Acceleration Shudder

[LukasSwan]

That’s correct, but it changes the way the car drives. It may be ok if you only need the High suspension setting for 20 feet, but not if it’s needed for a longer section of road.

I travel ~4 miles a day on gravel/rocky roads @ 10-35mph. Set to always Low, the car will automatically kick out of High and straight into low every so often. Which now means I spend the drive with the suspension screen up; fighting it to go back into High the second it triggers to low. When it’s set to never or even at 50mph, the car will hold the High setting as long as I don’t exceed 45mph for the entire stretch of road.

I really wish Tesla would have an "off-road" mode where you can lock the suspension into high or very high until you change it. I have the same problem as you, that driving down long gravel road, I put it in high, but then crest just above the speed value where it resets downward. Then comes a big rock. Rediculous. And it cannot simply be a safety thing, because there are lots of Jeeps out there way up in the air.

Then comes the counterpoint, where I set my suspension very high to get in my snowy driveway. But after I pull out on a clear day I want to step on it,and get shudder. So I would like the GPS raise site to be local only.

This area really needs work for the MX. Not to mention a long term shudder fix. Tesla has replaced my half shafts twice now.

 

[Yinn]

Interesting, I thought high and very high were disabled solely based on speed.

It does, but the Always low overrides it because it’s past the geolocation point. In a non always setting, it’ll keep High the entire stretch until I exceed the speed threshold.

Would a driver profile help in this situation?

Yes but it’s a workaround but bit silly to have to change my profile every day before I hit the stretch of road.

It works exactly as intended from the factory - suspension triggers to Low when I hit 55mph. Keeps it at standard when I don’t, and triggers to High based off of memory and keeps it. It’s just that it’s now not recommended because of the axle issue. So it’s that issue that really needs to be fixed.

 

[Krazaak]

It does, but the Always low overrides it because it’s past the geolocation point. In a non always setting, it’ll keep High the entire stretch until I exceed the speed threshold.



Yes but it’s a workaround but bit silly to have to change my profile every day before I hit the stretch of road.

It works exactly as intended from the factory - suspension triggers to Low when I hit 55mph. Keeps it at standard when I don’t, and triggers to High based off of memory and keeps it. It’s just that it’s now not recommended because of the axle issue. So it’s that issue that really needs to be fixed.

Makes sense, I've only used it for the occasional un-paved parking lot, so obviously a smaller area.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell how high a priority this is for Tesla, along with the FWD phantom obstacle detection. Those two reasons seem like the primary points of dissatisfaction with Model Xs and I suffer from both of them. That said, I've experienced long response times to similar issues from BMW as well. My X5M and X6M both suffered from cast front driveshafts that would snap under heavy load, in some cases doing $30-40,000 in damage when they failed. BMW started with a bulletin to inspect them (but failures occurred in cars that had been inspected only a week before), finally extended the warranty on them to 10y/100,000mi and only as a last resort finally recalled them. That was a potentially deadly flaw, since in a few cases it happened at speed and sent large chucks of metal flying down the freeway and it was over a year or two before they finally recalled them. So far, the Tesla issue seems more of an inconvenience than a danger, but as soon as one of the CV joints actually fails and sends an axle down the highway, it might get more attention.

 

[Yinn]

So far, the Tesla issue seems more of an inconvenience than a danger, but as soon as one of the CV joints actually fails and sends an axle down the highway, it might get more attention.

I think this is the key right here. Might not be a major issue if they keep replacing them. But with SCs starting to state they’re safe to drive on or refusing to replace; the second one grenades it’s going to be a class action law suit.

 

[FlyF4]

This area really needs work for the MX. Not to mention a long term shudder fix. Tesla has replaced my half shafts twice now.

Yes agree. I think half the people on the planet are waiting for a long term shutter fix. Me being one of them.
And while I'm at it, after gaining a bit of weight, my rear end shutters when I run too

 

[MDR SEA]

I was told by the lead at the Tempe SC, that the problem was different lengths of the half shafts created a harmonic which is in phase at only one coincidental rotation of the two half shafts. At any other coincidental rotation the two are out of phase and you get the vibration, which could be dampened with larger bushings but that would harshen the ride. I'm not sure why increasing the mass of the shorter half shaft wouldn't equalize their frequencies, maybe it has to do with flex while spinning.

Interesting.
I was a line mechanic for VW, MB, BL, Nissan, etc, years ago when front wheel drive was gaining popularity.
There were bug-a-boos - torque steer, vibrations, etc that were addressed with model year changes - vibration dampeners, carrier bearings, etc..
The intractable MX shuddering issue seems to be the same situation all over again.
I think the half shaft vibration is unavoidable especially with adjustable suspension and the amazing torque that we so love - it's a lot to ask of a CV joint.
My best guess for a solution would be adding concentric dampener rings to one or both half shafts.
This may or may not work but we'll never know if they don't try it.
Probably easier than FEA.

