SM 49810 - Buzz Noise From The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC)

[Neil4Real]

Did they sort of soft start replacing screens a few months ago for people who insisted without really announcing it? I am thinking of @Mirak ‘s experience.

My hesitation is the people who did this replacement say some buzzing is still there, and some people have said they have had other weird issues crop up after their screen was replaced.

I was one of the, uh, lucky few. I had my screen replaced and had odd issues creep up because of it. The screen still buzzes, albeit quieter. The Ford Engineers just honestly seem so disconnected from any feedback, its kind of frightening.

Before they replaced my screen, they said "this issue has been fixed in production and are confident we can fix it on your car." So they do their thing, its still there. They were SHOCKED when I said it was still there and when I had my call with about 9 Ford engineers, they literally seemed confused on what can be causing it and why it was still present. Clearly I just ended up with a newer IPC screen like the GTs have, which still buzzes.

Hopefully they finally fix it. I can't hear it "over" music anymore, before it used to just cut through anything I was listening to and pierce my ears, but when the music is low or off, I can still hear it.

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[Mach1E]

Ford Customer service got back to me today and they are still claiming it is just a normal sound....

Well if they all do it, it’s a normal sound.

Now whether or not it’s acceptable is up to debate.

Things like this as warranty issues are an uphill battle. Pretty sure nothing in the warranty guarantees against noises. So it’s more of a customer satisfaction thing which is also an uphill battle if there is no “fix.” You can ask them to fix it, but if they all make the noise, what’s the solution?

 

[BMT1071]

Well if they all do it, it’s a normal sound.

Now whether or not it’s acceptable is up to debate.

Things like this as warranty issues are an uphill battle. Pretty sure nothing in the warranty guarantees against noises. So it’s more of a customer satisfaction thing which is also an uphill battle if there is no “fix.” You can ask them to fix it, but if they all make the noise, what’s the solution?

Careful. I got into a pretty heated debate trying to explain the concept of 'commercially acceptable' here.

 

[Jeff_S]

Just picked up my GTPE last night. In night mode, with the display at minimum brightness, the buzzing is nearly inaudible. During the day, or in night mode at full brightness, it's obvious and kind of annoying. It's definitely the loudest thing in the car when not driving.

 

[waltermorel]

Just picked up my GTPE last night. In night mode, with the display at minimum brightness, the buzzing is nearly inaudible. During the day, or in night mode at full brightness, it's obvious and kind of annoying. It's definitely the loudest thing in the car when not driving.

Yes, exactly the same for me. I drive the AWR ER

 

[breeves002]

Just picked up my GTPE last night. In night mode, with the display at minimum brightness, the buzzing is nearly inaudible. During the day, or in night mode at full brightness, it's obvious and kind of annoying. It's definitely the loudest thing in the car when not driving.

That's interesting. My buzz on both my FE and GT is louder in night mode than during the day. I never notice it during the day.

 

[Jeff_S]

That's interesting. My buzz on both my FE and GT is louder in night mode than during the day. I never notice it during the day.

Wow- that's definitely different from mine. During the day, the brightness setting makes no difference in the noise- perhaps the minimum setting is limited during the day. At night, dimming it makes the noise much quieter, to the point where my ear needs to be within a couple inches of the display to hear the buzz at the dimmest setting at night.

 

[VijKrishna]

@Chudsaviet

Where can I find these photos of this cover that you created? I want to create something similar & would like to use yours as an example. However, I cannot seem to find the files you've said you've shared and/or any posted photos for some reason.

Please assist. Thanks!

 

[Chudsaviet]

@Chudsaviet

Where can I find these photos of this cover that you created? I want to create something similar & would like to use yours as an example. However, I cannot seem to find the files you've said you've shared and/or any posted photos for some reason.

Please assist. Thanks!

Right here. Feel free to use and modify.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4932024

I used Fusion360 to model, and exported in .f3d and .step formats.

 

[VijKrishna]

Right here. Feel free to use and modify.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4932024

I used Fusion360 to model, and exported in .f3d and .step formats.

Thanks so much!

@Chudsaviet

Do you by chance also hear a high frequency noise when breaking & when accelerating? I hear that as well.

Not sure where that noise is coming from or if it is part of the electrical power train.

 

[Chudsaviet]

Thanks so much!

@Chudsaviet

Do you by chance also hear a high frequency noise when breaking & when accelerating? I hear that as well.

Not sure where that noise is coming from or if it is part of the electrical power train.

On breaking/accelerating - its electric motors and voltage regualtors.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Wow- that's definitely different from mine. During the day, the brightness setting makes no difference in the noise- perhaps the minimum setting is limited during the day. At night, dimming it makes the noise much quieter, to the point where my ear needs to be within a couple inches of the display to hear the buzz at the dimmest setting at night.

That’s kind of weird. The PWM device is pretty much inactive at maximum brightness and is very active at lower brightness levels. ?‍?

That said, my GT-PE does not make enough noise to override my tinnitus. I can put my good ear right next to the IP display and not be able to hear much over my bad ear’s constant racket. I have only tested this in dark mode since that is where the older models seem to have an issue. I will have to put it in light mode in my driveway to see if it’s making noise at full brightness. ??

 

[Jeff_S]

That’s kind of weird. The PWM device is pretty much inactive at maximum brightness and is very active at lower brightness levels. ?‍?

That said, my GT-PE does not make enough noise to override my tinnitus. I can put my good ear right next to the IP display and not be able to hear much over my bad ear’s constant racket. I have only tested this in dark mode since that is where the older models seem to have an issue. I will have to put it in light mode in my driveway to see if it’s making noise at full brightness. ??

Yes, if it's just the PWM dimming that creates the noise, I agree that it should be minimal at full brightness. Perhaps it's that the display is pulling the most current at high brightness, and the high current spikes on every PWM cycle excite the piezoelectric effect in the output filter capacitors. The current can also make the output inductor resonate. In any case, I can't imagine why the Ford (or the panel supplier) engineers are baffled by this one. It's obvious and should be trivial to isolate and eliminate with a minor design update.

 

[phil]

Just picked up my GTPE last night. In night mode, with the display at minimum brightness, the buzzing is nearly inaudible. During the day, or in night mode at full brightness, it's obvious and kind of annoying. It's definitely the loudest thing in the car when not driving.

I picked up my GTRE just a few weeks earlier than that. I can hear absolutely no difference between max and min brightness, dark mode and light mode. Nothing. The only sound I hear is a little mechanical-sounding whirring that seems to come from under the hood; seems to be two distinct sounds/frequencies. Nothing at all from the monitor.

Dunno whether the difference is in our cars or in our ears. My ears are pretty good, but not nearly so young as they used to be.

 

[Tyldum]

The frequency varies depending on brightness, but is quite stable volume-vise.
But it's at the edge of normal hearing range, so many people will have a slight impairment for some of the noise.

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