Diagnose clicking sound when plugging in and starting.

AKgrampy

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I am familiar with the sound of coolant flowing when plugging in. This is not that.
I will go watch the shutters when plugging in as suggested by another member. And again, this is a new sound, why would "relays" suddenly start making a new sound.
Not sure why but my Mach also makes that exact sound when plugging in. Not sure that it always did but it has not been as cold as it is now. I intend to look at the shutters too just to see but I realize it is not an issue and just normal operations.
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JamieGeek

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I have already had the car for one New Hampshire winter and this is a sound that it just started making, regardless of the outside temperature. Unless it is a new process that it does as a result of and OTA update, why wouldn't it have done it before.
My Feb '21 delivered car didn't do it at first either but it did come along with an OTA.

Nonetheless it still isn't an issue.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Diagnose clicking sound when plugging in and starting. {filename}
 
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macchiaz-o

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FWIW, I've never heard those five rapid clicks on my vehicle, but it doesn't really get below 30F here. Others in cold climates are saying they here the same.

It reminds me of the sound of a broken air mix/blend or air flow actuator, something I'd often hear on the Fiesta because those actuators failed frustratingly often.
 

jay1122

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My car started to do that rapid click sound too after a certain OTA update.
 

Jimbo

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Relays machine-gunning is never a fun sound (well it is when you're purposely trying to kill a relay for kicks, or to reproduce music, but otherwise no).

I'm in a similar camp, where my '21 never did this (it had one, maybe two clicks), and my '22 never did until it got cold. Initially I was similarly worried, but with the increasing amount of folks mentioning the behavior as it's gotten cold, seems like it's a fairly normal thing. Perhaps Ford added it as part of their HVBJB recall "fix"?

If it leads to shortened contactor life, that'd be unfortunate, but good thing for the warranty.
 


A-A-Ron

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Relays machine-gunning is never a fun sound (well it is when you're purposely trying to kill a relay for kicks, or to reproduce music, but otherwise no).

I'm in a similar camp, where my '21 never did this (it had one, maybe two clicks), and my '22 never did until it got cold. Initially I was similarly worried, but with the increasing amount of folks mentioning the behavior as it's gotten cold, seems like it's a fairly normal thing. Perhaps Ford added it as part of their HVBJB recall "fix"?

If it leads to shortened contactor life, that'd be unfortunate, but good thing for the warranty.
Ford's also updated software for cold weather performance specifically (plus general reliability things).
 

Holm-E

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My Mach-E makes the same sound when I first plug in. I believe it has always done this, but I could be wrong (bought my car in May 2022). It has never alarmed me. I think of it as a "charging activation" sound. I don't think you have anything to worry about. :)
 

tomterky

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I'm hoping the group can help me.
I have a 2021 mach-E premium all-wheel drive extended battery. Picked up, new from dealer December 2021, currently has 12,500 miles.
A few weeks ago it started making a clicking sound, five clicks, when the vehicle is plugged in at home using a level 2 and it also makes the sound when starting. The sound does not continue it stops and you won't hear it again until the next time plugged in or started. The sound,

to me, is similar to when you are starting an ICE vehicle that has a dying battery. Has anyone else experienced this?
Instruments, do not indicate any kind of warning. I will attach a short video that has the sound.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Paul
I got mine in Feb of 2021 and has 23,000 miles on it. Mine also just started making this sound. Same exact thing and I was coming on here to check if anyone else had it occurring. Turns out I was right.

@Ford Motor Company
could you please help us diagnose what is going on?
 
OP
OP

Paulski

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My Mach-E makes the same sound when I first plug in. I believe it has always done this, but I could be wrong (bought my car in May 2022). It has never alarmed me. I think of it as a "charging activation" sound. I don't think you have anything to worry about. :)
Note, it also does it when I start the car, unplugged. So not a "charging activation" sound.
 

JSW

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My FE MMe (Nov. 20 build) started doing this sometime in January, but only when starting the vehicle. Seemed to begin after the dealership tried to diagnose my ongoing 12v battery issues. The clicking sound stopped in March and it just started the clicking again.

My belief/worry has been that it is a sign of a barely functional 12v battery, whose voltage has dropped in the cold. Now that others are experiencing the clicking too, I’ll stop worrying and let y’all figure it out.

Please post the final diagnosis/resolution.
 

generaltso

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@Ford Motor Company
could you please help us diagnose what is going on?
They don't diagnose things. The most they will do will ask for your VIN and dealer info, so feel free to preemptively send it to them. But taking your car to the dealer for this sound is going to be a waste of time. It's normal.
 

sockmeister

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I have already had the car for one New Hampshire winter and this is a sound that it just started making. Unless it is a new process that it does as a result of and OTA update, why wouldn't it have done it before.
OP, I hear THIS EXACT sequence of clicking sounds sometimes. It's completely normal. I don't hear it every time, though. I'd say maybe 10-20% of the time and it's always while plugging in, OR upon pressing the start button.

Honestly, don't worry about it. I'm going on almost 2 years now with this car.

We aren't privy to everything their software is trying to do, here.
 

hawkeye3point1

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I have already had the car for one New Hampshire winter and this is a sound that it just started making, regardless of the outside temperature. Unless it is a new process that it does as a result of and OTA update, why wouldn't it have done it before.
My car has recently started doing this also, sounds slightly different from inside the car though. Definitely not a relay, more mechanical, thought maybe the ABS pump test had changed, but since it happens when on plug, I agree with the shudder suggestion. May have changed with 3.6.1, I noticed that OTA left them wide open. Also possible its from a previous OTA and is just now happening due to low temps.

This car is too smart to cause something like this to happen and not put up a wrench symbol if something is wrong, imo. Think a service visit would be ill advised.
 

JryErok

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I noticed the same thing on mine today when plugging in. Before it also made some clicking noises but with a different timing.
Just recently I got the 22-PU0603-DC-CHG OTA update so maybe that's what caused it.
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