Engine noise in Sport Mode?

[Dutch]

I've driven over 750 miles in my Karma. I love the car and I love the ride in Stealth, but Sport Mode is a bit disappointing to me. I got the impression that the noise that the demo's were producing in Sport Mode was tackled by exhaust 3.0 .

However, when I drive in Sport Mode I find it rather noisy, and erratic. It's more noisy (or as noisy) as it was in the demo that I drove twice. So I'm wondering if my car has had the new exhausts installed. It is an early production car (#332) and I that puts it among the delaer demo's and SE's. I read somewhere that those car did not get the new exhaust yet. Could it be that my car hasn't been fitted with the new exhausts? Any clues?

I will ask my dealer when I come in for software update 6.13.5 on Thursday. But maybe someone already has some inside info on this issue?

[SoCalGuy]

(02-01-2012 05:15 AM)Dutch Wrote:  I've driven over 750 miles in my Karma. I love the car and I love the ride in Stealth, but Sport Mode is a bit disappointing to me. I got the impression that the noise that the demo's were producing in Sport Mode was tackled by exhaust 3.0 .

However, when I drive in Sport Mode I find it rather noisy, and erratic. It's more noisy (or as noisy) as it was in the demo that I drove twice. So I'm wondering if my car has had the new exhausts installed. It is an early production car (#332) and I that puts it among the delaer demo's and SE's. I read somewhere that those car did not get the new exhaust yet. Could it be that my car hasn't been fitted with the new exhausts? Any clues?

I will ask my dealer when I come in for software update 6.13.5 on Thursday. But maybe someone already has some inside info on this issue?

Dutch

I have posted a few messages about sporadic engine grumbling/grinding sounds I hear on occasion in Sport mode, but overall, my experience in Sport mode when I don't hear that sound is fine.

You should video record your Sport mode experience and post it here and we can assess whether that is what we're experiencing as well. My car is a couple hundred slots after you.

[Dutch]

With me it is not a sporadic phenomenon, but more a constant rumble/noise whenever it is in Sport Mode, which gets louder when I touch the pedal to go from for instance 68 to 70 mph (for 10 seconds or so), then dies down again when I reach a more constant speed or slow down a bit, only to start again when I speed up a bit. I don't think a video would record well what I hear and feel.

Since I've not seen other complaints on this forum about a nearly constant noise, I am wondering if most cars have a different exhaust system from mine.

[dennis]

(02-01-2012 06:22 AM)Dutch Wrote:  With me it is not a sporadic phenomenon, but more a constant rumble/noise whenever it is in Sport Mode, which gets louder when I touch the pedal to go from for instance 68 to 70 mph (for 10 seconds or so), then dies down again when I reach a more constant speed or slow down a bit, only to start again when I speed up a bit. I don't think a video would record well what I hear and feel.

Since I've not seen other complaints on this forum about a nearly constant noise, I am wondering if most cars have a different exhaust system from mine.

I have an ICE noise issue on my car that may be similar to yours. It is caused by the exhaust heat shielding coming into contact with the underbelly pan. They made some modifications last week and it is better, but still there. I took the mechanic for a demo ride yesterday, and he said they will address it when I get 6.14 installed (I got 6.13.5 yesterday).

[SoCalGuy]

(02-01-2012 06:49 AM)dennis Wrote:  

(02-01-2012 06:22 AM)Dutch Wrote:  With me it is not a sporadic phenomenon, but more a constant rumble/noise whenever it is in Sport Mode, which gets louder when I touch the pedal to go from for instance 68 to 70 mph (for 10 seconds or so), then dies down again when I reach a more constant speed or slow down a bit, only to start again when I speed up a bit. I don't think a video would record well what I hear and feel.

Since I've not seen other complaints on this forum about a nearly constant noise, I am wondering if most cars have a different exhaust system from mine.

I have an ICE noise issue on my car that may be similar to yours. It is caused by the exhaust heat shielding coming into contact with the underbelly pan. They made some modifications last week and it is better, but still there. I took the mechanic for a demo ride yesterday, and he said they will address it when I get 6.14 installed (I got 6.13.5 yesterday).

Dennis

would you happen to have a video or recording of it? I wonder if that's what I'm hearing as well.. like a grumbling/metallic garbage disposally sound... at variou speeds...occasionally... in Sport mode.

[kabalah70]

SoCalGuy,
I heard this noise again today driving in Sport that I described elsewhere as sounding like a fan striking its shroud. I started touching around and listening more carefully, and it is coming from around my foot. I think something is loose with the muffler on that side. Hopefully something that can be tightened and not a baffle that has broken a weld and vibrating freely. I am almost 100% it is from the left muffler.

[SoCalGuy]

(02-01-2012 11:38 AM)kabalah70 Wrote:  SoCalGuy,
I heard this noise again today driving in Sport that I described elsewhere as sounding like a fan striking its shroud. I started tocuhing around and listening more carefully, and it is coming from around my foot. I think something is loose with the muffler on that side. Hopefully something that can be tightened and not a baffle that has broken a weld and vibrating freely. I am almost 100% it is from the left muffler.

---

SoCalGuy,
I heard this noise again today driving in Sport that I described elsewhere as sounding like a fan striking its shroud. I started tocuhing around and listening more carefully, and it is coming from around my foot. I think something is loose with the muffler on that side. Hopefully something that can be tightened and not a baffle that has broken a weld and vibrating freely. I am almost 100% it is from the left muffler.

So it sounds like we're all hearing the same thing? I'm going to be back in LA in two weeks and will drop it off at the dealer to have it looked at. Will let you all know how that goes. I'm a little apprehensive about getting the latest software updates since I've heard of several problems with 6.13 and so far, 6.12 runs fine on my car with no major issues (other than NAV not really working consistently).

[siliconkiwi]

My dealer told me they are aware of the loose heat shield issue (it expands when hot, warps, and touches something else), he said that the Fisker technicians now know exactly how to bend it so it doesn't touch the offending element and prevents the noise. The dealer technicians did NOT know how to do it until the Fisker engineers showed them. They tweaked mine before I took delivery (SE #76) and I have only heard "normal" sounding engine rumble in Sport mode. I'm actually surprised by how quiet it is, can barely hear it over road noise on the highway.

[SoCalGuy]

(02-01-2012 01:30 PM)siliconkiwi Wrote:  My dealer told me they are aware of the loose heat shield issue (it expands when hot, warps, and touches something else), he said that the Fisker technicians now know exactly how to bend it so it doesn't touch the offending element and prevents the noise. The dealer technicians did NOT know how to do it until the Fisker engineers showed them. They tweaked mine before I took delivery (SE #76) and I have only heard "normal" sounding engine rumble in Sport mode. I'm actually surprised by how quiet it is, can barely hear it over road noise on the highway.

How long did the fix take?

[siliconkiwi]

Don't know, but I was waiting 4 years! Seriously, it was portrayed like raise the car, (possibly remove the heat shield), bend the heat shield, lower the car.