teslamotorclub: Scalding Hot Door Handles! part 1

geez, we were in for a surprise on a hot texas day! my five year old pretty much burned his hand by touching the intensely hot door handle that was roasting under the texas sun for 5 hours! be careful if you guys are in hot areas with your children opening the door by themselves. need to bring a towel with me to open the doors!
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+1000 to this.

My daughter asked me or my wife to open the door for her after the car has been in the sun.
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im sure my son will ask me from now...
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Been there, too. Being a mile closer to the sun makes them handles into branding irons

I think we know the reason most every other door handle in the world is painted body color, or dark plastic.
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So glad that this came up - the handles really do get way too hot. - even in Switzerland It's strange that this never came up during prototype testing in the hot California sun.
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I'm in California and this is also a known issue. The door handles do get quite hot and I wish they wouldn't.

But, if it's a choice between the current sexy look of the handles, and having some hotness to the touch, I'll take the aesthetic joy at the cost of physical discomfort. Maybe with the X and next version of handles, we will have the same sexy look without the heat.

- K
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This has been discussed before on this forum. One of the best suggestions I remember was placing some felt on the inside of the door handle. I haven't done this yet, but I was planning on it.

What I have been doing in the meantime is making sure the air conditioner is on a while before entering the car. Use the app to turn it on while your still in the store or whatever. It seems like the excess pressure inside the car vents through the door handles and will do a pretty good job of cooling them down before you get there.
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i guess in the summer they are "too hot to handle" and in the winter "too cold to hold" : ) - just like the old ghost busters song : )
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I suppose Tesla could switch to plastic door handles that just look like chrome. That way they won't get hot.

To avoid this problem, pre-cool the vehicle using your app. Cool air circulates around the door handles and should make them tolerable on a hot day.
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i do this in texas---turn on AC way before entering car, and it is still scalding hot! maybe it helps a bit but hard to cool 100 degree heat!
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I usually pre-cool the car about 30-45 minutes before getting in the car. Obviously the handles get insanely hot here in Vegas, the pre-cool session last 30 minutes IIRC, so I usually have to cool more than once if I'm pre-cooling for 45 minutes. I've been toying with installing a small strip of felt in the inside of the handle where the hand would most likely touch it.
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First time poster here (having just ordered a pre-owned S for delivery next week and still high from the test drive) gotta say this sounds like an aftermarket opportunity waiting for implementation.

Have some very good industrial, dark grey felt handy...it's all about the adhesive now, and I've got a fairly impressive collection of that, too.

Don't anybody touch those beautiful metal handles...
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Pffft. Drive with mittens.
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Sound's Good said: ?

First time poster here (having just ordered a pre-owned S for delivery next week and still high from the test drive) gotta say this sounds like an aftermarket opportunity waiting for implementation.
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I don't imagine there is any plan to address this... it certainly is a well documented issue, yet it appears the new Model X is maintaining the same chrome handles.
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mbaier said: ?

i guess in the summer they are "too hot to handle" and in the winter "too cold to hold" : ) - just like the old ghost busters song : )
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Wow. Swiss owner quoting Bobby Brown rapping. Total pwnage.
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Khatsalano said: ?

I'm in California and this is also a known issue. The door handles do get quite hot and I wish they wouldn't.

But, if it's a choice between the current sexy look of the handles, and having some hotness to the touch, I'll take the aesthetic joy at the cost of physical discomfort. Maybe with the X and next version of handles, we will have the same sexy look without the heat.

- K
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lol. This statement reminded me of wearing four inch stilettos- painful but oh so worth it.
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Stick a piece of the "fuzzy" velcro on the back side of the handle.......pretty simple fix.
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Same thing here in PA.
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Here in California, we're famously laid back and always wear our shirts untucked. So it's pretty easy to grab the handle with the bottom of my shirt, if it's a very hot day and the handle has been in the direct sun for a while.
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I've had my Tesla's through 3 summers here in LA and I've never had a problem with hot handles (and I park in the sun at work also).
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Khatsalano said: ?

