teslamotorclub: Should I duct tape the passenger door to keep it closed? part 1

I'm not one to gratuitously criticize Tesla but my current situation is cause for real concern. Before I drove to California and back for TMC Connect, the front passenger door was occasionally springing open when I put the car in park and opened the driver's door. Weird. I called Tesla service about the problem, told them I'd be driving to CA, and they told me the Fremont Service Center would contact me about fixing it while I was there. Never heard anything from Fremont (a disappointment) but as the problem did not occur frequently on the 3,600 mile drive I wasn't concerned.

Since I've arrived back in MD the problem has worsened to the point that the passenger door now releases, unlatches, and opens whenever I put the car in park, use the fob to extend the handles, or open any other door. This is an unsafe situation. A few times the passenger door has swung wide open as I drove out of a parking space. Last night it was open the entire evening after I thought I had locked the car.

I recontacted service about the problem today and they seemed not to treat it as a serious problem -- couldn't make arrangements to fix it for more than two weeks. Thinking it might invoke more concern, I said that for safety I'd just have to use duct tape on the outside of the door to prevent it from opening. This comment resulted in no response whatsoever.

I think this is a real safety issue and deserves a more urgent response from Tesla Service. I'm half serious about the duct tape idea even though it will embarrass me and Tesla to have duct tape on the side of my car. Am I over reacting? How do I get a more serious response from Tesla?
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No, your right. Their response is unacceptable. I suggest you move this up the chain of command.
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artsci said: ?

I think this is a real safety issue and deserves a more urgent response from Tesla Service. I'm half serious about the duct tape idea even though it will embarrass me and Tesla to have duct tape on the side of my car. Am I over reacting? How do I get a more serious response from Tesla?
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Totally agree. It is unsafe. And they should damn well know that you are one of the most vocal ambassadors for Tesla. Ignoring you would not be a good idea. IF your door gets ripped off by another car, you would be out a door, and the accident would most likely be your fault.

And sadly, yes, I think you should duct tape it. They do make duct tape in red...
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Put two very big pieces of duct tape over hit, with the words: "Tesla refuses to fix my door" written on the tape, and post it on Reddit.
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deonb said: ?

Put two very big pieces of duct tape over hit, with the words: "Tesla refuses to fix my door" written on the tape, and post it on Reddit.
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And tweet it to Elon.
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Tesla service has gone down the tubes for one aime reason: they are overwhelmed and can no longer handle the traffic of vehicles.
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I think what bothers me the most is the varied experience across the different service centers. I'm pretty confident that my local service center would say "if you can bring it by we'll see what we can do today for you".
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FlasherZ said: ?

I think what bothers me the most is the varied experience across the different service centers. I'm pretty confident that my local service center would say "if you can bring it by we'll see what we can do today for you".
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I suspect that this is directly related to bhuwan's comment, above, though I don't know if I would say they've "gone down the tubes."
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While some of the service center folks may not care or know how to do anything but follow the standard repair scheduling process, Email Elon and I bet you will get a nearly instantaneous response. If I were him and heard about this, I would personally be loading a team up in a private jet right now to come review and fix the problem, and ascertain how to make sure it never happens to another car (in fact, if I were Elon, I wouldn't want local service techs working on it, I would send a A team from the factory).

This is the kind of thing -- one of the only things -- where traditional car manufactures have an advantage over Tesla. With decades of experience, their car doors don't pop open and they don't have orange ooze that comes out from under the hood (to pick a couple oops items). Embarrassing things for the company that demand an immediate and thorough response if they want to remain a superstar company.

If you seriously want to go straight to the top, Elon actually gave out one of his email addresses at one of the shareholder meetings. Or maybe see if you can post a polite inquiry on his Twitter feed or something. You could probably shoot lower on the totem pole too, as long as you hit someone high enough up such that they feel empowered and care deeply about the success of the company.
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FlasherZ said: ?

I think what bothers me the most is the varied experience across the different service centers. I'm pretty confident that my local service center would say "if you can bring it by we'll see what we can do today for you".
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It's definitely inconsistent, and likely caused by scaling (or lack thereof). Rick, my guess is you ended up talking to a fairly inexperienced employee. A door popping open is a major risk. I'd escalate, but of course in a professional and courteous manner.
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Strange they didn't treat it with more urgency... Especially since this isn't exactly an isolated incident:

Door Handles: Auto Presenting *AND* Auto Opening Doors?

Right front door popped open while driving
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Maybe you can use a transparent shipping tape instead to keep the looks

Agree with everyone, the response is not acceptable.
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Rick, Completely agree - unacceptable-I would contact the 1-800 number and ask for someone higher up.......the SC need to be able to prioritize/triage existing customers......best of luck!
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That's a good temp solution. I'll also try to push this further up the chain of command.
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Skotty said: ?

