# Interesting New Model 3 Sound



## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

I remember reading in a recent update about the Model 3 being given access to more power at high speed/high torque situations. What I didn't expect is that you can actually _hear_ it working!

I was trying to accelerate rapidly up to a main road's maximum speed (55 mph, so I wasn't doing anything _that_ insane) after turning right onto it - I was trying to beat the traffic on that road, which was just about to get a green light. I could hear the familiar high pitched whine as the car initially accelerated, but just about where the acceleration curve used to fall off, the _pitch started to change_. It sounded a bit like when you have cold water coming out of a faucet, and you turn on the hot. That kind of steady downward pitching sound. The acceleration never did drop off, I had to stop pushing it because I was going way too fast (sorry, I _had_ to find out what was down that rabbit hole).

From what little I know about driving electric motors, it seems like Tesla's software now constantly changes the frequency of the AC motor on hard acceleration to get the maximum power possible out of it. The sound of it is a little disconcerting though, because there's something about it which makes you feel like you're about to break something...


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

or... you were about to break something


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

MelindaV said:


> or... you were about to break something


I hope not! I wasn't going nearly fast enough to break something...


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## Frully (Aug 30, 2018)

JasonF said:


> I remember reading in a recent update about the Model 3 being given access to more power at high speed/high torque situations. What I didn't expect is that you can actually _hear_ it working!
> 
> I was trying to accelerate rapidly up to a main road's maximum speed (55 mph, so I wasn't doing anything _that_ insane) after turning right onto it - I was trying to beat the traffic on that road, which was just about to get a green light. I could hear the familiar high pitched whine as the car initially accelerated, but just about where the acceleration curve used to fall off, the _pitch started to change_. It sounded a bit like when you have cold water coming out of a faucet, and you turn on the hot. That kind of steady downward pitching sound. The acceleration never did drop off, I had to stop pushing it because I was going way too fast (sorry, I _had_ to find out what was down that rabbit hole).
> 
> From what little I know about driving electric motors, it seems like Tesla's software now constantly changes the frequency of the AC motor on hard acceleration to get the maximum power possible out of it. The sound of it is a little disconcerting though, because there's something about it which makes you feel like you're about to break something...


I have absolutely heard the difference.

Before the power update the full throttle was more of a whir. Now it has a higher pitch tone on top. They say they found extra efficiency driving the motor...and that waveform they use is audible.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

I usually have the radio on, but I was driving around yesterday with it off, and I was thinking that the motor sounded a little different - slightly noisier, with some higher-pitched additions to the normal low-frequency growl. I was just tooling around in a parking lot at the time - I wasn't accelerating much or going fast at all. I just dismissed it as "I'm just not remembering correctly what it sounded like".


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## Frully (Aug 30, 2018)

garsh said:


> I usually have the radio on, but I was driving around yesterday with it off, and I was thinking that the motor sounded a little different - slightly noisier, with some higher-pitched additions to the normal low-frequency growl. I was just tooling around in a parking lot at the time - I wasn't accelerating much or going fast at all. I just dismissed it as "I'm just not remembering correctly what it sounded like".


You're not crazy***. The sound definitely got a new colour. I wish I had a quality contact mic recording of the motor/controller whine before and after. Retrospect something something.

***unofficially. Not a guarantee. Warranty void in at least 8 states.


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## GateFather (Nov 1, 2018)

When did it change? I have some video with what it sounded like from December or so - we could compare that to what it sounds like now.


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## Gunn (Jul 29, 2016)

I usually drive in chill mode and even noticed the sound change then, but like @garsh I usually have the radio on and windows up.


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## Bokonon (Apr 13, 2017)

GateFather said:


> When did it change? I have some video with what it sounded like from December or so - we could compare that to what it sounds like now.


It definitely would have been after December.

A couple of us thought we noticed a slight change in motor noise at lower speeds when the "peak-power increase" update for AWD was released in late March / early April. But I believe what we're discussing here is a change in sound after the more recent "high speed performance" update (included in 2019.12.x IIRC), which allows the motor(s) to run at higher speeds for longer periods of time.


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## Frully (Aug 30, 2018)

Bokonon said:


> It definitely would have been after December.
> 
> A couple of us thought we noticed a slight change in motor noise at lower speeds when the "peak-power increase" update for AWD was released in late March / early April. But I believe what we're discussing here is a change in sound after the more recent "high speed performance" update (included in 2019.12.x IIRC), which allows the motor(s) to run at higher speeds for longer periods of time.


fwiw I noticed the change at 2019.8.5 - still on it so I don't know about more high end.


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## GateFather (Nov 1, 2018)

Here is what my Model 3 sounded like as of Decemner 2018.


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## SciFriGuy (May 27, 2019)

I, too, have definitely noticed a change in sound. Not the pitch, but the duration. Usually the whine would start from standing still upon gently acceleration to around 20 mph. It would then go away. Now it stay whining up until around 35-40, when it either ceases or road noise kicks in to block.

I have noticed this length increase with recent software updates. I'm at .16.2 If that's the reason, I'd hope for a patch...or an option to downgrade. What was once cute, like the Jetsons, is now annoying.


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## SciFriGuy (May 27, 2019)

GateFather said:


> Here is what my Model 3 sounded like as of Decemner 2018.


Yes. That' what my whine sounded like, previously, too. It was quick and went away to road noise. But mine now lasted much longer and will remain as long as I'm below ~35 mph and road noise does not block it out. Perhaps update .16.2 is the cause.


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