Low Speed Sound Requirement on Fusion HEV and PHEV

[markn455]

The new low speed nose hybrids and electric vehicles are required to make on the Fusion Hybrid is very strange. It sounds like music you might hear is like you are listing to a sound you might hear in a science fiction dream. Have you heard it? If so, what are your thoughts? I think it sounds sort of cool. Noticeable  but not not startling.

 

 

Mark

[Cobra348]

I first heard it the day I bought it ... Sept 2019.  Def weird.  No one that's crossed in front of me ever even made some sort of questioning face.

[Chad]

My 2019 PHEV Fusion Energi makes no noise which I thought was weird since my neighbors kia makes a weird noise. 

[Cobra348]

We both have '20s and it may have been introduced that model year and not on the '19s.  Toyota RAV4s have a melodic chime-like sound.   To me, Fusion sounds almost like angry wasps.

 

I think it's called "quiet motor warning" because pedestrians seem to not recognize a hybrid on electric that is stopped a foot or 2 away from them.  So they now make noises to remind them.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Cobra348

[mwr]

14 hours ago, Cobra348 said:

To me, Fusion sounds almost like angry wasps.

What is the mechanism that creates that sound? Is it replaceable to create a desired sound?

[Cobra348]

4 hours ago, mwr said:

What is the mechanism that creates that sound? Is it replaceable to create a desired sound?

Unknown - probably electronic generation.  Can be heard front and rear up to a few feet.  Stays on in any gear except Park until 20 MPH.

[Waldo]

20 hours ago, mwr said:

What is the mechanism that creates that sound? Is it replaceable to create a desired sound?

 

It's just a little speaker mounted underneath the car.  It's just playing a short sound file on a loop, so you could theoretically program in a new sound file and have it sound like anything you want.

[mwr]

2 hours ago, Waldo said:

 

It's just a little speaker mounted underneath the car.  It's just playing a short sound file on a loop, so you could theoretically program in a new sound file and have it sound like anything you want.

You would have to find where and how that sound file is stored and get access to it.

[Waldo]

It's called the PACM module and it's located in the right side of the trunk, basically opposite of where the 12V battery is.  But it's on the CAN network, so you just need to work some software magic through the OBD.

[Cobra348]

4 hours ago, Waldo said:

It's called the PACM module and it's located in the right side of the trunk, basically opposite of where the 12V battery is.  But it's on the CAN network, so you just need to work some software magic through the OBD.

Right.  Change to an air horn?  Scare the bejesus outta folks for sure.

[MeeLee]

The new mach e is interesting, 

They use the in-cabin sound through the entertainment system, as an outside sound.

All it does is make an inline sound like a V-configuration. Adds some low end rumble. Ffh has it too, but it's not well noticeable (in cabin, not outside).

 

When your HV battery wears out, the electric motor starts making more whizzing noises.

[Sky14FFH]

On 3/20/2021 at 11:07 PM, markn455 said:

The new low speed nose hybrids and electric vehicles are required to make on the Fusion Hybrid is very strange. It sounds like music you might hear is like you are listing to a sound you might hear in a science fiction dream. Have you heard it? If so, what are your thoughts? I think it sounds sort of cool. Noticeable  but not not startling.

Mark

 

As someone who is a pedestrian daily (3 to 5 miles)  I think they are completely pointless and irritating.  You ALWAYS hear the tires first, rarely the engine. If there was one on my car I'd want it disabled immediately.  I like having a quiet car and not disturbing the neighbors.  What this was was an ant-HEV or electric car legislation done by people who never walk. 

[Cobra348]

On 11/26/2022 at 1:44 AM, Sky14FFH said:

 

As someone who is a pedestrian daily (3 to 5 miles)  I think they are completely pointless and irritating.  You ALWAYS hear the tires first, rarely the engine. If there was one on my car I'd want it disabled immediately.  I like having a quiet car and not disturbing the neighbors.  What this was was an ant-HEV or electric car legislation done by people who never walk. 

First, it only sounds when under 20 MPH, so it doesn't last long.  Second, as a safety feature that has been requested thru safety channels as a desire, why not?  Third, if you don't have a '20 FFE or FFH you won't hear it as a driver.

 

It's really not that bad so why not just suck it up and accept it?  Most if not all hybrids will be going that route anyway.  And you know EVs will.

[Sky14FFH]

5 hours ago, Cobra348 said:

First, it only sounds when under 20 MPH, so it doesn't last long.  Second, as a safety feature that has been requested thru safety channels as a desire, why not?

