Fake noise maker

[SparkevBlogspot]

If you had insight, you should appreciate the peace and quiet. Or maybe you're that punk kid blasting the stereo all the time.

According to edmunds, LS460 at idle is 39.2 dB, which is probably dBA (I hate it when they don't put units!). They did not list reference, so I have no idea how loud that is with respect to background. I record 31 dBA inside SparkEV, 32 dBA outside with everything off. Without noise maker, of course, it's the same. But even with noise maker, it's 3 dB quieter than flagship Lexus LS 460, assuming same level of background in Lexus testing. I guess my expectation from a gas car is far less than for EV.

When you're moving and have the fan running, it's different. Lexus is quiet even with AC running pretty hard and road/wind noise is minimal.

 

[NORTON]

If you had insight, you should appreciate the peace and quiet. Or maybe you're that punk kid blasting the stereo all the time. ...

I'm just venting on the noise coming out of the vents. Haha, get it??? :roll:
I hope Chevy engineers put some thought into the HVAC system sound signature of the Bolt! It's possible to move air without making a racket.

Ever since I lived with that Metro I've been in the habit of wearing ear plugs in the crappy eco-S-boxes I drive. Some cars have +90 dB on rough surfaces.
I use and recommend the ones on a string with a foam hemisphere as the plug. They are adjustable by how far in you wear them. Cheap and easy to coil up and store on the shifter.
So when I am listening to music/news/podcasts, whatever, I have it turned up to cover the road noise. It's a good sound level and quality with plugs in.
I do this to save my drums for more important things!

 

[CarlinOC]

I think it is our federal government who is concerned about safety noise for electric vehicles.

Someone mentioned "user configurable".

Perhaps one of these sounds, soon to be mandated by rule by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Minimum Sound Requirements for hybrid and Electric Vehicles"

http://www.nhtsa.gov/SampleSounds

After hearing these, maybe the Spark EV noise is not so bad after all.

Remember, if it ain't broke, the government will fix it until it is! 8-(

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

I wouldn't mind it if it's for actual safety issue. It's been 16 years since Prius has been selling, and you'd think there's been rash of accidents where people running full speed into stopped EV/hybrids and getting hurt. No such thing! This fake noise BS is just that: BS.

 

[NORTON]

Simmer down,,,
It's a Pedestrian Alert Sound.
I had a blind friend years ago. I know what his stance would be on this subject.

It doesn't effect the driver. IF you roll the windows down, turn the radio off and listen carefully you can hear it from the driver's seat.

Remember, this gobmint we like to criticize, mandated clean cars in general, and EV's in particular. We wouldn't be yakking here if it wasn't for the gobmint.

 

[lude219]

My ears are very sensitive and funny enough I have a 2015 prius as well and like you said, it bugs me that the prius is quieter than my '16 spark ev. Thank you for the fuse fix!

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

I had a blind friend years ago. I know what his stance would be on this subject.

So what you're saying is that there has been HUGE number of blind people getting seriously injured for 16+ years, yet government did nothing. But all of a sudden, we have BEV, and they want to do something? It's ridiculous argument. I had many blind people pass in front of my Prius. NONE of them bumped into it, let alone tap it with a cane. If your blind friend is worried about not having this nonsense of a sound, he best not walk around since millions of hybrids on the road don't make any sound.

 

[NORTON]

So what you're saying is that there has been HUGE number of blind people getting seriously injured for 16+ years, ....

Even if it's just one... Actually there may have been minor 'Pedestrian Incidents' that we would never know about.
I feel like I get looks moving in crowded parking lots. Maybe I'm just concerned about sneaking up on a pedestrian and have them do a sudden course change, maybe I'm paranoid.

Just know which column you are in when you start 'Defeating' safety (and emissions) mandated systems....
If it makes you happy, knock yourself out driving around without the extremely annoying Pedestrian Safety sound and without DRL's. What else can you defeat?
You know it turns off above 18mph, right? Can you also hear when it turns off, with your 'very sensitive ears'?

Remember when Walmart semis had a large square bumper sticker on the back that said: "I'm driving with my lights on for Safety" ?
We could sell some that say: "I'm driving with my lights off for Danger" !

 

[AbelGoddard]

As one who GREATLY values silence, it's just about the number one thing I like about my Focus Electric. I ADORE being able to drive so quietly and have, on purpose, snuck up on a few people (as a joke). Hearing that the Spark has a built in noisemaker is disturbing, and I guarantee that removing that fuse is the first thing I'll do when I get one.

Note: I found this thread because I'm actively searching the threads for what actual owners find to complain about the Spark. So far, not much. There are a few one-off mechanical problems, but overall I haven't found anything (besides this noise issue) that qualifies as a design problem that people are just dealing with. That's pretty awesome.

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

but overall I haven't found anything (besides this noise issue) that qualifies as a design problem that people are just dealing with.

