Faint, high-pitched whine when coasting...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Vege-Taco, May 1, 2012.

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  1. Vege-Taco

    Vege-Taco Junior Member

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    Has anyone else noticed the barely audible (with good ears) high-pitched sound that emanates from the car when you let off the throttle enough to prevent any charge or discharge bar from showing? It goes away if you completely release the throttle or if you press the throttle a tad bit more.
     
    #1 Vege-Taco, May 1, 2012
  2. BOS-KC1

    BOS-KC1 New Member

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    I noticed similar faint high-pitch sound when I have my radio on, possible interference?
     
    #2 BOS-KC1, May 1, 2012
  3. RaZa

    RaZa Member

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    probably the vpns (vehicle proximity notification system) aka the "noisemaker"
     
    #3 RaZa, May 1, 2012
  4. Vege-Taco

    Vege-Taco Junior Member

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    It's a completely different type of sound. It sounds like an electrical noise, not like a speaker. I know what the noisemaker sounds like, and it's a much lower pitch sound as well as warbley.
     
    #4 Vege-Taco, May 1, 2012
  5. Vege-Taco

    Vege-Taco Junior Member

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    I'll test out this possibility. I usually do have my radio on...
     
    #5 Vege-Taco, May 1, 2012
  6. schorert

    schorert Member

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    are you married? check the passenger seat.
     
    #6 schorert, May 1, 2012
  7. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    I notice it sometimes too during battery regen. I actually kinda like it. I feels more high tech.
     
    #7 markabele, May 1, 2012
  8. Tandem Rider

    Tandem Rider Junior Member

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    I have noticed a high pitched whine when the EV is on. My 89 yr. old mother has great hearing and she mentioned it today when going to the store.
     
    #8 Tandem Rider, May 1, 2012
  9. finman

    finman Senior Member

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    the electric motor is not completely silent. my old '04 'whines' when slowing and that is the regen on the big electric motor. then at slow speed (EV, no gas engine), a "quiet" whine is audible up to say 30 MPH when the air and road noise drown out the electric motor.
     
    #9 finman, May 1, 2012
  10. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    I thought it was the inverter during a regen. When I'm lurking through a parking lot, there's no noise.
     
    #10 El Dobro, May 1, 2012
  11. kalome

    kalome Member

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    I've noticed a really high pitched sound similar to tinnitus that I didn't have or at least noticed on my 2011.
    It happens most of the time on battery even when I am stopped. A higher pitched and louder than I remember with my 2011.
    If I tap the brake sometimes it will stop the sound.
    I noticed it right away when I bought the car going from 11 to 12 Prius.
    I unplugged the noisemaker so it is not that.
     
    #11 kalome, May 1, 2012
  12. kalome

    kalome Member

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    Also forgot to add my friend noticed it too. I unplugged the noisemaker and when i drove off slowly with only battery he was outside and mentioned what I high pitched sound that was coming from the car.
    He never noticed it with my 11 Prius.

    Anybody have any idea?
     
    #12 kalome, May 1, 2012
  13. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Mine sorta sounds like this.
     
    #13 El Dobro, May 1, 2012
  14. mad-dog-one

    mad-dog-one Prius Enthusiast

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    Mother in-law in the back storage area?
     
    #14 mad-dog-one, May 1, 2012
  15. kalome

    kalome Member

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    lol - mine use to before I unplugged the noisemaker.
     
    #15 kalome, May 1, 2012
  16. Vege-Taco

    Vege-Taco Junior Member

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    Again, it is not the noisemaker sound. It is a much higher pitched sound and is not nearly as loud.
     
    #16 Vege-Taco, May 1, 2012
  17. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The electric motors and associated electronics (inverter) make a high pitched sound. This comes from the high frequency electrical pulses used to drive the motors. Speed, loading, and environmental factors will influence the sound, so sometimes it is more obvious than others.

    Tom
     
    #17 qbee42, May 1, 2012
  18. kalome

    kalome Member

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    Beside an earlier post by Raza, no one is saying it is the noisemaker.
     
    #18 kalome, May 2, 2012
  19. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    +1
    I've noticed it too- It's a rather high pitched whine, in older cars it used to be called alternator whine and you heard it over the radio. Must be related to the regen/inverter system on the Prius...
     
    #19 ny_rob, May 2, 2012
  20. macman408

    macman408 Electron Guidance Counselor

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    Yes, it's the inverter.

    If I had to peg it down to a specific component inside the inverter, I might guess that it could be some inductors, but I don't really have any basis for that. I just know that I've heard inductors in consumer electronics before - I had a laptop where I could hear when the CPU was not under heavy load, because it made the inductor vibrate in an audible frequency range. Turning off one of the power-saving features would keep it out of that range. Then, in my job once, I worked for a few weeks with somebody who was quantifying how much inductors on a circuit board move, and how they wobble, and a bunch of other things, in an attempt to reduce or eliminate this noise.
     
    #20 macman408, May 2, 2012
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