I've had my 2010 for three weeks. When I put the car in reverse or drive, and am moving I hear a constant high pitched sound. It stops when the car is not moving. Does anyone know if this is normal? The dealer is as clueless as I am. This is my first Prius.
Hmmm sounds like the electric motors that drive the car. Does it change pitch with the speed of the vehicle? If I listen hard I can hear mine do it as well but my hearing isn't perfect. G
Next time I drive it I will listen to see if the sound changes with the speed, I'll let you know. Thanks!
+1 Sounds normal to me in Drive anyway. Can't hear a thing in Reverse because of the "Beep, Beep, Beep!! The supplied DVD helped clue me in on the funny sounds that Prius makes.
The high pitch noise is the sound of the inverter converting DC into AC. You're probably hearing the capacitors and transistors doing their job. All three Prius have made the noise, each to a varying level due to inverter design.
If you are rolling and shift into "N", does the sound go away? Shifting into "N" disables the power-electronics of the inverter. Can you get a test drive in another 2010 Prius at the dealer to see if it has the same sound level? Bob Wilson
I posted this on another thread but would love to hear from folks here as well: I picked up my Prius a few days ago and it had a horrible sound immediately. It only stopped when I was at full stop. I took it back and they looked at it and the next day they said there had been a pebble in the suspension (car people, does that make sense?) and all was good now. So I drove it home yesterday and the horrible sound is gone, replaced by a high-pitched annoying sound that happens during acceleration. I suppose I could drown it out with the radio but I just paid a lot of money of a brand new 2010 Prius. Do all 2010s make this sound? Or should I take it back?! My hearing is good. This may not bother some people but it's giving me a huge headache. Does this mean I'm just not cut out for hybrids or are there gradations in different cars as to this high-pitched whine?
The high pitched whine is from the inverters. The inverter switches electricity at high speed, which makes some of the parts sing. If you can't get used to it, you will need to consider another car. Tom
Hi Timberwolf, Hum... Isn't it the sound of the futur my friend ? No seriously, it must be the electric engine sound. It should not be louder then 20 to 25 decibels. By comparaison a normal conversation between two persons in a calm room is approx.: 40 to 45 decibels. If your point is that it IS louder then a normal conversation, go see your dealer to have this checked out. (By the way electric engines onboard the prius are almost innaudible INSIDE cocpit windows closed).