Wow. Swiss owner quoting Bobby Brown rapping. Total pwnage.
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in the eighties I thought bobby brown was cool
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Tdriver said: ?

Stick a piece of the "fuzzy" velcro on the back side of the handle.......pretty simple fix.
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I have two concerns with this fix - one, that somehow it will interfere with the handle operation and Tesla will say it's not a warranty fix since I added a piece of fuzzy velcro to them. And two, that the adhesive will fail in the super heat we're talking about and fall off, leaving a sticky gummy mess.
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hmm... My car is parked out in the 95 degree sun all day. I didn't realize that warm/hot door handles were an issue. Never felt anything more than mildly warm door handles when I tug on them -- I don't really grip them with my entire hands.
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I think individual variation in human physiology plays a significant role in the varying reactions to hot door handles posted in this thread. Some people's fingers are much more sensitive to temperature than others. My wife can handle hot pot handles without complaint, handles that I use pot holders on because I can't tolerate them bare handed. The difference is not explained by "Well she does all the cooking". She hates to cook, I do it. [emoji3]
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Thankfully our handles operate by popping the doors open with just a light tug, so it's a moment of discomfort only. But my kids aren't ... mature enough to let go quickly and have screamed. Of course, they scream at anything. Man kids are ... precocious.
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I have found this on 3 summers now... My kids and I call them "nuclear hot".
Pre-cooling the car exhausts enough cabin air out through the door handles, making them much easier to touch for more than just a moment.
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I think the color of the car greatly affects this as well. Seems to be less of an issue on white cars. I haven't noticed a problem on mine being in100+ degree days. But i bet its very much an issue on Black or darker colors.
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I wonder if the handles could be manufactured with horizontal 'ribs' on the insides thus maintaining the current look and if that would reduce the scorch/freeze factor?

An alternative method could be to cast 'hollow' handles, thus reducing the heat mass.
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Here in Phoenix we really know about hot. The door handles were untouchable during the hottest part of our summer, where temps got into the 118+ zone this year.

I set an alarm for when I know I'm leaving somewhere, start by venting the roof with the AC on full, then close the roof about 5 minutes later. If I get the car into the high-70s, as has been reported above the handles are touchable. But even then, I pop it quick then reach for the corner of the window to finish opening the door.

Agree that, although uncomfortable and requiring a workaround, the sexy steel look is preferable to painted.
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perkiset said: ?

Here in Phoenix we really know about hot. The door handles were untouchable during the hottest part of our summer, where temps got into the 118+ zone this year.

I set an alarm for when I know I'm leaving somewhere, start by venting the roof with the AC on full, then close the roof about 5 minutes later. If I get the car into the high-70s, as has been reported above the handles are touchable. But even then, I pop it quick then reach for the corner of the window to finish opening the door.

Agree that, although uncomfortable and requiring a workaround, the sexy steel look is preferable to painted.
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what amazing detail! i will start doing the same. im in 100 degree hot dallas, and have a black car too....be careful everyone...cant wait for summer to end
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AmpedRealtor said: ?

I suppose Tesla could switch to plastic door handles that just look like chrome. That way they won't get hot.

To avoid this problem, pre-cool the vehicle using your app. Cool air circulates around the door handles and should make them tolerable on a hot day.
Click to expand...

I noticed this too recently and was surprised that pre-conditioning cooled the handles.
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Not found it a problem in Australia.
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I find it's not so much the temperature as being directly in the sun. Generally the handles will be hot on only one side of the car.

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thecloud said: ?

Here in California, we're famously laid back and always wear our shirts untucked. So it's pretty easy to grab the handle with the bottom of my shirt, if it's a very hot day and the handle has been in the direct sun for a while.
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That's what I do.
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Dborn said: ?

