Faint high pitch sound (like a vacuum cleaner or jet engine whine) when accelerating and regen braking (front right)

[Cogs79]

Hi,

I just noticed a new sound on my 1 year old Macan 4 that wasn't there before. When accelerating, there is the usual lower frequency hum. But under slightly faster acceleration (not even close to aggressive) I now notice a high pitch, scratchy whine. It is not loud, but more of a faint, scratchy jet-engine like sound on top of the regular electric motor sound. It increases in pitch with speed. It also makes the sound when regen-braking. It sounds like it is coming from the front right of the car. I thought it was the accumulation of snow in the tire fender well just rubbing against the tire but I cleaned that out, and the sound is still there. It's a new sound and just started happening a couple of days ago. I doubt the bearings are already going after 6100km! Anyone hear something similar? Could it be that the front electric motor is finally being used more given the snowy/slippery conditions? (Doubt it since I drove this car new in the snow last year).

Cogs79

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[chaz]

I get a higher pitch sound under acceleration, but I think it’s only when Sport Sound is on. I felt that I only started noticing it about two months ago.

 

[Cogs79]

Thanks for the response! I forgot to mention that my 4 does not have the sport sound option. I will check in the menus to see if it somehow was added/got activated just in case.

 

[chaz]

It's one of those things that's hard to verify, because I'm not sure if it's always been there and I just started noticing it or it's new

 

[ColdCase]

Some tires get noisier when worn a bit. Most if not all of my strange EV car noises have been tire related because EVs are so quiet you will notice noise that are under the ambient ICE car level..

Alignment being a little off is usually the second choice.

Swapping wheels/tires to test is what most dealers would do to address this, unless its a well known problem.

 

[krissrock]

a video with the sound might be best...

 

[sor]

I only hear the motors in the Macan when the sport sound is off. They are very quiet but possible to hear when they run at a certain RPM. Maybe it isn’t the same as what OP is experiencing but it is the sound I’ve heard in every EV and PHEV I’ve owned - it was most noticeable in our Volvo XC90 plug in hybrid when sitting in the back. Just a very faint whine at certain speeds, that you don’t hear if anything else is making sound (stereo, etc). I don’t think I’d be able to catch it on a recording unless I had a mic right on the chassis or something.

 

[KLMRCLL]

May the sound be the power electronics? They usually whine specially on transitories of power like acceleration or braking. Any power eletronics drive for servomotors do that sound and battery electronics may do a similar sound as well (when delivering power or regenerative braking).

 

[MaccyT]

I also have a high pitch wine coil noise. My former E-tron had it across the whole line between 1km/h till 180km/h very subtle and in the background.
My Macan only has it between 62km/h and 69km/h weirdly enough. Before and after those speeds it's pretty silent even on accelerating or using the launch control. The wine coil sounds worse than it is but you can definitely hear it.
I Will make a note about it the next time my car gets in as I had 2 engines replaced on my former E-tron 55 which is really not funny (12k each). I Think it's considered normal and nothing to worry about but just in case.
I Will ask in a week or 2 my friend who also owns a Macan Turbo to make a swap for a moment and hear if he has it too.

 

[sor]

I think it would be really tough to get rid of it completely, probably why every EV/PHEV I’ve driven has it to some degree. I’m sure there are harmonics and resonances that make it more pronounced at different RPM.

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