Tesla Lock Sound Muted After 2026.9.1 Update — How to Fix It

If you updated to Tesla firmware 2026.9.1 and your custom lock sound stopped playing — or went completely silent — you're not the only one. Owners across Model 3, Y, S, X, and Cybertruck are reporting the same thing: the car locks, but no sound comes out.

Here's what happened and how to fix it.

What 2026.9.1 Changed

Tesla's 2026.9.1 update modified how the Boombox system initializes after a reboot. The update itself doesn't delete your sound file or change the WAV format requirements — but it resets the Boombox audio source selection on many vehicles, effectively muting custom lock sounds.

The root cause: 2026.9.1 migrates Boombox preferences to a new settings schema. During migration, some vehicles lose the "USB" source pointer and default back to "None" instead of the stock chime. Your LockChime.wav is still on the USB — the car just isn't looking at it.

Fix 1: Re-Select Your Sound (30 Seconds)

This fixes it for most people:

1. Go to Controls → Safety & Security → Sentry Mode
2. Tap the speaker/sound icon to open Boombox settings
3. Your source may show "None" or "Default" — change it to USB
4. Navigate to your USB and select LockChime.wav
5. Lock the car from your phone to confirm

If you had a separate UnlockChime.wav, you'll need to re-select that too — the migration resets both.

Fix 2: Scroll-Wheel Reboot

If re-selecting doesn't stick (the sound works once then goes silent again on next lock):

1. Park the car and put it in Park
2. Hold both steering wheel scroll wheels for 10 seconds
3. Wait for the screen to go dark and reboot (~60 seconds)
4. After reboot, re-select your sound per Fix 1 above

The reboot forces the new settings schema to write cleanly. Several owners on Tesla Motors Club confirmed this makes the selection persist through subsequent locks.

Fix 3: Re-Format and Re-Copy the USB

If neither fix works, the USB itself may need a clean re-mount:

1. Remove the USB drive from the car
2. On a computer, verify Boombox/LockChime.wav exists and plays correctly
3. Re-insert the USB into the front glovebox port (most reliable for post-update detection)
4. Wait 30 seconds, then re-select your sound in Boombox settings

If your drive is formatted as NTFS, reformat to FAT32 (≤32GB) or exFAT (larger drives) — 2026.9.1 tightened USB filesystem validation. Full USB format guide →

Is This a Bug Tesla Will Fix?

Likely. The 2026.9.1 settings migration is the same kind of issue that caused resets in previous updates. Tesla typically patches migration bugs in the next point release (2026.9.2 or 2026.10). In the meantime, the fixes above work.

Still Quiet Instead of Silent?

If your sound plays but at lower volume (not completely muted), that's a different issue — the 2026.8 volume normalization is still in effect. Fix that with our volume boost guide or the audio converter with the "2026.8 Boost" preset.

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Need a new sound while you're re-setting things up? Browse 950+ free Tesla lock sounds — every download is a ready-to-use LockChime.wav. For the full troubleshooting playbook, see our 7-fix guide.