While some of the service center folks may not care or know how to do anything but follow the standard repair scheduling process, Email Elon and I bet you will get a nearly instantaneous response. If I were him and heard about this, I would personally be loading a team up in a private jet right now to come review and fix the problem, and ascertain how to make sure it never happens to another car (in fact, if I were Elon, I wouldn't want local service techs working on it, I would send a A team from the factory).

This is the kind of thing -- one of the only things -- where traditional car manufactures have an advantage over Tesla. With decades of experience, their car doors don't pop open and they don't have orange ooze that comes out from under the hood (to pick a couple oops items). Embarrassing things for the company that demand an immediate and thorough response if they want to remain a superstar company.

If you seriously want to go straight to the top, Elon actually gave out one of his email addresses at one of the shareholder meetings. Or maybe see if you can post a polite inquiry on his Twitter feed or something. You could probably shoot lower on the totem pole too, as long as you hit someone high enough up such that they feel empowered and care deeply about the success of the company.
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Tesla already knows all about this problem, because it is so common in the early builds, and they have a fix. The problem seems to be that they are not treating it with enough urgency.
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I met some nice folks when I was at the Rockville Service Center in February, 2013 who were there to have the spontaneous door opening problem fixed in their car. They were not amused. It is a safety issue and seems to have been known about for a long time. There should be a priority assigned when a customer calls and reports this particular symptom.

Lanny
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Lanny said: ?

I met some nice folks when I was at the Rockville Service Center in February, 2013 who were there to have the spontaneous door opening problem fixed in their car. They were not amused. It is a safety issue and seems to have been known about for a long time. There should be a priority assigned when a customer calls and reports this particular symptom.

Lanny
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I think Ricks SC is also Rockville and as it is my first choice (even though Tyson's is closer) I'm surprised by the response, these guys have always been the best I have dealt with. (One reason for not being pushed to Tyson's all the time).

An escalation should do the trick...
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That is dangerous.

I wonder if you lock your car from the inside (same place where you control the lights), will it still pop open?
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No but you should duct tape the passenger to the passenger seat.

~
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I hope you get your door latch corrected. This incident shakes my confidence in Tesla Service. Do escalate.
Try to secure the door from the inside, do not put tape on that paint. Try a rope or bungee.
Go Tesla, fix this!
~Larry
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Wow, if this happened to my car and I were on a long trip, I'd immediately divert to nearest Tesla Service Center and just show up unannounced and present the problem to them expressing my safety concerns. If they blew me off, I'd whip out my iPhone and record a video for YouTube of the problem, and Tesla's refusal to help. But I don't think it would go that way. i suspect they would be happy to help. In my experience, when you drive an expensive car under warranty and you show up at a service center with grave safety concerns about aberrant mechanical behavior from the car, they usually find a way to drop everything and help you on the spot out of general concern mixed with curiosity as to what the heck is causing this weird problem.

I agree with others who've said Tesla's service seems overwhelmed. I believe we have not seen anything yet. Just wait until the new Xs arrive. And then the 3s. The service organization is not set up or trained or equipped to handle the traffic. Nor does management seem concerned. I also agree that Tesla's service centers vary in quality and general effectiveness. Which makes sense: this whole problem boils down to a management problem. Good managers work the problems until they're fixed, and don't wait for corporate HQ to issue a memo with instructions on what to do. Unfortunately the quality of management varies from service center to service center.
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I can't imagine why anyone would think it's a good idea to take the tried and true door handles that have worked for decades and turn it into a gimmicky, complicated device that has questionable longevity. I understand it looks cool and all but coolness gets old after five minutes and I would imagine most people would prefer something guaranteed to work for life. Somebodies quest for the cool door handles at Telsa probably cost them more in door handle warranty replacements than every other car manufacturer combined. If the Falcon doors are even half as problematic as the door handles, Tesla's going to be in trouble.
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This is a safety issue and should be dealt with immediately. In previous experience with other makes, I would just drive to the service centre without making prior appointment and they would fix it on spot.
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I would put a hook into the hand grab on the inside and tie it to the console. Tape alone might not work adequately.
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I'm afraid I didn't communicate with sufficient force to the young service center person my concern about the problem. But I have reached folks higher in the chain and should here something soon about a solution. In the meantime I have a long roll of clear tape
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I wonder if turning off auto present handles would help in the short term.
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hpham007 said: ?

I can't imagine why anyone would think it's a good idea to take the tried and true door handles that have worked for decades and turn it into a gimmicky, complicated device that has questionable longevity. I understand it looks cool and all but coolness gets old after five minutes and I would imagine most people would prefer something guaranteed to work for life. Somebodies quest for the cool door handles at Telsa probably cost them more in door handle warranty replacements than every other car manufacturer combined. If the Falcon doors are even half as problematic as the door handles, Tesla's going to be in trouble.
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I agree with this, and I fear for the future of the door handles. I don't see why they don't give you an option during configuration to get a normal "old style" handle that's just mechanical. It may not look as cool, and might take a mile off the range. I'd take that trade off for simplicity and peace of mind. Plus it just irritates me every time I walk up to the car from behind with my hands full of groceries because I always have to wait a few seconds for the handles to pop out. They don't seem to sense you as quick when you walk up from behind the car.
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Why wouldn't you just put the tape on the inside of the door?

