Is that noise normal? Sounds Tesla says are part of normal operation

Electric cars are quiet, so you notice sounds you'd never hear over a gas engine. Most of them are normal, and Tesla publishes a list of them in the Model X Owner's Manual: Normal Operating Sounds. Here are the ones owners ask about most.

When you get in or start driving

• A click, clunk or thump from the floor: the high-voltage battery connecting when the car wakes up.
• A thump when you shift in or out of Park: the parking brake engaging or releasing.
• A single click or a slight pedal vibration as you pull away: the brake system running a quick self-test.
• Creaking from the wheels after the car has sat a while: the brakes releasing from the rotors, often louder in cold or wet weather.

While parked

• A hum or roar from the front: the air conditioning compressor or coolant pump keeping the battery at the right temperature. You'll hear it most after a long drive or on hot and cold days.

While driving

• A high-pitched whine when you accelerate: the motors. It's always there; you notice it because the car is otherwise quiet.
• A whirring sound at low speed: the pedestrian warning sound that lets people nearby know the car is moving.
• Brake squeal: common in rain, cold or humid weather, or with a little surface rust on the rotors.
• A hum when you navigate to a Supercharger: the car warming the battery so it charges faster.

While charging

• Clunks or pops while Supercharging: metal parts in the battery expanding and contracting with temperature.
• Fan noise: fans cooling the battery, louder on hot days.

When to get it checked

Tesla's list is a guide, not a diagnosis. If a sound is new, getting louder, or comes with a warning on the screen, book a visit with Tesla Service through the Tesla app.

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