High Pitched Noise while charging

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Geor99, Jun 26, 2020.

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  1. Geor99

    Geor99 Active Member

    I have recently noticed that my car makes an extremely faint, high pitched noise while charging overnight. I use the 120V charger that came with the car.

    I know that it is from the car, as the noise stops when I stop the charge.

    I can only hear the noise in the quiet of night with the bedroom window open, but it is there.

    Has anyone else experienced this?
     
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  3. MrFixit

    MrFixit Well-Known Member

    Yes, this is perfectly normal.
    The sound comes from cooling pumps / fans that regulate the temperature of the HV batteries and associated components.
     
  4. Geor99

    Geor99 Active Member

    My wife can not hear it, but it's been keeping me awake, so I've been turning it off.

    I must have bionic hearing because she swears that she cant hear it, but I can definitely hear the constant high pitch. I'll try to record it:)
     
  5. Geor99

    Geor99 Active Member

    And once again, it stops immediately if I stop the charge, so I'm not crazy. Well, at least not from this:)
    If I can hear it, it must drive my dogs nuts, as they can surely hear it.
     
  6. MrFixit

    MrFixit Well-Known Member

    There have actually been a few occasions where our car has made whirring / whining noises for no apparent reason (not during charging, but seemingly randomly). This occurs quite infrequent, but I can only assume it is some kind of thermal management just due to ambient conditions in the garage. Or, perhaps there is still some latent heat well after returning from a drive...
     
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  8. Mowcowbell

    Mowcowbell Well-Known Member

    The only high pitched noise I've heard is the 1-2 second long noise the car produces when you force charging to start with the fob. I have heard fans running and coolant gurgling while charging in hot weather if that's what you are referring to. I heard that the other day when charging in a 90F closed garage. Cracked open the garage door and turned on my shop fans and the noise stopped. Guess I was moving enough air under the car to keep things cooler.
     
  9. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Your dogs are used to hearing lots of sounds you cannot hear. This charging noise is just one more sound for them to ignore.

    I would try wrapping the Level 1 EVSE in a blanket just long enough to discover if it is the component making the noise. If it is, you can replace it with another EVSE that doesn't make the sleep-preventing noise. If it isn't the problem, wrap your Clarity in a blanket or get a Level 2 EVSE so charging doesn't take as long.
     
    Mowcowbell likes this.
  10. Cotton balls in the ears. Also works well for cricket invasions.
     
  11. MrFixit

    MrFixit Well-Known Member

    I guess in retrospect, your noise may be different than the ones I have heard, Mine are clearly more whirring / whining like pumps and fans. I don't think I could hear what you are describing as a faint high-pitched sound. Definitely don't have the dog ears anymore ! I do like the idea that @insightman had about blanketing the EVSE in order to see of it's coming from the car or the charger.
     
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  13. craze1cars

    craze1cars Well-Known Member

    Soft highish pitches whistle comes from somewhere under my car 100% of the time it is charging. Then it clicks off when done. This is independent of any cooling fans and pumps that are blatantly obvious when they cycle on warmer days.

    Entirely normal. Unless I’m sleeping in my garage, it’s a non issue. Let it roll...
     

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