But, seriously, that needed to get fixed yesterday...doors opening unintentionally is a serious safety/security concern.
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artsci said: ?

I'm afraid I didn't communicate with sufficient force to the young service center person my concern about the problem. But I have reached folks higher in the chain and should here something soon about a solution. In the meantime I have a long roll of clear tape
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Good news. Still sad that you had to escalate something so obvious a safety issue. But did the Fremont repair plan cause some delay or maybe put it in their mind you were willing to live with it? Hope its fixed right away - certainly should be a high priority.
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Be careful putting tape on paint. When our car once needed paint work, the body show had used adhesive tape in a certain area and it took months for me to get all the residue off of it.

I concur with others. If this was my car, I would have driven it to the SC and expected them to fix it right then and there. I don't think this is a difficult repair as even a Tesla Ranger can fix this issue. I would however try and push them to replace al 4 door handles.
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I am going to deviate from other posters here and hope I don't get burned too much for it.

I completely agree that this is a serious problem and Tesla should treat it as such. However, I disagree that they should drop everything else and "fix it on the spot". What they should do (IMO) is send out a tow to flatbed the car in and provide you a loaner (even if its an ICE). It may take them two weeks to get to your car in the queue, but they shouldn't have you driving it like this. I doubt once they realize the seriousness that they would take two weeks on it, but I think the more reasoned approach is for them to get the car off the street and you into a safe alternative immediately. Driving to the SC would be a similar option. Park it there and make them give you a loaner/rental. That said, I still would prefer if they came and flatbeded it away to avoid the risk of it opening while driving.
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artsci said: ?

I'm afraid I didn't communicate with sufficient force to the young service center person my concern about the problem. But I have reached folks higher in the chain and should here something soon about a solution. In the meantime I have a long roll of clear tape
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This sounds like the crux of it.
A junior SC person didnt really appreciate the importance of the issue so just quoted the standard lead time of 2 weeks.
Just needed to be escalated a bit. I hope you get it sensibly sorted now.

Also echo other comments about tape and paint.
The glue on some tapes will react and discolour the paint so use with care imho - try to find the stuff the glass people somtimes use for temporary repairs to broken glass whilst an new piece is sourced.

I guess overall that there will be more incidents like this as the SC sites grow, I just hope that Tesla can maintain their differential to the standard offered by other auto manufacturers and their dealers.
It is an absolutely essential USP for Tesla imho.
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Hi Artsci,

Regarding the problem itself, this was a common symptom on some 2012 through early 2013 Model S's. I assume yours is a 2013 model.

� Have your door handles been upgraded to Gen 2 handles? (The newer handles have some spring-loaded play when you pull on them.)

� Did you try rebooting both the touch screen and the instrument cluster?

artsci said: ?

I'm not one to gratuitously criticize Tesla but my current situation is cause for real concern...
Click to expand...

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ToddRLockwood said: ?

� Have your door handles been upgraded to Gen 2 handles? (The newer handles have some spring-loaded play when you pull on them.)
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The also have a micro-switch rather than a pressure sensor.
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ToddRLockwood said: ?

Hi Artsci,

Regarding the problem itself, this was a common symptom on some 2012 through early 2013 Model S's. I assume yours is a 2013 model.

� Have your door handles been upgraded to Gen 2 handles? (The newer handles have some spring-loaded play when you pull on them.)

� Did you try rebooting both the touch screen and the instrument cluster?
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Mine is a 2013 delivered in May -- one of the first MC reds.

I know that some work was done on the handles (had some problems before) but I'm not positive that they've been replaced with the Gen2. I'll have to check back over my service records to determine that. But I have had minor issues with the handles off and on for some time.

It's interesting that in Ashlee Vance's book on Elon there's a discussion about the handles. At first the engineers strongly resisted the idea, believing it would be a difficult engineering challenge. But Elon persisted. With hindsight it now appears that they were a a major technical challenge but it also appears the Gen2 version overcame the challenges.

I'll check my service records today.
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artsci said: ?

It's interesting that in Ashlee Vance's book on Elon there's a discussion about the handles. At first the engineers strongly resisted the idea, believing it would be a difficult engineering challenge. But Elon persisted. With hindsight it now appears that they were a a major technical challenge but it also appears the Gen2 version overcame the challenges.
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The gen 2 handles don't completely fix it. I ran across an owner last weekend (during our Midwest gathering) who had the occasional door pop problem and she had the gen 2 handles already.
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I agree with CHG-ON. Try turning off the auto present feature and see if that stops it.
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FlasherZ said: ?

