Mach e hurts my ears

[GT_order_#1001]

The OP needs to gather more information before blaming EVs for the ear aches. For example, has the couple traveled in non-EVs lately (cars, buses, planes) and not suffered ear aches? What has an ear / nose / throat doctor concluded after an examination and testing? Is there an environmental factor in their home that has led to a sensitively to car cabin sounds or pressures?

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[jlauro]

If that were the cause, I'd expect the kids would be suffering, not the parents. OP reports the opposite.

Not really if the kids are in the back seat and the parents are driving. Proximity to the dash has a lot to do with it, if it is that problem...

You could try sitting in the back (or your wife) and see if it hurts in the back seat.

 

[voxel]

The Mach e hurts my ears. It hurts my wife's ears too, but not my kids. I know it sounds dumb. It's hard to describe. It's not a sound at all. Just when I am in the car my ears start to hurt, even when it is sitting still so I know it isn't the low frequency boom that the Tesla's and Audi's sometimes get on rough roads. I just got back from the Ear Dr who said I have negative pressure in my left ear, whatever that means.

Just a little background, I bought a Tesla Model Y in September of 2020. It was great for the first 9 days, but then we hit a small bump and it hurt my ears ever since so I had to get rid of it. I test drove two Mach e. They didn't hurt my ears so I finally took over an order and 9 months later, that came in on November 20. Of course when I drive my Mach e my ears start to hurt.

Any ideas? Why would 2 completely different EV hurt my ears and my wife's ears? I would say that maybe it is just an ear problem that I have, but then why would my wife feel it too? Why would 2 test drives of Mach e have no issues but then the one I waited 9 months for have an issue?

I remember you discussing this on the Tesla forums and a few OTHERS have experienced the same. Super weird problem to have.

We have owned the same cars and I have not encountered the same pain. Have others sat in the Y and MME and complained about the same pain? If that is the case.. then it is the car.. if not it might be you and your wife who are sensitive to some frequency or pressure.

 

[DrSteveBrule]

I had a similar issue in one of the two Tesla Model 3s I've owned. I felt inner ear pressure that became painful. The second one was great in this sense. The first one I always believed had issues with the frameless windows sealing properly. The service center worked on this and made an improvement, but I returned it while I still could. The issue only happened when driving. Odd that you experience it when stationary. Is it there with the car off?

 

[Peaceowl]

See an ear specialist and get a hearing test. They can check your for frequency problems. They can also fit you with hearing aids that can lower the irritation to the ear. Have you tried anything like earplugs? Isit both ears? Do you live at higher elevation? As I get older my rars are more sensitive to sounds and wind. It is odd though that both of you have this problem. May be pressure related. But im hoping a good hearing test will give you answers.

j

 

[dtbaker61]

The Mach e hurts my ears. It hurts my wife's ears too, but not my kids. I know it sounds dumb. It's hard to describe. It's not a sound at all. Just when I am in the car my ears start to hurt, even when it is sitting still so I know it isn't the low frequency boom that the Tesla's and Audi's sometimes get on rough roads. I just got back from the Ear Dr who said I have negative pressure in my left ear, whatever that means.

Just a little background, I bought a Tesla Model Y in September of 2020. It was great for the first 9 days, but then we hit a small bump and it hurt my ears ever since so I had to get rid of it. I test drove two Mach e. They didn't hurt my ears so I finally took over an order and 9 months later, that came in on November 20. Of course when I drive my Mach e my ears start to hurt.

Any ideas? Why would 2 completely different EV hurt my ears and my wife's ears? I would say that maybe it is just an ear problem that I have, but then why would my wife feel it too? Why would 2 test drives of Mach e have no issues but then the one I waited 9 months for have an issue?

1. clean your ears.... seriously. As we get older ear wax can be a problem

2. try cracking the rear windows just a tad. It might introduce some road noise, but will reduce the 'tightness' of the cabin and whatever pressure variation might be happening in the cabin.

3. try putting the center console in 'dark' display mode. This might reduce the intensity of whatever electronics noises are hitting you in the front seat, and maybe not making it to the kids in the back seat.

 

[ScottMcCool]

It's not quite the type of sound you're thinking of -- it's not a high-pitched 15khz sound that only kids can hear, but more of a low-pitched square wave humming noise that's barely audible. It's the kind of sound that can give people nausea if they're especially sensitive to it.
However, adjusting the instrument cluster brightness seems to change the pitch and frequency, which should alleviate that.

How much should I adjust the instrument cluster? Is knocking it down two bumps enough?

 

[Carsinmyblood]

How much should I adjust the instrument cluster? Is knocking it down two bumps enough?

Try it and see. Let US know if 2 bumps is enough.

Other maybe mentioned, change the air handler to recirculate.

 

[DYohn]

Back in the 70's a friend of mine had a Pantera. That thing hurt my ears when he let me drive it, but I didn't really care.

 

[Logal727]

How much should I adjust the instrument cluster? Is knocking it down two bumps enough?

Hey Scott, glad you finally got your car, remember talking to you on Reddit. Sorry to hear you that you are having the same issues as the Tesla, definitely a weird issue, hopefully you get it figured out.

 

[ScottMcCool]

I really appreciate all the replies! Some follow up answers to some of the questions:

I saw an Ear Dr yesterday. I have negative pressure in my left year. It is possible that I have an ear problem that makes me sensitive to this, but then why does it effect my wife too? We both have ear problems?

I definitely cannot say an EV is causing it. However, I felt the ear pressure in the 13 months I drove my Tesla and now in the 1 month I have been driving the Mach e. I want to try all the things suggested, but the problem is it is a gradual feeling. I'll drive the car and then after a while my ears will hurt. So to test it, I will have to make a change, and then drive the car for a week to see if it makes any difference.

I really love this car. There are plusses and minuses comparing it to my Tesla, but overall I like the Mach e better. It would break my heart to get rid of it.

 

[ScottMcCool]

Try it and see. Let US know if 2 bumps is enough.

Other maybe mentioned, change the air handler to recirculate.

I bumped it down twice today. I'll need to drive it for a week to see if it makes a difference. It is a gradual feeling. I don't necessarily feel it right away so it is hard to test.

I tried various AC settings in my Tesla and they didn't help.

I'm hopeful about the screen being the source. That would explain why we feel it when the car isn't moving and why we didn't feel it in the test drives of other cars.

 

[murphy62]

Have the bumpers on the trunk lid adjusted. They are not right and are allowing air to be pumped as the trunk lid moves. The trunk lid is big and a very small motion can move a lot of air which changes the pressure against your ear drum. This problem was discussed in the Tesla forum before Tesla shut it down a year or so ago.

 

[carbonizedbrett]

So I feel like I've had a similar issue from time to time. It's not super dramatic or obvious.

It's similar to what happens when you have a bad combination of windows open - like that wub-wub-wub but without the oscillation and wind noise.

I've wondered if it has something to do with the subwoofer's infinite baffle. It's ported to the exterior of the car and I wonder if that can cause some pressure oscillation related to vehicle motion or wind.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

I bumped it down twice today. I'll need to drive it for a week to see if it makes a difference. It is a gradual feeling. I don't necessarily feel it right away so it is hard to test.

I tried various AC settings in my Tesla and they didn't help.

I'm hopeful about the screen being the source. That would explain why we feel it when the car isn't moving and why we didn't feel it in the test drives of other cars.

Have a neighbor drive with a big fluffy pillow covering the screen. Sit in the back seat.

Call a local sound engineering professor at a local college and see if he can get a few students to study this and work it into a paper. They might have instruments sensitive enough to figure this out.

If it's real, it's detectable and that means it can be located.

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