Not found it a problem in Australia.
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Everything's backwards there. I'll bet the INSIDE door handles are the ones that get hot there
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In other threads on this subject, people have mentioned using gaffer's tape on the inside of the door handles. I've been meaning to try that myself for some time, but never seem to remember when I have the spare time. I know that the adhesive on gaffer tape is quite heat resistant, so theoretically it shouldn't melt or run.
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Personally I love the feel of a solid metal door handle. Of course, since I can hold a beaker of boiling water for several seconds, the thermal downsides are of negligible concern to me. Plastics just wouldn't be a good substitute esthetically. Carbon fiber with a surface slab of metal veneer might feel and look OK though.
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Not only the handles, but the whole body, and I have problems closing the frunk.
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I've had a problem with the door handles being too hot to touch a few times. First in Eastern Washington in 105+ degree temps not long after we first got the car, but even recently on a mid-90s sunny day in Western Washington where we're not known for temperature extremes. I'm sure that having a darker color car contributed.

I'm reluctant to try a custom fix of my own given how often it's likely to be an issue where I live, but I absolutely see how it could be problematic in hotter locations.
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I have this problem with my car. Because I had my car wrapped in vinyl, I also had the handles wrapped in the same color. Problem solved - no more having to touch hot metal. Now it just feels warm.
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I also have Xpel on the handles and I've never noticed the handles to be uncomfortably hot.

That may also be due to having a white car, or because San Diego is not as extreme as places like Phoenix.

Does anyone with a dark colored car in a hot climate have Xpel wrapped door handles for comparison?
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tezco said: ?

Personally I love the feel of a solid metal door handle. Of course, since I can hold a beaker of boiling water for several seconds, the thermal downsides are of negligible concern to me. Plastics just wouldn't be a good substitute esthetically. Carbon fiber with a surface slab of metal veneer might feel and look OK though.
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I always assumed the handles were chromed plastic - you're saying they're solid metal?
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MileHighMotoring said: ?

I always assumed the handles were chromed plastic - you're saying they're solid metal?
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Yes. solid metal.
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liuping said: ?

I also have Xpel on the handles and I've never noticed the handles to be uncomfortably hot.

That may also be due to having a white car, or because San Diego is not as extreme as places like Phoenix.

Does anyone with a dark colored car in a hot climate have Xpel wrapped door handles for comparison?
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I'm getting the car wrapped on Tuesday and live in LA. Went on a trip to Palm Springs and nearly singed my hand on the door handles. (Was 109 outside).

I'll take the car out in the sun tomorrow before noon and test temps, then test again after the wrap.
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Door handle test - Before Xpel

So here is the test without Xpel, not sure running the AC for 30 mins cooled the handles at all.
Honestly, the handles were hot enough I wouldn't want my kids touching them.
Getting the car wrapped this week, will test again once I have it back.

11:15 - car in garage / out of the sun

Handle 79.0

Garage temp: 81.1

Car inside temp 79.0

11:20 - moved car in sun to start test

handle 81.5

Outside temp 81.0

Car Inside temp 79.5

12:20 - in sun for an hour

Handle 140.1

Outside Temp 83

Car inside Temp 104.7

Car surface 143.5

12:50 - w/ AC on for 30 mins

Handle 139.7

Outside Temp 85

?Car inside Temp 76

Car surface 144.7

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tezco said: ?

Of course, since I can hold a beaker of boiling water for several seconds, the thermal downsides are of negligible concern to me.
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Please post a video of you doing this - that would be an awesome site to see!
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liuping said: ?

I also have Xpel on the handles and I've never noticed the handles to be uncomfortably hot.

That may also be due to having a white car, or because San Diego is not as extreme as places like Phoenix.

Does anyone with a dark colored car in a hot climate have Xpel wrapped door handles for comparison?
Click to expand...

MC Red is not exactly dark but I have Xpel on the flat exterior of the handles and have not every noted the handles being significantly hot other than today. Just for the 1 second it took to open the door. My daughter noted it too but not a big deal. While we get some hot temps here (up to 108 this week), our summers have not been nearly as hot the past 4-5 years as they were 10 years ago.
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First world problems here ... just apply a carbon decal to the door handle and problem solved!

