Noisy Air Conditioner (or Outside Fan)

[strmwzrd]

I saw a few mentions about the a/c system being noisy but I think mine, 2023 Lariat ER, is getting too loud. I've been getting intermittent cooling issues lately too so I may be listening too hard. Attached are some sound bites.

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[EFG]

My neighbor has said that my '23 SR Lightning is louder just sitting in the driveway with the A/C on than his ICE F-150. I have noticed when it gets above 90 or so ambient that it is pretty loud. It has always been that way.

 

[htobin]

Mine is also real noisy if you turn the fan up to its maximum. Fortunately, the cooling is adequate without setting it that high.

 

[K6CCC]

Yep. Surprising how much noise it makes.

 

[ka-chow]

Same! Many people claim I do, in fact, have an engine in my EV.

 

[HammoJ]

I saw a few mentions about the a/c system being noisy but I think mine, 2023 Lariat ER, is getting too loud. I've been getting intermittent cooling issues lately too so I may be listening too hard. Attached are some sound bites.

Any chance it's the noise generator that operates when DRIVE is engaged and moving at lower speeds?

 

[K6CCC]

Any chance it's the noise generator that operates when DRIVE is engaged and moving at lower speeds?

Definitely not in my case. I notice it when walking up to the truck with Climate Control turned on.

 

[chl]

Mine (2023 Pro) doesn't make that noise, at least not that I can hear from inside the cab, but mine does make a very low volume high-pitched sound as if it is communicating via Morse code with the mother ship when the fan is going on low, when the fan is higher the air blowing noise drowns it out.

Not sure I have a recorder that could pick it up adequately but if I think of it next time I am driving with AC one I might try.

 

[strmwzrd]

I don't hear the racket inside the cab nearly as much as outside, but yes, it is louder than any ICE I've had...yay! Now to figure out the intermittent low cooling issue. Thanks everyone for the feedback.

 

[chl]

I had a one-time event on a super hot (over 100F) day where there was no cool air on MAX COOL and there was an awful smell of coolant, probably a gasket/seal leak due to high pressure at a compressor because of the high temperatures (I was parked for 20+ minute on asphalt in direct sun with the truck off), but after the truck was parked in the shade for an hour or so everything was back to working fine with no coolant smell.

There have been reports of coolant leaks from the reservoirs so maybe check that?

There have also been reports of a failed valve in the rather complex network of cooling pipes in the trucks.

Excessive noise from a compressor can be a sign something is wrong (bearing seal or other compressor components - not sure what the Lightning compressor(s) are made of) so if it sounds really bad that could be a sign?

Good luck.

 

[ChrisInVegas]

I live in Las Vegas where it gets hot in the summer. When I was interested in buying a Lightning, I test drove several in June when the temp was already over 100. Every time the sales rep would pull a truck around for me to drive I noticed the fans were really loud. Mine is too.... It's normal. You have big fans running hard to cool the battery. That takes a lot of air.

The sound isn't loud in the cabin for me, but when I turn on the HVAC before walking out to my truck, it is pretty loud.

Now... if you truck isn't cooling or if your battery/motor temp is going red... that's a problem.

 

[chl]

Loud is relative anyway.

So is annoying.

I find some loud things fine to listen too, like when I went to a Mahavishnu Orchestra concert in the 1970's - loudest music I had ever heard/felt, but clean and crisp and emotionally moving.

While I find other things less loud things very annoying to hear, like the darn refrigerator's urgent "ding ding ding" when I'm taking too long (in it's opinion) to find something to eat in there.

The Lightning AC fan noise - I don't hear it inside the cab so not loud or annoying, if I did hear it, I might change my mind.

 

[strmwzrd]

Loud is relative anyway.

So is annoying.

I find some loud things fine to listen too, like when I went to a Mahavishnu Orchestra concert in the 1970's - loudest music I had ever heard/felt, but clean and crisp and emotionally moving.

While I find other things less loud things very annoying to hear, like the darn refrigerator's urgent "ding ding ding" when I'm taking too long (in it's opinion) to find something to eat in there.

The Lightning AC fan noise - I don't hear it inside the cab so not loud or annoying, if I did hear it, I might change my mind.

I'm not as concerned with the noise (I don't hear it in the cab to speak of) unless it's associated with my way-to-warm A/C. We'll see what the dealership says on Thursday. More to follow...

 

[WilliamRobert]

Have you checked your cabin air filter? I had a new filter that was too restrictive and the fan got noisy, change back to the standard filter and it stopped being noisy.

 

[strmwzrd]

Have you checked your cabin air filter? I had a new filter that was too restrictive and the fan got noisy, change back to the standard filter and it stopped being noisy.

Just today I wondered about the filter since the dealership didn't change it at 20K, but I decided since I can not get good cooling with recirculate on I figure the filter wasn't an issue. I'll check in a few minutes. Thanks.

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