The gen 2 handles don't completely fix it. I ran across an owner last weekend (during our Midwest gathering) who had the occasional door pop problem and she had the gen 2 handles already.
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for some reason, this just flat out disturbs me. cars have issues but having a unexpectedly door pop open is not something you think you would see in this day and age. i would imagine a handle failure in a regular car would fail close and not allow the door to open; if not, it should be mandatory.
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hpham007 said: ?

for some reason, this just flat out disturbs me. cars have issues but having a unexpectedly door pop open is not something you think you would see in this day and age. i would imagine a handle failure in a regular car would fail close and not allow the door to open; if not, it should be mandatory.
Click to expand...

Agree. There should be a fail safe design.
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hpham007 said: ?

I can't imagine why anyone would think it's a good idea to take the tried and true door handles that have worked for decades and turn it into a gimmicky, complicated device that has questionable longevity. I understand it looks cool and all but coolness gets old after five minutes and I would imagine most people would prefer something guaranteed to work for life. Somebodies quest for the cool door handles at Telsa probably cost them more in door handle warranty replacements than every other car manufacturer combined. If the Falcon doors are even half as problematic as the door handles, Tesla's going to be in trouble.
Click to expand...

I imagine it has to do with aerodynamic drag, and trying to make it zero for the door handles. And they did it.

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artsci said: ?

Agree. There should be a fail safe design.
Click to expand...

I have looked closely at this problem gen2 driver's door pull mechanism.

There are 2 micro switches in play here, one on each side of the handle.
1. One of them detects an appropriate point at which to stop the handle from emerging and coming to rest waiting for a pull. This switch has an adjuster screw.
2. The other detects your pull. Switch closes when the physical limit of the movement mechanism is reached.

If switch 1 has fatigue break in the wire, which happens, alot... then handle doesn't know when to stop and continues to motor on out to hit the physical limit switch 2, so it thinks you pulled the door.

The result is when handles present you get an auto-pop opening door.

FYI if you get a fatigue break on the other microswitch, then handles will present, but pulling it won't open the door. This was the case for me.

I believe there can be a fail safe design, done in software, to compensate for a single wire (break / open) fault such as this. For either switch.
I can describe the algorithm... and offered that to Tesla.
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CHG-ON said: ?

I wonder if turning off auto present handles would help in the short term.
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yes!

& the last post abover is very informative
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Cyclone said: ?

I am going to deviate from other posters here and hope I don't get burned too much for it.

I completely agree that this is a serious problem and Tesla should treat it as such. However, I disagree that they should drop everything else and "fix it on the spot". What they should do (IMO) is send out a tow to flatbed the car in and provide you a loaner (even if its an ICE). It may take them two weeks to get to your car in the queue, but they shouldn't have you driving it like this. I doubt once they realize the seriousness that they would take two weeks on it, but I think the more reasoned approach is for them to get the car off the street and you into a safe alternative immediately. Driving to the SC would be a similar option. Park it there and make them give you a loaner/rental. That said, I still would prefer if they came and flatbeded it away to avoid the risk of it opening while driving.
Click to expand...

I'm one of the ones who thought this matter should be handled with extreme urgency. However, I agree with you; I think a loaner would be perfectly reasonable, so long as it is provided sooner rather than later.
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Skotty said: ?

This is the kind of thing -- one of the only things -- where traditional car manufactures have an advantage over Tesla. With decades of experience, their car doors don't pop open and they don't have orange ooze that comes out from under the hood (to pick a couple oops items). Embarrassing things for the company that demand an immediate and thorough response if they want to remain a superstar company.
Click to expand...

hpham007 said: ?

for some reason, this just flat out disturbs me. cars have issues but having a unexpectedly door pop open is not something you think you would see in this day and age. i would imagine a handle failure in a regular car would fail close and not allow the door to open; if not, it should be mandatory.
Click to expand...

Its actually not that unusual. BMW has had a persistent problem with doors coming open:
Rear Door Opens While Driving (By Itself!!!)
Right door opens by itself...while driving!!
Help needed - Doors unlock automatically??
Passenger Door Pops Open During Driving
Door Opened While Driving!!!

There was also a huge recall by Ford earlier this year for doors popping open. It is a serious issue and Tesla should fix it promptly, but to say it doesn't happen to other automakers is just wrong.
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erm - can't software detect car moving so disable door handle - seems a fundamental line of safety code unless i am missing something here
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CHG-ON said: ?

I wonder if turning off auto present handles would help in the short term.
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I'm going to out to the car right now and give that a try.

I did hear from HQ service. They recognize the urgency of the problem and are trying to find the nearest SC that can deal with it right away. That's the appropriate response.