Hussain said: ?

I usually pre-cool the car about 30-45 minutes before getting in the car. Obviously the handles get insanely hot here in Vegas, the pre-cool session last 30 minutes IIRC, so I usually have to cool more than once if I'm pre-cooling for 45 minutes. I've been toying with installing a small strip of felt in the inside of the handle where the hand would most likely touch it.
Click to expand...

yo mama said: ?

Pffft. Drive with mittens.
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thecloud said: ?

Here in California, we're famously laid back and always wear our shirts untucked. So it's pretty easy to grab the handle with the bottom of my shirt, if it's a very hot day and the handle has been in the direct sun for a while.
Click to expand...

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Thank you for doing this! Very interesting.

fieldalias said: ?

Door handle test - Before Xpel

So here is the test without Xpel, not sure running the AC for 30 mins cooled the handles at all.
Honestly, the handles were hot enough I wouldn't want my kids touching them.
Getting the car wrapped this week, will test again once I have it back.

11:15 - car in garage / out of the sun

Handle 79.0

Garage temp: 81.1

Car inside temp 79.0

11:20 - moved car in sun to start test

handle 81.5

Outside temp 81.0

Car Inside temp 79.5

12:20 - in sun for an hour

Handle 140.1

Outside Temp 83

Car inside Temp 104.7

Car surface 143.5

12:50 - w/ AC on for 30 mins

Handle 139.7

Outside Temp 85

?Car inside Temp 76

Car surface 144.7

Click to expand...

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fieldalias said: ?

Btw this is the car in the sun:
Click to expand...

In Australia?
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fieldalias said: ?

Door handle test - Before Xpel

So here is the test without Xpel, not sure running the AC for 30 mins cooled the handles at all.
Honestly, the handles were hot enough I wouldn't want my kids touching them.
Getting the car wrapped this week, will test again once I have it back.

11:15 - car in garage / out of the sun

Handle 79.0

Garage temp: 81.1

Car inside temp 79.0

11:20 - moved car in sun to start test

handle 81.5

Outside temp 81.0

Car Inside temp 79.5

12:20 - in sun for an hour

Handle 140.1

Outside Temp 83

Car inside Temp 104.7

Car surface 143.5

12:50 - w/ AC on for 30 mins

Handle 139.7

Outside Temp 85

?Car inside Temp 76

Car surface 144.7

Click to expand...

ive also noticed that running the AC prior to getting in does nothing to cool the handles down
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marcad80 said: ?

What I have been doing in the meantime is making sure the air conditioner is on a while before entering the car. Use the app to turn it on while your still in the store or whatever. It seems like the excess pressure inside the car vents through the door handles and will do a pretty good job of cooling them down before you get there.
Click to expand...

Funny enough, I'd never noticed that the AC went through until today when my son mentioned that wind was blowing through the handle when he went to open his door. Cool feature.
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stevem said: ?

In Australia?
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stevem said: ?

In Australia?
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LOL. The car somehow looks shorter when upside down too.
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Dborn said: ?

Not found it a problem in Australia.
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Ok, so that is one thing for you; then again you have like giant poisonous EVERYTHING there, so you get some slack... for door handle heat being better.:biggrin:
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true. Worlds most poisonous spider, jellyfish, snake, and a platypus with a poisonous spine on one of its legs. My only contact has been with one of said spiders, and I am an arachnophobe. Didn't bite me but came far too close for comfort! Platypus are really shy, I have only seen them in a zoo.
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I have had bad hand burns from Florida Sun parked Tesla. A coat of some sort or the ability to open (not just handfuls sticking out but the door swinging open) with the remote would be good.
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I burnt my hands yesterday at Dallas parked in the sun for 1-2 hrs...I could not even turn on AC remotely because I had a loaner...
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Dborn said: ?

