Diagnose clicking sound when plugging in and starting.

[i8iridium]

It sounds really odd to me. I made a video of the sound mine has always made, when waking up. It's the HVBJB contactors. It's always made the same pitch sound when starting, beginning a charge, on both my 2022 GT and my old 2021 Premium. Yours sounds more higher pitch, like you described, a dying battery. Like the contactor tries and fails to close and then finally closes. Note the first two taps is me pressing the door button to wake the car up.

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

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[Mach-Lee]

It sounds really odd to me. I made a video of the sound mine has always made, when waking up. It's the HVBJB contactors. It's always made the same pitch sound when starting, beginning a charge, on both my 2022 GT and my old 2021 Premium. Yours sounds more higher pitch, like you described, a dying battery. Like the contactor tries and fails to close and then finally closes. Note the first two taps is me pressing the door button to wake the car up.

This noise is actually the ABS module (hydraulic control unit) not the contactors. It goes through a precharge or calibration routine when first powered. You can feel it in the brake pedal if you happen to be sitting in the car when it wakes up.

The high voltage contactors have a different sound (I've taken apart a HVBJB and played with them so I know what they sound like), they are much quieter outside the car and sound like a little fridge magnet sticking to the fridge when they close. More of a quick couple clicks than those loud resonant clunks. Here's a recording what they sound like up close (the last loud click in the distance is my EVSE contactor).

Contactor sounds:

I've heard the five clicks referenced in the OP exactly once when it was cold, and I haven't figured out what's making that noise yet.

 

[HGxxx]

I just got the car a few days ago, I hear clicks ( can't tell the difference between the clicks) everytime I wake up the car esp in the morning. I think it's normal ?

 

[Paulski]

This noise is actually the ABS module (hydraulic control unit) not the contactors. It goes through a precharge or calibration routine when first powered. You can feel it in the brake pedal if you happen to be sitting in the car when it wakes up.

The high voltage contactors have a different sound (I've taken apart a HVBJB and played with them so I know what they sound like), they are much quieter outside the car and sound like a little fridge magnet sticking to the fridge when they close. More of a quick couple clicks than those loud resonant clunks. Here's a recording what they sound like up close (the last loud click in the distance is my EVSE contactor).

Contactor sounds:

I've heard the five clicks referenced in the OP exactly once when it was cold, and I haven't figured out what's making that noise yet.

 

[Paulski]

I am not saying you're wrong, but why would an ABS module need to pre-charge and calibrate when vehicle is off and being plugged in to charge?

 

[generaltso]

I am not saying you're wrong, but why would an ABS module need to pre-charge and calibrate when vehicle is off and being plugged in to charge?

Pretty sure he was talking about the sound @i8iridium posted.

 

[mburtsvt]

Your car is haunted.

 

[Paulski]

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 found an interesting video on line regarding the mach-e HVBJB.
Interesting to note the instructor mentions that there are 5 "major" conductors in the unit. I hear 5 clicks relative to the sound I am noticing. I am wondering if maybe this is some kind of a system test of the conductors, confirming they are functional and not welded open or closed. Possibly this was part of the software fix with the recall. Hmm. I am not an engineer so this is just my speculation.

 

[Paulski]

I found an interesting video on line regarding the mach-e HVBJB.
Interesting to note the instructor mentions that there are 5 "major" conductors in the unit. I hear 5 clicks relative to the sound I am noticing. I am wondering if maybe this is some kind of a system test of the conductors, confirming they are functional and not welded open or closed. Possibly this was part of the software fix with the recall. Hmm. I am not an engineer so this is just my speculation.

https://youtube/sZHN3fjDtpc

 

[Mach-Lee]

I am not saying you're wrong, but why would an ABS module need to pre-charge and calibrate when vehicle is off and being plugged in to charge?

It just does it whenever the car is powered on. It must be on a power bus or CAN bus that needs to be woken up for charging so it happens even though it's not needed.

I found an interesting video on line regarding the mach-e HVBJB.
Interesting to note the instructor mentions that there are 5 "major" conductors in the unit. I hear 5 clicks relative to the sound I am noticing. I am wondering if maybe this is some kind of a system test of the conductors, confirming they are functional and not welded open or closed. Possibly this was part of the software fix with the recall. Hmm. I am not an engineer so this is just my speculation.

I posted a recording of what the contactors closing sound like in my previous post. The big and small ones sound different. It would be highly damaging to cycle them open and closed rapidly like your sound. That would never be a "test".

 

[hawkeye3point1]

I've heard the five clicks referenced in the OP exactly once when it was cold, and I haven't figured out what's making that noise yet.

Was out brushing snow of the car today and decided to investigate this noise, thinking it was the shudders. Remote started the car with my hand on them thinking I would feel them vibrate with the noise. They did not, but they did open and close seconds after. The noise seemed to come from the vicinity of the WW fluid res., now thinking it is the WW pump cycling to check to see if it is empty or frozen. It would not repeat with every start.
Thoughts?

 

[Mach-Lee]

Was out brushing snow of the car today and decided to investigate this noise, thinking it was the shudders. Remote started the car with my hand on them thinking I would feel them vibrate with the noise. They did not, but they did open and close seconds after. The noise seemed to come from the vicinity of the WW fluid res., now thinking it is the WW pump cycling to check to see if it is empty or frozen. It would not repeat with every start.
Thoughts?

Yeah not sure, I'm wondering if it's a coolant pump or diverter valve, there's some other things in that area.

 

[Melancholy1980]

I posted on a different thread, but my car is also making the same noise in very cold temps when I plug it in, however I’m now having an issue where it won’t charge above 16amps. It ramps up and then stops and starts over, over and over again. Tried multiple chargers. If I throttle the charge station down to 16amps it charges fine. Not sure if it’s related to this clicking noise issue or not but plan to visit a dealer after the holidays.

 

[awp0]

Found this thread while trying to learn more about these noises. I’m case it helps, my 2022 MME is making an identical clicking sound as shown in the video in the first post. It seems related to cold temps, and it happens every time I walk by my car in the driveway (when it wakes with PAAK). I’ve only noticed it during cold days like today (17F). Seeing that it’s apparently common among other owners in cold weather, I’ll stop worrying about it! Thanks!

 

[JCHLi]

Fwiw, I also have noted these clicks. However, it never concerned me enough to determine when it started or when it occurs.

Fixed mine with a new set of sparkplugs.

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