- - - Updated - - -

Regrettably turning off Auto Present Handles makes no difference.

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artsci said: ?

I'm going to out to the car right now and give that a try.

I did hear from HQ service. They recognize the urgency of the problem and are trying to find the nearest SC that can deal with it right away. That's the appropriate response.

- - - Updated - - -

Regrettably turning off Auto Present Handles makes no difference.
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HQ service just called and ironically my iPhone ran out of power just at that moment. I'm sure they're calling with a solution so I'll get back to them ASAP.
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thegruf said: ?

erm - can't software detect car moving so disable door handle - seems a fundamental line of safety code unless i am missing something here
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The doors won't open if the car is in motion. However, the moment you put the car in park, they can pop open.
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HQ has been working with my SC to get this fixed ASAP. Looks like it will be on Monday -- either a Ranger will come to me or they'll send a driver with a loaner. Either one is a great solution.
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artsci said: ?

HQ has been working with my SC to get this fixed ASAP. Looks like it will be on Monday -- either a Ranger will come to me or they'll send a driver with a loaner. Either one is a great solution.
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Great to hear, the way it's supposed to be.
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Wait time for a non-urgent appointment in Denver was up to about a month and a half at the beginning of summer, -- too long IMHO.
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scottm said: ?

I have looked closely at this problem gen2 driver's door pull mechanism.

There are 2 micro switches in play here, one on each side of the handle.
1. One of them detects an appropriate point at which to stop the handle from emerging and coming to rest waiting for a pull. This switch has an adjuster screw.
2. The other detects your pull. Switch closes when the physical limit of the movement mechanism is reached.

If switch 1 has fatigue break in the wire, which happens, alot... then handle doesn't know when to stop and continues to motor on out to hit the physical limit switch 2, so it thinks you pulled the door.

The result is when handles present you get an auto-pop opening door.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I completely agree with your cause & effect. I had the same problem as Artsci on my car, where the passenger door latch was activated by opening the drivers door from the inside�well after the handles had already already presented. This would make one think that the problem is actually somewhere in the car itself, and perhaps software related. Tesla upgraded one of my handles, then another, and finally all four of them. Since then, the glitches have been a lot less frequent.
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mod note: posts about when to report things to NTHSA moved here
When to report NHTSA issues? - Page 11
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artsci said: ?

I'm not one to gratuitously criticize Tesla but my current situation is cause for real concern. Before I drove to California and back for TMC Connect, the front passenger door was occasionally springing open when I put the car in park and opened the driver's door. Weird. I called Tesla service about the problem, told them I'd be driving to CA, and they told me the Fremont Service Center would contact me about fixing it while I was there. Never heard anything from Fremont (a disappointment) but as the problem did not occur frequently on the 3,600 mile drive I wasn't concerned.

Since I've arrived back in MD the problem has worsened to the point that the passenger door now releases, unlatches, and opens whenever I put the car in park, use the fob to extend the handles, or open any other door. This is an unsafe situation. A few times the passenger door has swung wide open as I drove out of a parking space. Last night it was open the entire evening after I thought I had locked the car.

I recontacted service about the problem today and they seemed not to treat it as a serious problem -- couldn't make arrangements to fix it for more than two weeks. Thinking it might invoke more concern, I said that for safety I'd just have to use duct tape on the outside of the door to prevent it from opening. This comment resulted in no response whatsoever.

I think this is a real safety issue and deserves a more urgent response from Tesla Service. I'm half serious about the duct tape idea even though it will embarrass me and Tesla to have duct tape on the side of my car. Am I over reacting? How do I get a more serious response from Tesla?
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1st, your ductape idea is awesome; we need pictures. 2nd, have them check for water getting into the door control harness and causing a short circuit. Both sides.
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Art,

My MC Red was built about the same time as yours, and the exact same problem started 2 weeks ago for me.

It was sooooo annoying....

I'm 350 miles from the nearest service usually, but had a planned a trip through Austin, TX last week and the service center there fixed it immediately.

They looked super busy, but did my whole 2 year service work too.
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I've had this problem. Glitchy doors. I don't see it being a major hazord though unless you were driving in reverse where then it could swing open and catch something. then again if someone is inside of it they can fall out of it too soooo ehhh yeah i guess its a major safety issue - doors shouldnt release themselves. I just had an incident with mine tonight, much worse, read here: Door crushed on my 3yo daughter's hand, door handle failure to release lock, STUCK
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yobigd20 said: ?

I've had this problem. Glitchy doors. I don't see it being a major hazord though unless you were driving in reverse where then it could swing open and catch something. then again if someone is inside of it they can fall out of it too soooo ehhh yeah i guess its a major safety issue - doors shouldnt release themselves. I just had an incident with mine tonight, much worse, read here: Door crushed on my 3yo daughter's hand, door handle failure to release lock, STUCK
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I also commented on your other thread - that sucks. I've seen it mentioned in a few places that there are a lot of car models no longer using mechanical releases from the outside - and even some inside on the high end cars. I'd fully support the use of a crowbar.