true. Worlds most poisonous spider, jellyfish, snake, and a platypus with a poisonous spine on one of its legs. My only contact has been with one of said spiders, and I am an arachnophobe. Didn't bite me but came far too close for comfort! Platypus are really shy, I have only seen them in a zoo.
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I would prefer having scaldingly hot door handles in Australia, that way when those giant spiders literally walk up to the car and try to pull on the door handle they get burned.
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Is this issue only related to Tesla door handles? I had a previous car with a metal/chrome handle but don't remember ever having problems with it but that was 18+ years ago. It seems back in the day, almost all cars had metal/chrome handles.
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Are people complaining about the surface (flush with door when handles retracted) or the inside grip of the handle? I get that its solid metal, but I wouldn't expect a/c "venting" to affect the surface, but the inside grip. As such, were fieldalias' measurements taken on the surface or the inside grip?
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Re-post - have to stop posting from my iphone (since the genius at apple put the shutter button on the bottom of the phone)
Here is the car in the heat. Expel should be done by Saturday, I will update once I do a new measurement.

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taurusking said: ?

I burnt my hands yesterday at Dallas parked in the sun for 1-2 hrs...I could not even turn on AC remotely because I had a loaner...
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Cyclone said: ?

Are people complaining about the surface (flush with door when handles retracted) or the inside grip of the handle?
I get that its solid metal, but I wouldn't expect a/c "venting" to affect the surface, but the inside grip. As such, were fieldalias' measurements taken on the surface or the inside grip?
Click to expand...

FlatSix911 said: ?

First world problems here ... just apply a carbon decal to the door handle and problem solved!
Click to expand...

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FlatSix911 said: ?

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I get that a cabon fiber wrap on the handle may help with the surface being hot, but I never touch the surface. That is why I am confused. The only part I touch is the inside grip to "pull" the door handle. B/c of where I touch, I can see a/c cooling would help, but I don't see how a/c cooling would help the surface. Does wrapping the surface perhaps reflect the heat so the inside grip doesn't warm up?

BTW, I would love to do a chrome delete on my car. Is that CF wrap difficult to apply? I may need to look into getting some.
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fieldalias said: ?

Re-post - have to stop posting from my iphone (since the genius at apple put the shutter button on the bottom of the phone)
Click to expand...

Since the "shutter buttons" are the volume buttons, they are on the left side of the phone.

If you rotate the camera right to take horizontal pictures, they are on top, if you rotate left, they are on the bottom. I don't think it's really fair to blame the apple programmers for you rotating the camera so the volume buttons are on the bottom...
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Cyclone said: ?

I get that a cabon fiber wrap on the handle may help with the surface being hot, but I never touch the surface. That is why I am confused. The only part I touch is the inside grip to "pull" the door handle. B/c of where I touch, I can see a/c cooling would help, but I don't see how a/c cooling would help the surface. Does wrapping the surface perhaps reflect the heat so the inside grip doesn't warm up?

BTW, I would love to do a chrome delete on my car. Is that CF wrap difficult to apply? I may need to look into getting some.
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Yes, the carbon wrap keeps the entire handle cooler including the inside surface.

An easy DIY ... more information here: http://www.rpmtesla.com/#!shop/c1i41
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FlatSix911 said: ?

Yes, the carbon wrap keeps the entire handle cooler including the inside surface.

An easy DIY ... more information here: http://www.rpmtesla.com/#!shop/c1i41
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Thanks. I got some trim for wheel centers and the TESLA appliqu�, so the handles will probably be done after that. I've got the CF spoiler, so it can pull in the pieces.
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I would think some clear wrap on the inside would help. It would be just as hot, but the plastic should cut the rate of heat transfer to the hand.
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liuping said: ?

Since the "shutter buttons" are the volume buttons, they are on the left side of the phone.

If you rotate the camera right to take horizontal pictures, they are on top, if you rotate left, they are on the bottom. I don't think it's really fair to blame the apple programmers for you rotating the camera so the volume buttons are on the bottom...
Click to expand...