I had a rental car with it on and I found it annoying.  If it were my car I'd immediately remove it.  As a pedestrian it is also truly annoying.  As a resident it is annoying.  One of the hopes of an electric vehicle world would be that we'd live in a silent environment and right now the one I live in has so much noise pollution.

5 hours ago, Cobra348 said:

 

It's really not that bad so why not just suck it up and accept it?

For the same reason you don't just suck it up and accept the vibration in the lower right passenger well. For the same reason people don't just suck it up and accept the change in daylight savings time.  (there's a bill to eliminate it)  I was in the business of changing things and it really is that bad.  I'm not a stool pigeon who just accepts bad policy and looks the other way.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Sky14FFH

[billford]

On 11/25/2022 at 10:44 PM, Sky14FFH said:

 

As someone who is a pedestrian daily (3 to 5 miles)  I think they are completely pointless and irritating.  You ALWAYS hear the tires first, rarely the engine. If there was one on my car I'd want it disabled immediately.  I like having a quiet car and not disturbing the neighbors.  What this was was an ant-HEV or electric car legislation done by people who never walk. 

 

Maybe if you were blind, you would think different.

[Cobra348]

On 12/3/2022 at 2:59 PM, billford said:

 

Maybe if you were blind, you would think different.

I think that is why the push to get the warning stuff.  Also, if it was disabled somehow by the owner, does that void warranties if it is discovered?  And what about the next driver(s) to get the vehicle expecting the warning to be there and it's not.  <shrug>

 

To me it's annoying only until I hit 20 .

[Sky14FFH]

On 12/3/2022 at 2:59 PM, billford said:

 

Maybe if you were blind, you would think different.

It's because I am legally blind I think this way.  Try again.

 

Maybe if you were a pedestrian you'd think differently. You hear the WHEEL SLAP long before the engine every time.

[Waldo]

9 hours ago, Sky14FFH said:

It's because I am legally blind I think this way.  Try again.

 

Maybe if you were a pedestrian you'd think differently. You hear the WHEEL SLAP long before the engine every time.

 

If you're talking about walking along the side of the road I agree.  If you're talking about in a crowded parking lot, it's not the case at all.  There's been numerous times in my FFH (which doesn't have the sounder) that I've been driving along in EV mode at about 5mph in a parking lot and had people walk in front of me or just walk right down the middle of the row in front of me.  That hardly ever happens when i'm in an ICE vehicle or even when the ICE is on in the FFH.  Plus there's the scenarios of backing out or pulling out of the parking space.  You can't hear tire slap when a car isn't even moving, but an engine or sounder does give a clue that a vehicle is potentially about to move.

[billford]

On 12/4/2022 at 7:09 PM, Sky14FFH said:

It's because I am legally blind I think this way.  Try again.

 

Maybe if you were a pedestrian you'd think differently. You hear the WHEEL SLAP long before the engine every time.

 

I am a pedestrian.  I never hear tire noise when in a parking lot where cars are moving very slowly. But I can always hear engine or exhaust noises. 

 

How do you drive if your blind? If you wear corrective lenses, then its a big difference if you cannot see at all and have to rely on your other senses. 

 

I'm all for the alert system. 

[Sky14FFH]

5 hours ago, billford said:

then its a big difference if you cannot see at all and have to rely on your other senses.

Exactly, then you hear the tire noise a lot more.   No some engines you cannot hear at all.  It was intended by people who never walk to deter purchase of electric cars. One of the big hopes of electric cars was the reduction of noise pollution in addition to air pollution.  Noise pollution is a serious problem where I live and especially those dodges need to be regulated.  I hate attention whores and noisemakers for absolutely no reason whatsoever is not an "alert system".

[Cobra348]

Then I strongly suggest sticking with the vehicle you have now.  The warning tones are going to be part of future vehicles and that will not ever make you happy.  Be happy with your current situation.

[billford]

On 12/6/2022 at 6:52 PM, Sky14FFH said:

Exactly, then you hear the tire noise a lot more.   No some engines you cannot hear at all.  It was intended by people who never walk to deter purchase of electric cars. One of the big hopes of electric cars was the reduction of noise pollution in addition to air pollution.  Noise pollution is a serious problem where I live and especially those dodges need to be regulated.  I hate attention whores and noisemakers for absolutely no reason whatsoever is not an "alert system".

 

You, being a blind driver must have good senses.

I can't hear tire noises with the car is not moving or moving very slowly such as in traffic congestion. 

 

[MeeLee]

Mine only has the sound of a dragging brake pad.