It's a concern to me, but it's not a grave concern. It's not like the doors will randomly open and fly off... to have the doors come open in reverse or drive (aside from pulling the inside handle), the door had to have released when you hit park or unlocked the car, then you have to ignore the triple-chimes going off every 3 seconds and warning on the dashboard that says "door open, drive carefully", along with the picture of the car on the left that shows a door open. It's more of a nuisance from my perspective, to have to either reach over or get out and re-shut the door.

Be glad you can still use first-gen handles, when my passenger handle stopped responding to a pull, they were unable to find a replacement and so all four of mine had to be replaced. No problems since. I thought the first-gen handles were considerably more elegant.
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FlasherZ said: ?

The doors won't open if the car is in motion. However, the moment you put the car in park, they can pop open.
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ah - thanks for putting me rght on that.

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artsci said: ?

HQ has been working with my SC to get this fixed ASAP. Looks like it will be on Monday -- either a Ranger will come to me or they'll send a driver with a loaner. Either one is a great solution.
Click to expand...

Great news, lets just hope it's a minor glitch in the SC response.
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reddy said: ?

Art,

My MC Red was built about the same time as yours, and the exact same problem started 2 weeks ago for me.

It was sooooo annoying....

I'm 350 miles from the nearest service usually, but had a planned a trip through Austin, TX last week and the service center there fixed it immediately.

They looked super busy, but did my whole 2 year service work too.
Click to expand...

Do you know what the fix was?
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tezco said: ?

Wait time for a non-urgent appointment in Denver was up to about a month and a half at the beginning of summer, -- too long IMHO.
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Lucky you don't live in Norway. Unless your car is dead in the water, wait time for non urgent fixes is three to four months and that's with eight service centers.
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thegruf said: ?

ah - thanks for putting me rght on that.

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Great news, lets just hope it's a minor glitch in the SC response.
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My initial mistake was in my first conversation with a young staffer at my own SC, who didn't see the urgency of the situation. I failed to be more forceful which, with the benefit of hindsight, was a mistake. I was just too nice a guy when I was told it would be two weeks before they could address it.

Live and learn. Next time if anything like this happens again I'll be more insistent.

Then again when I think back on the other cars I've owned, there was never a way to reach service about anything on a weekend. One had to rely totally on a dealer for these things, and we all know what that means.
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Somewhat OT: I don't know about everyone else's car, but my P85D refuses to let me move if I have the driver's door open. It's super annoying, actually. If I open the door while in drive or reverse at a low speed (like creeping up to grab the newspaper on the way out of the driveway, still fully seated) the car will jump to park by itself. This is one feature I really really dislike because I do run across occasions where I would like to have the door open at low speeds.

It doesn't seem to care about other doors, however... in an absentminded moment, I thought I heard the rear passenger door close after a swing by pickup (was already in drive ignoring the beeping to begin with) and I started to pull away before it was closed. Car didn't slam into park like it does with the driver's door.

That said, I've never had any issues with the doors popping open by themselves on any of my Model S or loaners. *shrugs*
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wk057 said: ?

Somewhat OT: I don't know about everyone else's car, but my P85D refuses to let me move if I have the driver's door open. It's super annoying, actually. If I open the door while in drive or reverse at a low speed (like creeping up to grab the newspaper on the way out of the driveway, still fully seated) the car will jump to park by itself. This is one feature I really really dislike because I do run across occasions where I would like to have the door open at low speeds.

It doesn't seem to care about other doors, however... in an absentminded moment, I thought I heard the rear passenger door close after a swing by pickup (was already in drive ignoring the beeping to begin with) and I started to pull away before it was closed. Car didn't slam into park like it does with the driver's door.

That said, I've never had any issues with the doors popping open by themselves on any of my Model S or loaners. *shrugs*
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Ditto I do the same thing at the mailbox, ATM, and parking very close to curbs on the driver's side. Pretty annoying how it slams it into park but I guess it's a safety feature that might have some merit?
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SeminoleFSU said: ?

Ditto I do the same thing at the mailbox, ATM, and parking very close to curbs on the driver's side. Pretty annoying how it slams it into park but I guess it's a safety feature that might have some merit?
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I'll have to try this, I don't remember that ever happening for me. In fact, I kinda remember hitting one of our chickens in the head with the door while I was moving the car into the shade while doing my cam install
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AnOutsider said: ?

I'll have to try this, I don't remember that ever happening for me. In fact, I kinda remember hitting one of our chickens in the head with the door while I was moving the car into the shade while doing my cam install
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It takes it a second to kick in. It will let you move the car for a brief moment, then you'll get the somethings wrong beep and it will abruptly throw it in park. Nice on the chickens. We will have some this fall or early spring after finishing our tractor build
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wk057 said: ?