Rotating the camera right , so the buttons are on the top, causes the picture to be upside down. So yes, blaming them seems appropriate.

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Cyclone said: ?

Are people complaining about the surface (flush with door when handles retracted) or the inside grip of the handle? I get that its solid metal, but I wouldn't expect a/c "venting" to affect the surface, but the inside grip. As such, were fieldalias' measurements taken on the surface or the inside grip?
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They were taken on the surface with an IR gun. Further, the Xpel wrap only covers the outside of the handle , not the inside.

I didn't measure the inside the of the handle, and would likely need a temp probe to do so.
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fieldalias said: ?

They were taken on the surface with an IR gun. Further, the Xpel wrap only covers the outside of the handle , not the inside.

I didn't measure the inside the of the handle, and would like need a temp probe to do so.
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Thank you for clarifying. The surface temp on my handle may be hot just like yours, but I would never notice since I do not ever touch that surface. The temperature of the inside grip is where I would be interested in temps since that is my contact point with the handle. Hopefully the Xpel providing some benefit on the surface means the handle itself has less heat to absorb overall!
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An observation I made when returning to my car earlier this afternoon (bright sunshine, 87F):

If you park so that the driver's side door handle is in the shade of the car body, it's not a problem (for me, anyway).
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Ok, it was 104F in the East Bay today ... after parking the car from 6:45am to 1:30pm outside, I could barely touch the handles. It was definitely like touching a hot pan on the stove. But it still looks sexy.

- K
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My trick is to use the tip of one finger to hold the inside of the handle and quickly open the door just a bit. I then use the door edge to open it out wide. No chance of burnt hands this way.
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Lick your fingertips and then quickly pull the handle towards you. Makes all the difference.
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Barry said: ?

If you park so that the driver's side door handle is in the shade of the car body, it's not a problem (for me, anyway).
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You're right. It's most definitely the sun and not ambient temps. I've had really hot handles with temperatures not nearly as high as some are reporting here.
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I agree, it's 100% the sun, I thought that was clear.

If I park the car outside, the sunny side will have scalding hot handles, the shady side (or at least not direct sunlight) will have warm but easily touchable handles.
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agreed btw, I've had the car in 109 degree temps and the handles in the shade were fine.
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Is it possible to develop a means for the iPhone app to open the doors (without internet connection) via an IR or other sensors?
Also, is it possible to open the door (not just unlock) with the app as an option?
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Try this:

Double click key fob to extend handle, then use the fob to pull handle out.
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jkliu47 said: ?

Try this:

Double click key fob to extend handle, then use the fob to pull handle out.
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Genius!
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Perhaps this is what auto opening driver door was supposed to address?
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Just a heads-up to everyone on this chain... I wrapped my door handles a few weeks ago with a carbon fiber wrap. I made the wrap so it would also cover the inside of the door handles. It makes a huge difference even when the car has been out in direct sunlight for hours... no more scalding hot door handles burning my kids hands!

There is another discussion about the wrap in THIS THREAD... I just wanted to chime in on this thread since I found that it made such a big difference. If you don't care for the wrap, no worries... just cut a few rectangles (4" x 1.25") of 3M film to line the inside of the door handles.
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Discovered the first thing I dislike about my MS...

If you park your car outside in the sun, the door handles can get HOT! In fact, I think I burned off some fingerprints yesterday when I went to open my S after an afternoon at the farmers market. Ouch. That said, I'm 100% sure I'm not the first one to discover this "design flaw", and as such I'm wondering if anyone has any solutions that doesn't require gloves?
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Have someone else open the door for you haha.
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Not sure why the door handle would get hotter than any other door handle. Especially since they are chrome and reflect more light..
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They do get hot. Weird thing is, if you pre-cool, it seems a small amount of air escapes via the handles, and cools them a bit. Probably a design fluke, but it works quite well.
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Zybane said: ?

