teslamotorclub: Where's the charging port? part 3

Maybe you should ban that "TEGed" user? Are they adding any value here?
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Tesla's new connector is the "Monkeyface"?
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vfx said: ?

Tesla's new connector is the "Monkeyface"?
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Feed the hungry monkey a banana?

:biggrin:
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OK, so is it going to be possible to pop that port door open manually by pushing on the right side?

I hope so. Because it may well get frozen shut. Even a little tiny bit of ice can prevent an automated door opening, where a manual opening can crack the ice.
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lol...so true
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TEG said: ?

Feed the hungry monkey a banana?
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The Model S itself has a banana-ish touch (pointing out the obvious here?)...
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neroden said: ?

OK, so is it going to be possible to pop that port door open manually by pushing on the right side?

I hope so. Because it may well get frozen shut. Even a little tiny bit of ice can prevent an automated door opening, where a manual opening can crack the ice.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it would be (just like the door handles will be, as confirmed by Tesla folks and when Elon pushed them out manually at the beta event).

Hope you didn't get snowed in before Halloween in Ithaca! That was a freakish snowstorm!
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neroden said: ?

OK, so is it going to be possible to pop that port door open manually by pushing on the right side?

I hope so. Because it may well get frozen shut. Even a little tiny bit of ice can prevent an automated door opening, where a manual opening can crack the ice.
Click to expand...

I asked about that at the NYC Model S event and the guy said he isn't 100% sure but didn't think so. I mentioned malfunctioning and being able to open it manually (along with the door handles) and he said he is confident the engineers will have it figured out and working perfectly.

-Shark2k
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I think it is just held in place with a magnet, so you could probably pop it open with a tool like maybe a flat blade screwdriver.
But hopefully it never "malfunctions"...
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TEG said: ?

I think it is just held in place with a magnet, so you could probably pop it open with a tool like maybe a flat blade screwdriver.
But hopefully it never "malfunctions"...
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Yes, it was held in place with a magnet. There was a mechanism to open the door. I could be remembering wrong and it could be that I was talking to the guy about the door handles. I think that might actually be the case.

-Shark2k
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We tried to deduce how the charge door flap worked in another thread.
I concluded it was something like this:
A permanent magnet in the flap holds onto a metal rod in the tail-light. A spring is trying to make it open but the magnet prevents that.
Then you push to release button inside the car which activates an electromagnet in the tail light that has a reverse field and temporarily repels the magnet in the flap, pushing it away and then the spring takes over.

I have no idea how the door handle mechanism works.
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Hi,

I remember when I was a kid my friends and I liked to fiddle with the tail light of 1956 Cheys to see the hidden fuel filler pipe. We didn't damage anything, but I guess if I were the owner I wouldn't have appreciated all the attention. As an upcoming Model S owner I'm not against there being some sort of locking mechanism that is released from within the cabin to reduce the likelihood of some kids breaking off the tail light door or fiddling with the charging jack. So the way I envision this working would be first the charger port door is unlocked, either from inside or via a key fob, or via a Tesla charging cable, and then if the automatic release didn't work (say due to ice) the owner could still push on the unlocked charger door to hopefully release it. However, in the absence of these unlocking mechanisms casual strangers should not be able to push on the door to open it.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for this feature, but I imagine that lots of luxury cars have locking fuel doors.

Larry
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Larry Chanin said: ?

I'm not holding my breath waiting for this feature, but I imagine that lots of luxury cars have locking fuel doors.
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Even the Nissan Altima does. You need to pull a lever next to the driver's seat, and can't open it without that I think. It is similar on the Prius if I remember correctly.
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Norbert said: ?

Even the Nissan Altima does. You need to pull a lever next to the driver's seat, and can't open it without that I think. It is similar on the Prius if I remember correctly.
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Other cars, such as my G37, simply lock the filler door when you lock the car. There is no lever to pull; you just open the filler door with your hand.
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I dont understand, why again Tesla decided to place the charging port in a such exposed position. Is there no fear of vandalism? A better protected position complete inside, under a hood would be better. And no restriction of the plug size etc.
Then we were able to get our mennekes scoket fpr 3-ph charging as well as a nice socket for high current DC-Charging.
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Eberhard said: ?

A better protected position complete inside, under a hood would be better. And no restriction of the plug size etc.
Then we were able to get our mennekes socket for 3-ph charging as well as a nice socket for high current DC-Charging.
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+1

The little flap hanging open is such a tempting target for someone to vandalize while charging at a public location, or even accidentally getting whacked during charging. I predict lots of expensive replacements of these doors -- undoubtedly, not under warranty.
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Robert.Boston said: ?