Somewhat OT: I don't know about everyone else's car, but my P85D refuses to let me move if I have the driver's door open. It's super annoying, actually. If I open the door while in drive or reverse at a low speed (like creeping up to grab the newspaper on the way out of the driveway, still fully seated) the car will jump to park by itself. This is one feature I really really dislike because I do run across occasions where I would like to have the door open at low speeds.

It doesn't seem to care about other doors, however... in an absentminded moment, I thought I heard the rear passenger door close after a swing by pickup (was already in drive ignoring the beeping to begin with) and I started to pull away before it was closed. Car didn't slam into park like it does with the driver's door.

That said, I've never had any issues with the doors popping open by themselves on any of my Model S or loaners. *shrugs*
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I have noticed that if you are in drive, and open the door, it will go into park.
But if you are in park, have the door open, then go into drive, I can drive slowly with the door open. (you get a warning to proceed with caution on the dash). It will jam into park over 5mph in this scenario. But it lets me pick up those newspapers on the driveway.
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wk057 said: ?

Somewhat OT: I don't know about everyone else's car, but my P85D refuses to let me move if I have the driver's door open. It's super annoying, actually. If I open the door while in drive or reverse at a low speed (like creeping up to grab the newspaper on the way out of the driveway, still fully seated) the car will jump to park by itself. This is one feature I really really dislike because I do run across occasions where I would like to have the door open at low speeds.

It doesn't seem to care about other doors, however... in an absentminded moment, I thought I heard the rear passenger door close after a swing by pickup (was already in drive ignoring the beeping to begin with) and I started to pull away before it was closed. Car didn't slam into park like it does with the driver's door.

That said, I've never had any issues with the doors popping open by themselves on any of my Model S or loaners. *shrugs*
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This happens if your seat belt is unbuckled, you're traveling < 5 mph, and your weight shifts in the seat for even a microsecond. I don't recall it ever doing it in drive, but definitely know it does it in reverse.

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mibaro2 said: ?

I have noticed that if you are in drive, and open the door, it will go into park.
But if you are in park, have the door open, then go into drive, I can drive slowly with the door open. (you get a warning to proceed with caution on the dash). It will jam into park over 5mph in this scenario. But it lets me pick up those newspapers on the driveway.
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Ahh, this explains it.
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artsci said: ?

the passenger door now releases, unlatches, and opens whenever I put the car in park, use the fob to extend the handles, or open any other door.
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ToddRLockwood said: ?

� Did you try rebooting both the touch screen and the instrument cluster?
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You know, we used to write jokes like this in '90s.
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Not sure if anyone else has experienced this but my passenger door sometimes makes a weird clunk noise when opened or closed. Opening it again it will sound normal, but it has to sit for a while and then it will make the noise again. I questioned this during a recent service call and one technician said he has seen this before and I should ask the manager, which I did, but he said it was because the passenger door was heavier than the driver door. The technician seemed to know something but couldn't say anything else when I questioned him after.

This happen to anyone else?
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EldestOyster said: ?

You know, we used to write jokes like this in '90s.
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Tried all of that, of course. And a new software upgrade download today made no difference.

But the car is now preventing me from driving when the door is unlatched, so that puts to rest the safety issue I was concerned about. I simply can't drive the car unless the door is fully closed and latched.
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Take the car tomorrow to the Rockville SC to get this fixed.
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Glad to hear they are addressing your issue urgently. But as an aside, I do believe that either Tesla SCs already have or are very close to being overwhelmed with workload, causing some customers to get frustrated.

My local SC is always busy and it can take a month or more to get anything non-urgent looked at. That's fine now but is pretty unacceptable by other automaker standards who have the luxury of a dealer/service network. I hope they open new SCs and/or hire more technicians at the same speed they are selling cars and opening Superchargers. If they're going to talk the talk about not going the dealer route, they need to walk the walk and provide the same level of service. For example, I can get my Lexus looked at within a day or two of calling - for any reason. I would chalk this down as one of the negatives in the Tesla buying decision checklist.
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caps04 said: ?

Glad to hear they are addressing your issue urgently. But as an aside, I do believe that either Tesla SCs already have or are very close to being overwhelmed with workload, causing some customers to get frustrated.

My local SC is always busy and it can take a month or more to get anything non-urgent looked at. That's fine now but is pretty unacceptable by other automaker standards who have the luxury of a dealer/service network. I hope they open new SCs and/or hire more technicians at the same speed they are selling cars and opening Superchargers. If they're going to talk the talk about not going the dealer route, they need to walk the walk and provide the same level of service. For example, I can get my Lexus looked at within a day or two of calling - for any reason. I would chalk this down as one of the negatives in the Tesla buying decision checklist.
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It is great that Tesla is selling more cars, but they now need to expand their service centres, or hire more staff for each location.
I would count this as a negative now also. I haven't experienced this yet, but I know both SC's in my area are always busy with at least a week waiting period.
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mibaro2 said: ?

