others have said. Especially on left hand turns like on expressway exits that curve. I've had the truck for a year and a half and since the noise is new, it can't be wind or something to do with the weather anything like that or I think I'd have noticed it before. The truly odd thing is that it starts around 15 seconds into a drive, even at an already steady speed

 

[QuantumGlen]

I did a further experiment. I took blue painter's tape, and taped the gaps between the frunk and front quarter panels. Now the noise is completely gone (my rubber seals weren't 100% closing the gap, I will have to get thicker ones).

So, it turns out blocking those gaps DID NOT fix the problem. I left the truck outside overnight, and it was quite a bit colder the next morning.... and the noise is back. Definitely worse in colder weather. So I still don't know how to fix it.

 

[JCERRN]

Mine just started doing this this week. Its there around 35-37 mph, cruising, but goes away under acceleration and when i brake. No error codes…

 

[RollCold]

Long time lurker. I had the same issue - static like / mild grinding noise between 40 - 50, disappears when going around a curve. Have an AWD VIN 53xxx, purchased as inventory in June and the noise started around September.

Took it in and they first replaced a window seal and bearings. Picked it up and driving away immediately heard the noise. Turned around and brought it back. Tech rode along this time and verified the noise and said it was not normal.

They replaced the Front Drive Unit - part 1930000-TX-F (Revision F) and the noise is gone.

Waited a bit to post to make sure the noise didn’t reappear. Its been a week and have put ~500 miles on it since. Noise hasn’t returned.

I know the FDU swap didn’t help for some but in my case the noise is gone, at least for now.

 

[QuantumGlen]

Long time lurker. I had the same issue - static like / mild grinding noise between 40 - 50, disappears when going around a curve. Have an AWD VIN 53xxx, purchased as inventory in June and the noise started around September.

Took it in and they first replaced a window seal and bearings. Picked it up and driving away immediately heard the noise. Turned around and brought it back. Tech rode along this time and verified the noise and said it was not normal.

They replaced the Front Drive Unit - part 1930000-TX-F (Revision F) and the noise is gone.

Waited a bit to post to make sure the noise didn’t reappear. Its been a week and have put ~500 miles on it since. Noise hasn’t returned.

I know the FDU swap didn’t help for some but in my case the noise is gone, at least for now.

Just be sure that it is also gone with cold(er) temperatures. Mine comes and goes, but more when cold. I actually thought it was gone a few months ago, but it was much warmer then.

 

[RollCold]

Yes, its gone in the cold weather. However, I never noticed a strong correlation between temperature and noise. It started in Atlanta in September when its still hot and the noise was persistent.


Only thing related I can think of, is when I took it in on Nov 20. The high was around 75. I normally park in my garage but left it sitting in my driveway that day in the sun. And driving to the service center was the first time in months it didn't make the noise (thinking Murphy's Law). But about 20 minutes into the drive it started. Normally, it would start immediately (40 - 50 mph) and persist.

These are the temps in my area since picking it up.

Tue, Nov 25	67°	59°
Wed, Nov 26	67°	46°
Thu, Nov 27	52°	37°
Fri, Nov 28	49°	30°
Sat, Nov 29	52°	28°
Sun, Nov 30	46°	39°
Mon, Dec 1	52°	35°
Tue, Dec 2	~51°	~27°

 

[Darryl2006]

I was hoping the SC had used an older drive unit version on my repair as the sound persisted. Alas, they did use the same F series unit on mine as they did on yours. So not sure why sometimes it works and in my case it didn't. So frustrating. I swear it's getting louder in the cold too

 

[RDMSguy]

Mine did this for the first time about a week ago when it was cold (for my area at least). Never heard it before then. The next day it was still pretty cold outside and it continued to make the same noise. Always when the speed gets to around 43 mph. Very strange.

Since then the sound has gone away, but the weather has been about 20 degrees warmer.

 

[Darryl2006]

The worst part is the SC has just thrown up their hands at this point as they have no idea how to go forward. So what now I have to just live with this noise forever? I'm not down with that. There has got to be a cause...and a solution

 

[Sif]

The worst part is the SC has just thrown up their hands at this point as they have no idea how to go forward. So what now I have to just live with this noise forever? I'm not down with that. There has got to be a cause...and a solution

Mine has done the same thing and has stated that every single Cybertruck makes this noise.

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