The little flap hanging open is such a tempting target for someone to vandalize while charging at a public location....
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I don't get this

I've never had anyone try to mess with my Roadster, nor anyone ever mess with the fuel filler door on any of my ICE cars. Never heard of anyone messing with a Leaf or a Volt either for that matter. I'm not being naive in imagining this never happens period, but seriously folks how much of an issue can this really be?
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NigelM said: ?

I don't get this

I've never had anyone try to mess with my Roadster, nor anyone ever mess with the fuel filler door on any of my ICE cars. Never heard of anyone messing with a Leaf or a Volt either for that matter. I'm not being naive in imagining this never happens period, but seriously folks how much of an issue can this really be?
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As a previous RAV4EV driver, knowing a few in the RAV4EV community, I have never heard of anyone messing with its charge door. Many of us disabled the latch, also, so it was just a pull open lid, and no one ever messed with that when not charging, either. Charger paddles were vandalized, but it seemed like it happened at night, probably by the local Justin Bieber fans wanting to get a charge.

But, what with mainstream news, of course anything that happens in Sarasota is heard about in San Francisco, and everyone fears. I prefer to take my chances, and have a spare reflective cover handy in the frunk.
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Where the charge door currently is, you can probably see in the rear view mirror if it still open.
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Norbert said: ?

Where the charge door currently is, you can probably see in the rear view mirror if it still open.
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Guess it will have the same warning the Roadster has = you can't engage the motor if the chargeport door is open.
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Eberhard said: ?

I dont understand, why again Tesla decided to place the charging port in a such exposed position. Is there no fear of vandalism? A better protected position complete inside, under a hood would be better. And no restriction of the plug size etc.
Then we were able to get our mennekes scoket fpr 3-ph charging as well as a nice socket for high current DC-Charging.
Click to expand...

That takes 3 steps and a huge hood.

1. Open the hood.
2. Look for where the port is.
3. plug in

With Tesla's port, it's not even an extra single step, you can just do it by completing the forward motion with the connector as the door opens during the movement (or earlier).
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NigelM said: ?

Guess it will have the same warning the Roadster has = you can't engage the motor if the chargeport door is open.
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So you can immobilize that $100k going-300-miles doing-sixty-under-4.5 beast by ripping of the charge port door?
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VolkerP said: ?

So you can immobilize that $100k going-300-miles doing-sixty-under-4.5 beast by ripping of the charge port door?
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Yes. But a vandal can also slash your tires, smash your windscreen or take a chainsaw to the front of your car. They can also put sand in an ICE gas tank. The risks are not worse than with any other car. Although, if the place you live is that scary, suggest you move house?
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NigelM said: ?

Yes. But a vandal can also slash your tires, smash your windscreen or take a chainsaw to the front of your car. They can also put sand in an ICE gas tank. The risks are not worse than with any other car. Although, if the place you live is that scary, suggest you move house?
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hope you do not fear rain with fine aerosols or snow with little crystals finding their way into the socket while being exposed to the outside climate. Remember, it never rains in southern california, but what about the rest of the world?
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Eberhard said: ?

hope you do not fear rain with fine aerosols or snow with little crystals finding their way into the socket while being exposed to the outside climate. Remember, it never rains in southern california, but what about the rest of the world?
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No, I don't.
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VolkerP said: ?

So you can immobilize that $100k going-300-miles doing-sixty-under-4.5 beast by ripping of the charge port door?
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I don't think it would be particularly easy to do any intentional damage there. If it turns out to be a problem for any reason, for example due to malfunctions, then they could issue a software update allowing an override from the touchscreen.
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Charge Port location

The charging port is located on the drivers side rear reflector lens. No one would ever think it was located behind a triangular shaped lens. Both sides of the vehicle have the same lens. The brochure that I have has what appears to be a gas cap door just forward of this lens. I was in New York to see the car last weekend.
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gg_wants_a_tesla said: ?

I'm sure it would be (just like the door handles will be, as confirmed by Tesla folks and when Elon pushed them out manually at the beta event).

Hope you didn't get snowed in before Halloween in Ithaca! That was a freakish snowstorm!
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Nope, not snowed in! I was doing a bit of late-season gardening which the snow interfered with though. :-( Managed to deal with it the next week though.
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