There is one issue, and that's DCFC socket. See this blog post.

http://sparkev.blogspot.com/2015/09/solution-problem-with-dc-fast-charge.html

There are other minor things, like temperature showing Celsius most times and randomly showing Fahrenheit. Others mention reverting to 8A L1 charger setting as annoyance, though I think that's a safety feature. You can't do much about those.

 

[AbelGoddard]

Good to know about the DCFC, although there are 2 reasons I'm not tremendously concerned about that. 1, I'm in Dallas, and I don't even know where I'd find one of those chargers here (of course I use PlugShare when necessary). 2, more importantly, I don't think the car I'm buying has the option for it.

I've found a couple of the 'Suggestion' threads, and those are very informative also.

 

[MrDRMorgan]

but overall I haven't found anything (besides this noise issue) that qualifies as a design problem that people are just dealing with.

There is one issue, and that's DCFC socket. See this blog post.

http://sparkev.blogspot.com/2015/09/solution-problem-with-dc-fast-charge.html

There are other minor things, like temperature showing Celsius most times and randomly showing Fahrenheit. Others mention reverting to 8A L1 charger setting as annoyance, though I think that's a safety feature. You can't do much about those.

This may be old info, but for those who do not know, the problem of the display switching to deg. C when you set it to deg. F can be corrected by a software update by the dealer. I had this problem with my 2014 Spark EV and, after the software update, I no longer had the problem - OK for 3 years now.

 

[electrohawk]

I am not sure that this has ever been fully resolved from reading the comments.

Info wise, this is the location of the unit, if you wanted to repair/replace it.
If for off road use only, you could probably put a load resistor in the place of this and have the fuse in and not have any warning lights. This would maybe take a pound or 2 off your overall weight.

 

[AbelGoddard]

I did pull the fuse on mine, and have had no warning lights. But I need to research what software update fixes the C/F issue. I took my car to a dealer last week but he said there's one recall listed for my car that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the fan running all the time or the software update for the C/F and 12/8 changes.

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

I am not sure that this has ever been fully resolved from reading the comments.

The very first post describes a way to disable it by removing the fuse labeled PFAF. But it is good to know where the actual unit is located so I'll know to remove the damn thing next time I'm in the area.

I did pull the fuse on mine, and have had no warning lights.

Pulling the fuse won't cause warning lights but disconnecting it under the radio will. Not sure if disconnecting + pulling fuse will cause warning lights. Resistor may work, though that will need some experiments to see what value is best.

 

[NORTON]

... I ADORE being able to drive so quietly and have, on purpose, snuck up on a few people (as a joke). Hearing that the Spark has a built in noisemaker is disturbing, ...

That's SO funny! Did you ask your victims which is more disturbing, the 'noisemaker' or YOU?

Peeps, it's the future of EV's.
Get used to it and play by the rules. (Would you encourage your kids to break the rules?)

Whistle a happy tune until you get above 19 MPH. Maybe that will help with your "Sens-A-Tive ears".

This car is a noisy S-Box at speed. How do your Sens A Tive ears handle that?

Turn the radio up, or use earplugs, or both! That's how I roll. I'm saving my Sens A Tive ears for more important things.

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

Get used to it and play by the rules.

Norton is right. Always play by the rules and never exceed the speed limit even if everyone else is whizzing past you. I was once at a broken traffic light stuck in red for 3 days, and nearly starved/dehydrated to death. /sarcasm

If everyone obeyed all the rules, we'd be practically extinct by now, or at the very least unable to get out of the house in order to study the billions of rules (laws) that are already on the books and billions more being added every year. It is American to break stupid rules; after all, that's how this country was founded.

 

[MrDRMorgan]

I did pull the fuse on mine, and have had no warning lights. But I need to research what software update fixes the C/F issue. I took my car to a dealer last week but he said there's one recall listed for my car that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the fan running all the time or the software update for the C/F and 12/8 changes.

I too had the deg. C / deg. F problem in my 2015 Spark EV. Have your dealer look up bulletin PI457 DOC ID 4109861. This is a software update and it fixed the problem.

 

[AbelGoddard]

(Would you encourage your kids to break the rules?)

Yes I would. And do. Rules that don't make sense are stupid. I encourage my daughter - and everyone - to think about things. Why do this? Why say that? What would happen if I...? Accept that actions have consequences and be ready to answer for your actions.

As to my sensitive ears - yeah, I've discovered that the Spark is not nearly as quiet as I would prefer. But I'm going to make it as quiet as I can, and usually that means driving fairly slowly. That's my solution for now, everyone has to deal with their own problems their own way.

 

[NORTON]

... the Spark is not nearly as quiet as I would prefer. ..

There are lots of ear plug styles that drop the db's in your ears a lot and they don't cost much.
Save your hearing now so you can hear what your grankids 'think about things'!
With loud noises, it's use it and lose it.

Defeating 'Safety Systems' is fair game for all?

What about 'Emission Systems' ? Every man for himself? VW did nothing wrong? Condone those kids 'Rolling Coal' in their diesels because "Free Thinking" is good?

Whatever, you guys know you can't hear that goofy LITTLE noise once you are above ~5 mph.