Given the relative youth of most Tesla personnel (<40) I can't help but think they've missed some old lessons learned.

Full disclosure - I love these cars (I own 2). They are fast, smooth and elegantly simple. Tesla is an amazing company, with a laudably ambitious mission and I want them to succeed. However their customer service, though willing and courteous, needs some fine-tuning.

Cheers
MDR

 

[pox]

Any update on a possible shutter fix? Tesla told me there still wasn't a fix at my April annual service visit. Also no luck on getting the FWD paint ware fixed on the inner edges. I left my car with them for a week in Vegas so they could get both fixed and they said didn't have time for the paint an there wasn't a fix for the shutter yet.

 

[sorka]

My MS has had it's cv half shafts replaced 3 times now. Each time the issue has returned sooner than the last time. The last time for me was February an the issue returned in just 3K miles this time. Clearly something else is causing them to go bad and whatever it is is getting worse and worse so that the cv joints are destroyed faster and faster. Someone in the thread I posted early in this thread reported recently that they replaced his front lower control arms and that seems to have cured it permanently.

That said, I recently drove a co-workers brand new X P100D and was shocked at how much worse the shudder was on this particular X.

 

[Yinn]

My MS has had it's cv half shafts replaced 3 times now. Each time the issue has returned sooner than the last time. The last time for me was February an the issue returned in just 3K miles this time. Clearly something else is causing them to go bad and whatever it is is getting worse and worse so that the cv joints are destroyed faster and faster. Someone in the thread I posted early in this thread reported recently that they replaced his front lower control arms and that seems to have cured it permanently.

That said, I recently drove a co-workers brand new X P100D and was shocked at how much worse the shudder was on this particular X.

Just confirming. This is on a Model S?
I was told by my SC (2nd set for me) that it was limited to the Model X. Seems like that may not be accurate info.

 

[sorka]

Just confirming. This is on a Model S?
I was told by my SC (2nd set for me) that it was limited to the Model X. Seems like that may not be accurate info.

If I had a nickle for every time a car cs rep told me something that wasn't true....

Front vibration when accelerating - accelerometer graphs....

 

[efusco]

Our X is going in for the shudder issue for the 3rd time next week. I don't think it's ever been completely gone even after the prior 2 half-shaft replacements. My wife doesn't complain (it's her primary vehicle) but every time I drive I find it completely unacceptably annoying.

 

[Ampster]

My wife doesn't complain (it's her primary vehicle).......

Yes, I am in the same situation.LOL I have enough honeydo projects around the home, it gives me some comfort to have one of my own that she thinks I am doing for "her" safety.

 

[hill]

Our X is going in for the shudder issue for the 3rd time next week. I don't think it's ever been completely gone even after the prior 2 half-shaft replacements. My wife doesn't complain (it's her primary vehicle) but every time I drive I find it completely unacceptably annoying.

chill mode helps it feel more tolerable
.

 

[efusco]

chill mode helps it feel more tolerable
.

But then you're in chill mode...ain't nobody want that.

 

[hill]

The shudder people have described here was not present on new cars before but would appear after at least 10,000 miles and new half-shafts have temporarily fixed the problem. Could this be something else?

we 1st noticed (per our 10th SC visit records) at 4,500 miles. OD now reads 13K miles.
.

 

[efusco]

we 1st noticed (per our 10th SC visit records) at 4,500 miles. OD now reads 13K miles.
.

I don't know when we first noticed, but I think it was there from day 1, just assumed it was normal for the X (we'd never driven an X or owned a dual motor previously). But it got worse and sure didn't seem normal and then we had loaners that were smooth. We're over 60k miles now.

 

[Milin1609]

Tesla seems to have no fix for this shudder issue. We see quite a few of us complain, but in vain. I talk to my SC when ever I go, but every time, they says that it is within specifications. Really ??? Are we all wrong in complaining??

 

[sorka]

Tesla seems to have no fix for this shudder issue. We see quite a few of us complain, but in vain. I talk to my SC when ever I go, but every time, they says that it is within specifications. Really ??? Are we all wrong in complaining??

There's a spec for how much shudder is allowed? Ask them to show you the spec

 

[sorka]

....and while you're at it, have them put in writing that 10s of thousands of forward/rearward oscillations won't cause metal fatigue on the lower control arms.

 

[gavine]

I wish you can set the suspension on low and have it stay there. Why does it constantly go-back to standard height whenever it feels like it? I like the way it drives on low so I should be able to set it there permanently.