High-Pitched Frequency Update

EazyD · 01-21-2011, 02:32 PM

I think I heard this sound when the fans were blowing the other day.. it went away when I turned the fan off. Is this something else? It's that same high pitched frequency computer power supplies make when they are going bad..

spearfish25 · 01-21-2011, 03:11 PM

It sounds like your ears are ringing and you'll hear it best with your right ear directed at the passenger footwell. That's where the ECM is located which is the culprit. For the engineering types, it sounds like a highly charged capacitor. Think of your really old tube TV when you turn it on....high pitch noise.

kenchan · 01-21-2011, 04:24 PM

yep, the old CRT TV sound spearfish mentioned is a very good discription of wat this noise sounds like. i heard it on the first test drive. im glad i didnt buy that car and got a different color instead.

JungleB · 01-22-2011, 07:57 AM

I posted this on the first page of the thread, but I'll post it again. The high pitched noise sounds like this...

freesound :: view sample :: TONE 10 kHz 44.1 16bit.wav

Quote:

Originally Posted by EazyD

I think I heard this sound when the fans were blowing the other day.. it went away when I turned the fan off. Is this something else? It's that same high pitched frequency computer power supplies make when they are going bad..

EL Diablo · 01-22-2011, 11:07 AM

I swear I am hearing the sound as well.
I have a 2010 with only a few hundred miles on it.
I'll double check today,

Funny I had the sound when I had my '04 350z too.

EazyD · 01-22-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JungleB

I posted this on the first page of the thread, but I'll post it again. The high pitched noise sounds like this...

freesound :: view sample :: TONE 10 kHz 44.1 16bit.wav

Yeah, that's the noise I hear - but I only heard it when the fan was on. Must be something else, then. 1900 miles, 2010Z

Stosh Rickles · 06-19-2011, 12:17 AM

Did anyone see this update on the G37 forum thread re: the same issue? Seems like the logic was that an ECM mapped for ICC (in a car that didn't actually have it) was the problem.

"...apparently the database from the factory says that my car has intelligent cruise control, which it doesn't. Once they realized this, they were able to install the correct ECM with high-frequency fix. I've been running with this new ECM for several months, and it appears that the noise is pretty much gone..."

Posted this in my New Owner thread - didn't get any response.

kayess · 06-19-2011, 09:30 AM

I had this noise from day one from when i bought the car...but i thought it was just me hearing things...o_o

murphman · 06-19-2011, 10:33 AM

had mine fixed this past march. dropped the car off they looked it over but couldnt understand why it was making the noise. I told them what i read on here so they called nissan and orderd a new ecm. Came back a week later to have it installed, no problem since.

Corbitt · 06-20-2011, 08:23 AM

I'm having mine replaced this Thursday or Friday. I don't think I could have talked them into it being the ECU, but I mentioned for them to call into the Tech line as mentioned throughout this thread. As soon as the tech mentioned a high pitch noise coming from the glove box area, the tech line told him to order a new ECU. The call into the tech line for my service tech was very short. Hopefully this fixes the noise. Tech line mentioned that it was a transistor in the ECU.

Thanks

SeattleLion · 06-20-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibul

10MHz is well out of human hearing range. 10KHz, well that might be worth noting.

That is incorrect. Human hearing runs from 20hz to about 20k hz. As we age the top end drops. Most people can here 10khz their entire life.

Stosh Rickles · 11-09-2011, 03:18 PM

FYI, I just got mine resolved... here's how the process/timeline went down:

July: Brought the car into a dealer to confirm the issue. The tech could not hear anything and said Nissan Corporate has no record of such an issue. I asked them if the could put another tech in the car since it's not something everyone can hear, but they felt it wouldn't make a difference. They suggested I contact Nissan Consumer Affairs if I was unsatisfied with the decision.

August: I contacted Nissan Corporate Consumer Affairs and notified them of the issue. They sided with the dealer and stated that if the dealer can't identify the problem, they have no reason to continue the investigation. I expressed my displeasure with that line of thinking both on the phone and via the survey I received after the fact. No one contacted me to follow up, so I assumed I was screwed and gave up.

October: I got extremely lucky and randomly met a guy who works at Nissan Corporate and he quickly sent my issue over to the tech engineering team. They pushed the issue internally and I soon got a call from someone in customer service who set up an appointment for me to send the car back to the same dealer who said the issue didn't exist.

November: The dealer had the car for the day, and called me to confirm that they could indeed hear the issue and agreed it was the ECU. They got the part in, and I just picked the Z up last night to find that the noise is gone and the service report reads, "Install & Program Update ECU."

Based on the experience, my impression is that there are probably plenty of people at Nissan who individually care about resolving this issue once they hear it exists, but as a corporation, Nissan is aware of the issue and wants to pretend it does not exist. I don't see how else the same exact dealer who saw no issue originally would, on second attempt, need only a few hours to confirm the issue and correctly identify its source.

kenchan · 11-09-2011, 03:25 PM

good to hear stosh.

have to remember that folks that pickup the call at nissan corporate could be part-timers or someone with only associate level skills that just comes to work and goes home with their little paycheck.

only ones that really care about their customers or business practice will take the necessary steps to make it right for you.

Vaughanabe13 · 11-09-2011, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spearfish25

It sounds like your ears are ringing and you'll hear it best with your right ear directed at the passenger footwell. That's where the ECM is located which is the culprit. For the engineering types, it sounds like a highly charged capacitor. Think of your really old tube TV when you turn it on....high pitch noise.

A "highly charged capacitor" is not correct, but it is most likely an issue with one or more capacitors. Ceramic capacitors are piezoelectric so an applied voltage will cause mechanical strain, and thus audible noise. They probably used ceramic caps with a high dialectric constant and these are affected by temperature so the ambient temperature in the car and the temperature on the ECU board will likely effect how much you hear the noise. The noise could also be harmonic distortion from a capacitor that has a rapidly changing applied voltage, such as a switching power supply.

Any way you cut it, the board was not designed properly by the engineers and it sounds like a subsequent PCB revision has fixed the issue.

kenchan · 11-09-2011, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaughanabe13

A "highly charged capacitor" is not correct, but it is most likely an issue with one or more capacitors. Ceramic capacitors are piezoelectric so an applied voltage will cause mechanical strain, and thus audible noise. They probably used ceramic caps with a high dialectric constant and these are affected by temperature so the ambient temperature in the car and the temperature on the ECU board will likely effect how much you hear the noise. The noise could also be harmonic distortion from a capacitor that has a rapidly changing applied voltage, such as a switching power supply.

let me guess.... you dont have a gf?

01-21-2011, 02:32 PM	#181 (permalink)
EazyD A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 1,211 Drives: 2010 6MT Sport pkg. Rep Power: 26	I think I heard this sound when the fans were blowing the other day.. it went away when I turned the fan off. Is this something else? It's that same high pitched frequency computer power supplies make when they are going bad.. __________________ Pearl White 2010 370Z Sport, Stillen CBE, tint, K&N drop-in filters, GT-R start button, Kenwood DNX-6980 with backup cam, LED bulbs, Raceseng shift knob. Last edited by EazyD; 01-21-2011 at 03:01 PM.

01-21-2011, 03:11 PM	#182 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	It sounds like your ears are ringing and you'll hear it best with your right ear directed at the passenger footwell. That's where the ECM is located which is the culprit. For the engineering types, it sounds like a highly charged capacitor. Think of your really old tube TV when you turn it on....high pitch noise. __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

01-22-2011, 11:07 AM	#185 (permalink)
EL Diablo Base Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: USA Posts: 91 Drives: Not a 370Z Rep Power: 14	I swear I am hearing the sound as well. I have a 2010 with only a few hundred miles on it. I'll double check today, Funny I had the sound when I had my '04 350z too. maro likes this.

06-19-2011, 10:33 AM	#189 (permalink)
murphman Track Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: houston Posts: 611 Drives: 370z Tour Black 7AT Rep Power: 16	had mine fixed this past march. dropped the car off they looked it over but couldnt understand why it was making the noise. I told them what i read on here so they called nissan and orderd a new ecm. Came back a week later to have it installed, no problem since. __________________ Mod List: FI 18" CBE// Eibach Springs// Rear Camber kit// Ingen CAI//

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01-21-2011, 04:24 PM	#183 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	yep, the old CRT TV sound spearfish mentioned is a very good discription of wat this noise sounds like. i heard it on the first test drive. im glad i didnt buy that car and got a different color instead.

06-19-2011, 12:17 AM	#187 (permalink)
Stosh Rickles Base Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 31 Drives: 370Z Touring/Sport Rep Power: 14	Did anyone see this update on the G37 forum thread re: the same issue? Seems like the logic was that an ECM mapped for ICC (in a car that didn't actually have it) was the problem. "...apparently the database from the factory says that my car has intelligent cruise control, which it doesn't. Once they realized this, they were able to install the correct ECM with high-frequency fix. I've been running with this new ECM for several months, and it appears that the noise is pretty much gone..." Posted this in my New Owner thread - didn't get any response.

06-19-2011, 09:30 AM	#188 (permalink)
kayess Base Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 185 Drives: 10 Nissan 370z MB M6 Rep Power: 14	I had this noise from day one from when i bought the car...but i thought it was just me hearing things...o_o

06-20-2011, 08:23 AM	#190 (permalink)
Corbitt Base Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ft Worth Posts: 41 Drives: Everyone Crazy Rep Power: 15	I'm having mine replaced this Thursday or Friday. I don't think I could have talked them into it being the ECU, but I mentioned for them to call into the Tech line as mentioned throughout this thread. As soon as the tech mentioned a high pitch noise coming from the glove box area, the tech line told him to order a new ECU. The call into the tech line for my service tech was very short. Hopefully this fixes the noise. Tech line mentioned that it was a transistor in the ECU. Thanks

11-09-2011, 03:18 PM	#192 (permalink)
Stosh Rickles Base Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 31 Drives: 370Z Touring/Sport Rep Power: 14	FYI, I just got mine resolved... here's how the process/timeline went down: July: Brought the car into a dealer to confirm the issue. The tech could not hear anything and said Nissan Corporate has no record of such an issue. I asked them if the could put another tech in the car since it's not something everyone can hear, but they felt it wouldn't make a difference. They suggested I contact Nissan Consumer Affairs if I was unsatisfied with the decision. August: I contacted Nissan Corporate Consumer Affairs and notified them of the issue. They sided with the dealer and stated that if the dealer can't identify the problem, they have no reason to continue the investigation. I expressed my displeasure with that line of thinking both on the phone and via the survey I received after the fact. No one contacted me to follow up, so I assumed I was screwed and gave up. October: I got extremely lucky and randomly met a guy who works at Nissan Corporate and he quickly sent my issue over to the tech engineering team. They pushed the issue internally and I soon got a call from someone in customer service who set up an appointment for me to send the car back to the same dealer who said the issue didn't exist. November: The dealer had the car for the day, and called me to confirm that they could indeed hear the issue and agreed it was the ECU. They got the part in, and I just picked the Z up last night to find that the noise is gone and the service report reads, "Install & Program Update ECU." Based on the experience, my impression is that there are probably plenty of people at Nissan who individually care about resolving this issue once they hear it exists, but as a corporation, Nissan is aware of the issue and wants to pretend it does not exist. I don't see how else the same exact dealer who saw no issue originally would, on second attempt, need only a few hours to confirm the issue and correctly identify its source.

11-09-2011, 03:25 PM	#193 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	good to hear stosh. have to remember that folks that pickup the call at nissan corporate could be part-timers or someone with only associate level skills that just comes to work and goes home with their little paycheck. only ones that really care about their customers or business practice will take the necessary steps to make it right for you.