Not sure why the door handle would get hotter than any other door handle. Especially since they are chrome and reflect more light..
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No, they get HOT!. My guess is that the handle can't reflect any heat back out, as it sits inside its little oven.

I have thought of using some type of heat resistant adhesive and gluing a strip of plastic on the inside of the handle so it wouldn't transmit that heat so quickly. Haven't tried it yet, though. I just know it will be hot (ish) and use a shirt tail or piece of paper, or something.
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Zybane said: ?

Not sure why the door handle would get hotter than any other door handle. Especially since they are chrome and reflect more light..
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I see you haven't taken delivery of yours yet, heh. Trust me, it was an unpleasant surprise and it is MUCH hotter than any car door handle I've ever touched. EVER. By a LOT. ...and it only got to 72� F that day.
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Caligula said: ?

If you park your car outside in the sun, the door handles can get HOT! In fact, I think I burned off some fingerprints yesterday when I went to open my S after an afternoon at the farmers market. Ouch. That said, I'm 100% sure I'm not the first one to discover this "design flaw", and as such I'm wondering if anyone has any solutions that doesn't require gloves?
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Hmm. It feels like I'm in a time warp. I see this post every several months or so.

This is a well known problem. It is true. It is a fact. It is bad.

I hear that the Model X fixed this with non-auto-presenting handles: they are touch-based (like a touchscreen). There is, of course, a discussion here about that, too, including the issue of how to get in and out of the vehicle when the power doesn't work.

If you search for the many other times this issue has been posted here, I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who have come up with a lot of wonderful solutions to the problem. As you can see, already one person posted that you can remotely turn on the AC (which if memory serves is one of the top tier answers). In other threads, people post that they use various impromptu mittens to handle it (which doesn't meet your specification). But I seem to recall a few other good answers. Perhaps put a heat-tolerant plastic coating on it? I believe one good answer was akin to that.
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I've requested this thread be merged with this old thread about the same topic Scalding Hot Door Handles!!
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... or this thread discussed as far back as 2012.
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I have found that even on really hot days in the sun (110 degrees +) you can pull the handles quickly and avoid any discomfort whatsoever. The only discomfort I have found is when pulling AND holding on to the handles for an extended time period. This is not necessary. The other option as mentioned by the OP is to turn the AC on prior to arriving to the car. This works well at taking 50% or more of the heat from the handles.
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It gets really really hot. It's an embarrassing engineering oversight because I've had guests love the car ... then that happens.

This also becomes a safety issue when a kid burns his or her hand. This moment is coming and some Tesla-shorting journalist will jump all over it. Hey, I'm not that smart compared to people whose job it is to anticipate these consequences. But for some reason, as safe as the car is, this safety issue has been deemed acceptable. Weird!

- K
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Lloyd said: ?

I have found that even on really hot days in the sun (110 degrees +) you can pull the handles quickly and avoid any discomfort whatsoever. The only discomfort I have found is when pulling AND holding on to the handles for an extended time period. This is not necessary. The other option as mentioned by the OP is to turn the AC on prior to arriving to the car. This works well at taking 50% or more of the heat from the handles.
Click to expand...

Nope. And Nope.
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brandfisch said: ?

Just a heads-up to everyone on this chain... I wrapped my door handles a few weeks ago with a carbon fiber wrap. I made the wrap so it would also cover the inside of the door handles. It makes a huge difference even when the car has been out in direct sunlight for hours... no more scalding hot door handles burning my kids hands!

There is another discussion about the wrap in THIS THREAD... I just wanted to chime in on this thread since I found that it made such a big difference. If you don't care for the wrap, no worries... just cut a few rectangles (4" x 1.25") of 3M film to line the inside of the door handles.
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THIS with the Red body and carbon interior would make one fu**ing sexy look
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Without discounting everyone's experiences, I must just luck out with how my the sun hits my car. Even when we were over 100 this summer in NC and the car sat out in the sun all day at work, the handles never got "burning" hot. A couple weeks ago, sitting out in Miami all day didn't produce the result either. I am not looking forward to when this finally shows up for me, but thankfully, I seem to be avoiding it for now!
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Cyclone said: ?

