[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]

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]

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]

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]

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. [hr]
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]

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.

 

[SoCalGuy]

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.

Wow - seems like an intensive process. Did they mention the term "lurching"?

 

[siliconkiwi]

No mention of lurching.

 

[Michael]

Today I tested the Karma for a second time, not the latest software but I could sometimes at the highway hear this for me "rattle sound" but is was on the right side. We where 2 persons and both heard it. Sounds like something that is not screwed together. Very strange but must be able to fix

 

[kabalah70]

Siliconwiki, I will ask if my dealer has heard of the heat shield issue, that sounds like that is what it is to me, at least for my car. Thanks for the post, I will let everyone know if my dealer agrees that it is and fixes it.

 

[Fabulist]

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.

HaHaHa, sounds like a scene from Apollo 13.

-- Fab.

 

[dennis]

Here's a photo from the Edmunds suspension walkaround on the Karma that shows the heat shielding that is generating the noise.

For those of you who missed it on an earlier post, the Edmunds InsideLine post on the Karma's suspension was very informative:

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2011/12/suspension-walkaround-2012-fisker-karma.html

 

[SoCalGuy]

Here's a photo from the Edmunds suspension walkaround on the Karma that shows the heat shielding that is generating the noise.


For those of you who missed it on an earlier post, the Edmunds InsideLine post on the Karma's suspension was very informative:

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2011/12/suspension-walkaround-2012-fisker-karma.html

Maybe a dumb question - but which part is the actual heat shield?

 

[dennis]

Maybe a dumb question - but which part is the actual heat shield?

It is the thin, crinkly looking metal that surrounds the resonator, tailpipe and other areas. On my car I believe it was touching the bodypan that normally covers this area.

 

[Deep Ocean]

Confirmed with my dealer today that every car is a little different and that they need to do a little bend here or there to get it just right. Should be a pretty easy fix. Guys. I had the opportunity to see one of the cars disassembled on the back end today and saw the inverters mounted on top of the gas tank, the entire rear end assembly, etc. Very impressive engineering. If you look in the trunk, and if you were to remove the panel going toward the back seats of the car, there are two large inverters behind it and the fuel tank. I don't know how they fit all of this in there, but they did it. I should have snapped some photos.

 

[dennis]

Confirmed with my dealer today that every car is a little different and that they need to do a little bend here or there to get it just right. Should be a pretty easy fix. Guys. I had the opportunity to see one of the cars disassembled on the back end today and saw the inverters mounted on top of the gas tank, the entire rear end assembly, etc. Very impressive engineering. If you look in the trunk, and if you were to remove the panel going toward the back seats of the car, there are two large inverters behind it and the fuel tank. I don't know how they fit all of this in there, but they did it. I should have snapped some photos.

Here you go: