For the past week or so I've been doing a daily commute of about 40 miles each way as part of a temporary work assignment.  Shortly after I started this temporary assignment, I noticed a strange 'double chime' noise which occurs once only, each time I drive the car.  I've never heard it before (so it's not the bluetooth connection 'bong', for example).

 

The really strange thing is that it happens exactly nine minutes after I start driving - bang on time, every time!!

 

I've tried driving with my phone turned completely off and it still happens, so it can't be coming from the phone, or have anything to do with the phone connection.  I've tried driving with the Bolero turned off and it still happens, so it doesn't seem to be coming from that device either.  No message appears on the Maxidot, or on the Bolero screen (when the Bolero is turned on), and no warning lights show on the dash.

 

I managed to make a (rather poor) recording of it on my way to work this morning, which you can listen to via this link:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_fnHaGfbxPybmdIaW13V2JaVnc/view?usp=sharing

 

I do have another mobile phone in the car, a cheap PAYG for emergencies - but I keep that turned off to preserve the battery.  As far as I know there is no other sound-producing device in the car.

 

Does anyone have any clue as to what it might be?

Is there anything coming up on the MaxiDOT display at the same time?
Does it do it if the radio is not on?

Assuming your on the same journey every day, do you get to a certain speed at the same time every journey and its a speed warning? Do you have any apps running on your phone? Sat nav speed cameras? Do all the warning bulbs light up when you turn the key - in other words is one burnt out that would normally light up the same time as the beep?

Is the outside temp below 4c at that location.

What does the temperature gauge on the maxidot indicate -does it briefly flash with a snowflake symbol alongside? Mine has a bong when the o/s temp gauge falls below 4c-i've had most of the other bongs disabled.

Is there a house with wind chimes and your passing sets them off?

Police doing drug testing ahead and checking for 'bongs'.....hmmm )))

Edited 9 February, 201610 yr by Ryeman

Is there anything coming up on the MaxiDOT display at the same time?

Does it do it if the radio is not on?

 

As I said in the OP: nothing appears on the Maxidot display, and it still happens even if the Bolero is turned off.

 

Assuming your on the same journey every day, do you get to a certain speed at the same time every journey and its a speed warning? Do you have any apps running on your phone? Sat nav speed cameras? Do all the warning bulbs light up when you turn the key - in other words is one burnt out that would normally light up the same time as the beep?

 

I have the speed warning turned off.  Last weekend it happened when I was driving around the centre of town, so nowhere near the motorway speeds I do on the new commute.

 

What does the temperature gauge on the maxidot indicate -does it briefly flash with a snowflake symbol alongside? Mine has a bong when the o/s temp gauge falls below 4c-i've had most of the other bongs disabled.

 

It has been consistently chilly up here recently, but it's definitely not the ice warning - I know what that sounds like and this noise isn't it.  And as I said, there's nothing on the Maxidot.

Nothing electronic in the boot.

Having now finally managed to listen to the attached "noise" link, are you sure that it is the car making it, and not your phone? 
All the "bongs" I have heard from the car have been much deeper and only a single tone.

It sounds like a timeout of some sort - eg failing to connect to a bluetooth phone

Loss of signal......a bit obvious

Having now finally managed to listen to the attached "noise" link, are you sure that it is the car making it, and not your phone? 

All the "bongs" I have heard from the car have been much deeper and only a single tone.

 

My phone was turned fully off on the way home this evening, as was the Bolero, and it still happened!  And, once again, it was nine minutes after moving off (as shown on the Maxidot trip time display).

 

I made the recording using the phone - I think the chime would have been a lot clearer if the phone itself had been making it.

 

I agree, though, that it doesn't have the character of the noises that the car usually chooses to make.

Nothing electronic in the boot.

 

Nope.  And the sound doesn't seem to come from that direction (although I'm aware ithat t can be difficult to locate the origin of high-pitched sounds).

Do you pass an electronic complex or is location not a factor?.

Definitely not a Yeti sound and not a bit obvious.

I wonder if, even switched off, the radio is still in an active rx mode.

The nine minutes after starting off is intriguing. Clutching at straws but does it happen as the engine reaches full operating temperature? Mine seems to reach 90 degrees after about 10 minutes. If you use the car after it's been parked for, say, 30 minutes and it's had a chance to cool down but not fully cold does it still take 9 minutes or is it less?

 

(I played the clip and it sounded to me like a triple beep rather than double - not that that helps of course).

A large civil/military airfield with an active ground radar (secondary surveillance) for tracking taxying in fog etc, would be a good 'external' source.

Not to mention other unmentionable surveillance of course.

Remember BMW had issues with their cars shutting down passing big military installations ~20 odd years ago.

There's an awful lot of 'stuff' out there.

To prove it's an exact time-based event, next time you do the journey, stop say 4 or 5 minutes in to the journey, switch off, startup again and continue the journey.

If it happens exactly 9 mins after the restart then it's definitely a car-related timeout issue.

Not the same fault, but years ago on a Seat Ibiza, I would get the ESP warning light illuminate *exactly* 10 mins after every ignition switch-on.

Eventually traced it to a broken alternator sense wire.

This was one of the various inputs to the ESP module, and the module would flag a warning after 10 mins absence of the signal and disable ESP.

Not suggesting this is your issue, just that some modules in the car will probably have similar timeouts.

Also - I previously owned two B5.5 Passat TDI PD130 estates.

One of them would do a quiet high-pitched triple-beep whenever the ESP/ABS kicked in (like a "stop driving like a ****" warning).

I don't think any other owners of those cars had ever heard it, and my other Passat didn't.

Odd!

When I listen to the recording I hear a TRIPLE beep.  This could be a warning of a malfunction coming from the car, but I don't know what it is trying to tell you as such warnings are usually accompanied by a light to tell you the nature of the fault.  The theory that there is an electronic 9 minute timeout on something missing a sensor signal sounds plausible.   I suggest you get the car scanned for any logged fault codes in case it it something safety related like the braking system.

From the evidence presented I would surmise that it is a "failed to do.... [something]" kind of warning.  I think we can rule out phones, location, temperature or any other variables.

 

Did you get the car new or second hand?

If the latter, perhaps there is some device retro-fitted somewhere that is trying to do something and failing.  Are there any unexpected items present in the fusebox(es)?  Or plugged into the OBD port?

If you switch the ignition on and don't start the engine, does the chime happen after 9 minutes?

If you start the engine but don't start driving, does the chime happen after 9 minutes?

 

Most intriguing!

It doesn't sound like a 'warning' sound, more advisory like when your phone battery goes flat and switches off. I have never heard my car make that noise and as suggested would seem most likely to be some ancillary equipment noise. Do you have any other add-ons lying around? iPod, Satnav, or how about a watch or clock? I love mysteries once thay have been solved so please let us all know when you find out what it is.

To prove it's an exact time-based event, next time you do the journey, stop say 4 or 5 minutes in to the journey, switch off, startup again and continue the journey.

If it happens exactly 9 mins after the restart then it's definitely a car-related timeout issue.

I was holding back on suggesting this....well done, that man.

It doesn't sound like a 'warning' sound, more advisory like when your phone battery goes flat and switches off. I have never heard my car make that noise and as suggested would seem most likely to be some ancillary equipment noise. Do you have any other add-ons lying around? iPod, Satnav, or how about a watch or clock? I love mysteries once thay have been solved so please let us all know when you find out what it is.

sex aid in the glove box....batteries failing.