It is great that Tesla is selling more cars, but they now need to expand their service centres, or hire more staff for each location.
I would count this as a negative now also. I haven't experienced this yet, but I know both SC's in my area are always busy with at least a week waiting period.
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I'd take a week. I just set an appointment for 3 weeks out, it's not an urgent appointment, but still... (my parking sensors are acting up).
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Closing service on Saturdays had made things worse. I've had a number of times I didn't mind driving the 90 miles to take the car to them on Saturday but because they were closed I had to use the ranger to pick my car up and drop off a loaner.
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It's really getting ridiculous in metro areas. For example, there are probably 5-10 technicians each in of the 2 service centers in NJ. So these 20 or so people have to manage any issues with, I don't know.. 5 to 6 thousand cars (just a guess) in our area? This number will probably double in a year with the launch of a new Model X. And if that car has any new model issues (very likely) like falcon wing doors or whatever, say goodbye to getting your lowly Model S looked at any time soon.

"So your center console phone charger is not working? Let's see... the earliest appointment we have is in 2 months. Sounds good?"
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I fear that the stealerships will pick up on this and use it as ammunition in their argument that only an independent dealer network can adequately service the needs of Tesla owners.
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Rockster said: ?

I fear that the stealerships will pick up on this and use it as ammunition in their argument that only an independent dealer network can adequately service the needs of Tesla owners.
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If I had relied on a stealer I would have had to wait for weeks to get anything done.
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MajesticSound said: ?

Not sure if anyone else has experienced this but my passenger door sometimes makes a weird clunk noise when opened or closed. ...

This happen to anyone else?
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Is it like a single cowbell note?
If so, yes.
Pearlie May developed this habit (or talent) after a few thousand miles. Non-urgent appointment, front passenger door inner panel had to come off. This got me a loaner of a white, less pearly S that had the exciting new TACC!
100% resolved.
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I've read that one of the reasons Texas cited for not allowing Tesla direct sales was because of Tesla's insufficient service network within the state to properly service all of its vehicles. I can't disagree with this logic. Tesla is heading towards a world of hurt if this doesn't improve. Unfortunately, I don't think they have the financial resources to make this better in the short term.
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Max* said: ?

I'd take a week. I just set an appointment for 3 weeks out, it's not an urgent appointment, but still... (my parking sensors are acting up).
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Mine are too, rear right. The first time service couldn't reproduce it, this time they said there is a service bulletin, apparently the paint on them is too thick. They are taking another stab at it tomorrow.
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vdiv said: ?

Mine are too, rear right. The first time service couldn't reproduce it, this time they said there is a service bulletin, apparently the paint on them is too thick. They are taking another stab at it tomorrow.
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Good to know, thanks.
Mine is rear center. I took photos of three separate occasions, as it's sporadic. It drives my wife nuts, otherwise I probably would've waited until something more serous was wrong.
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I had that problem like crazy with the Gen 1 handles that came with my car. With no "play" when you pulled on them, I'm convinced they were just too much of a "hair trigger" and when they extended, they would sometimes trip the switch that activates the release solenoid. The replacement handles have a bit of motion when you pull on them which eliminates this problem. Fortunately for me, most of the time it was the left rear door that would pop, so I just got used to closing it as I got out and closed the drivers door. Sometimes it was one of the doors on the passenger side, and that was a nuisance.

Back in my college days, I drove an old beater whose passenger door latch would freeze in the winter and not catch and hold the door closed. I simply tied a rope between the drivers door and passenger door across my belly after I got in. If I turned sharply to the left, the rope would stretch and the door would open about 8"!
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MajesticSound said: ?

Not sure if anyone else has experienced this but my passenger door sometimes makes a weird clunk noise when opened or closed. Opening it again it will sound normal, but it has to sit for a while and then it will make the noise again. I questioned this during a recent service call and one technician said he has seen this before and I should ask the manager, which I did, but he said it was because the passenger door was heavier than the driver door. The technician seemed to know something but couldn't say anything else when I questioned him after.

This happen to anyone else?
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Not sure if it's the same issue, but my right rear door makes a noise, almost like something was hitting metal when the door is shut. Noticed it when my son got into the car and closed the door. Made a sound like the seat belt latch was in the door jamb when the door was closed.

Took me awhile to see that the exterior handle was loose. Apparently the noise is the handle itself moving (guessing here) around in the door when it's closed. The odd part is, the handle seems to tighten up by itself (wtf!? lol) and the noise goes away. I have not scheduled service for it yet.
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teslamotorclub

Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2017

Should I duct tape the passenger door to keep it closed? part 1

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