Without discounting everyone's experiences, I must just luck out with how my the sun hits my car. Even when we were over 100 this summer in NC and the car sat out in the sun all day at work, the handles never got "burning" hot. A couple weeks ago, sitting out in Miami all day didn't produce the result either. I am not looking forward to when this finally shows up for me, but thankfully, I seem to be avoiding it for now!
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Is your Model S dark or light grey? The light grey might never have an issue.

My first one was Pearl White, and the handles were never uncomfortably hot even on the sunniest/hottest days. When I got the blue, things changed. On a sunny day, they are near scalding.

They currently have xPel on the outside, but I'm going to see if xPel on the inside surface helps a little.
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Caligula said: ?

I see you haven't taken delivery of yours yet, heh. Trust me, it was an unpleasant surprise and it is MUCH hotter than any car door handle I've ever touched. EVER. By a LOT. ...and it only got to 72� F that day.
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Not saying they don't get hot (haven't taken delivery), but it's much better to know why they get hot versus just simply observing that they get hot. Without looking close at the design, the only thing I can speculate on now is that the handle is receiving a lot of the heat from the surrounding door panel. A darker paint would make the problem worse. Does anyone know what the door handle is made out of? I'd assume aluminum?

My car is pearl white so maybe won't have as bad of an issue. :wink:
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liuping said: ?

Is your Model S dark or light grey? The light grey might never have an issue.

My first one was Pearl White, and the handles were never uncomfortably hot even on the sunniest/hottest days. When I got the blue, things changed. On a sunny day, they are near scalding.

They currently have xPel on the outside, but I'm going to see if xPel on the inside surface helps a little.
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That could be it. I have the older Dolphin Gray.
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I'm in AZ...so this is a constant issue.

I fixed it a year ago with some simple black rubber foam from Michaels Dept store. You can buy it in sheets and it's about a millimeter thick. Simply cut the size you need and attach with a good waterproof glue. I like it better than Felt, as it's easier to clean and won't degrade. No need to waste energy cooling the car.

This has worked flawlessly for over a year, and still as good as the day I put it on. Worth a try if you have this problem...
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http://www.panjo.com/buy/carbon-fiber-and-flat-black-full-door-handle-wraps-241963?index=1&internalReferral=subpanjo_feed

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FlatSix911 said: ?

http://www.panjo.com/buy/carbon-fiber-and-flat-black-full-door-handle-wraps-241963?index=1&internalReferral=subpanjo_feed

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I got a set in matte black. I'm sure RPMtesla.com would be willing to make whatever color you want.
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Check these out:

Colored Door handle with heat protector
Clear door handle protection covers
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edou said: ?

Check these out:

Colored Door handle with heat protector
Clear door handle protection covers
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Those don't manage the heat on the inside of the handle - which is the hot part! You've got to get the full wraps. Also, if you pre-cool the car, it will also cool off the handles a little,
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@ WMAC - they do wrap all the way behind the handle. It's hard to see in the picture (the last pic was an attempt), but it wraps the entire front of the handle, as well as the back of the handle where you pull it. I've been burn myself a few times in the past

Both the clear and the colored wrap the back side as well.
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I don't mean to make light of the OP's situation but I was reminded of that post when I read today's Garfield cartoon:
Garfield by Jim Davis, September 04, 2016 Via @GoComics
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Why are the handles hotter than an ICE car's handles?
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mbaier said: ?

So glad that this came up - the handles really do get way too hot. - even in Switzerland It's strange that this never came up during prototype testing in the hot California sun.
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Maybe it did but just wasn't a priority to fix. My handles get super hot too. Feels like I need some oven mits.
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teslamotorclub

Thứ Năm, 26 tháng 1, 2017

Scalding Hot Door Handles! part 1

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