I have a P85+ so maybe they are more worried about tire wear with that model. Currently I have my winter tires on the car.
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Air Suspension no longer lowers at highway speeds (FW update v5.8)
- Thread starter Lump
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
I have a P85+ so maybe they are more worried about tire wear with that model. Currently I have my winter tires on the car.
Perhaps the difference in height is due to my car being a P85+; they might set them up to be lower to start with. I have winter tires on the car but I doubt it would make that much difference. I measured up to the bare aluminum of the battery tray behind the passenger front tire.
I used callipers for the measurement so I feel pretty comfortable with the accuracy of the measurement. The important thing for this thread is that there were no changes in conditions from before to after the software upgrade (it sat in the garage overnight) - i.e. there definitely was a change in the height of the Low setting after the upgrade.
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caddieo
Member
I'm on 5.8. and I'm seeing another software error: I can almost always get the UI to accept a Low command when I enter it while the car is traveling between 20 and 25 mph at Standard height. It does not actually change the suspension height, but there is no error message and the Low indication persists on the touch screen, at any speed (although I haven't had it up to 100mph) until I select a different ride height. It still shows Low at 0 mph, in Park, though the actual height is Standard.
mknox
Well-Known Member
This is absolutely the most important thing to me. Even on the freeway, there are often ruts where the wheels travel with a mound of snow in the middle. My previous CTS was kinda low at the front and I was always the "snow plow" in these conditions. I think my Model S is even lower. Having the ability to travel at "High" in these kinds of conditions is critical.
Liz G
P03056
> actually change the suspension height [stevezzzz]
Until someone attaches an accurate transducer between frame and hub it is impossible to tell if car is in LOW or Standard. The UI readout proves nothing. An experienced MS driver might say: "This feels like my old LOW" but no proof.
I'm guessing long term driving in HIGH will start to chew up the shocks/suspension as you are now well above the intended center-travel point. HIGH always seemed extra tight to me.
If they re-design the X to higher ride heights, ala most Crossovers today, you won't find me complaining. My guess is that this would still be more stable than the average Crossover.
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Until someone attaches an accurate transducer between frame and hub it is impossible to tell if car is in LOW or Standard. The UI readout proves nothing. An experienced MS driver might say: "This feels like my old LOW" but no proof.
I'm guessing long term driving in HIGH will start to chew up the shocks/suspension as you are now well above the intended center-travel point. HIGH always seemed extra tight to me.
If they re-design the X to higher ride heights, ala most Crossovers today, you won't find me complaining. My guess is that this would still be more stable than the average Crossover.
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I'm not measuring ride height, but when I set the suspension height to Low from Standard, while traveling 20-25 mph, the pump doesn't run and the suspension doesn't lower. If I then stop (the UI still says Low) and select Standard, the pump doesn't run and the suspension height doesn't change. At that point, if I select Low the pump runs and the car lowers; then if I select Standard the car rises again. Start driving, select Low at 20-25 mph....lather, rinse, repeat.
TheAustin
Model X 90D (Former Model S P85)
Unless of course it's an improvement or something that benefits you...Which, in this case, arguable could be seen as a benefit/improvement. Of course, I'd rather it be an option, but still.
Interesting. Personally I thought that adding Kevlar etc to the front of the battery packs was overkill when raising the height of the car a little would clear these trailer ball-hitch units (the ones held on with a simple pin that can relatively easily come out, depositing the lump of metal in the road to collect a Model S).
Tesla's partner (Mercedes) has a system for the S-Class for detecting the road surface ahead and raising and lowering suspension for a smoother ride.
In the light of autonomous driving research at Tesla (both related to, and ultimately far more advanced than the Merc system) that it would seem sensible to look forward to the release of a system for the Model S capable of detecting and reacting to debris as well as uneven road surface ahead thereby permitting the car to return to being one of the lowest on the road at highway speeds without fear of overblown media incidents.
Tesla's partner (Mercedes) has a system for the S-Class for detecting the road surface ahead and raising and lowering suspension for a smoother ride.
In the light of autonomous driving research at Tesla (both related to, and ultimately far more advanced than the Merc system) that it would seem sensible to look forward to the release of a system for the Model S capable of detecting and reacting to debris as well as uneven road surface ahead thereby permitting the car to return to being one of the lowest on the road at highway speeds without fear of overblown media incidents.
lolachampcar
Well-Known Member
+1 on lolachampcar note that air wouldn't do it. Also would require sensors that are not now on the car to detect road surface/hazards forward.
So, certainly possible on future Tesla cars (including future iterations of S), but not without hardware changes that are unlikely to retrofit.
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Hmm, this is very interesting… How's this for hypothesis: Tesla got into low suspension settings to raise this .33" as response to a) tire wear issue, b) clearance concerns. While they were in there, they implemented "autobahn" mode, and somebody goofed up on the kph/mph trigger for "low". Released seen as minor and final fixes (along with others) to 5.6, which has been in customer "testing" for weeks. 5.8 blasted out. Oops on the kph/mph! We'll see shortly.
Gizmotoy
Active Member
I thought I read about at least one of those systems that did use air, but essentially maintained a high-pressure canister, similar to how a capacitor can be used to assist a battery. Air from the canister was used to quickly change the status of the air suspension, and the pump simply worked to maintain a high pressure in the canister.
That's not an option here, obviously, since the S is missing the necessary hardware for that.
Well, no.
The Mercedes Magic Body Control only alters the damper settings. That is something entirely different.
Dang, I wish I had seen this sooner. I was opted into taking the upgrade last night...of which I did.
I would have gladly not bought the P+ option to get the adjustable air suspension had we known the company would be changing the 'low' functionality and settings. Sway bars and compliance bushing are things that could be upgraded with aftermarket components (and if those components aren't available, find a current manufacturer and distributer to make one-off for pilot testing market/product feasibility). The standard coilover set up looks a lot more appealing now....lower costs and ease of upgradability (either with just shorter and higher rate springs, or combined with shorter stroke struts).
I quite literally would've saved $10k for the suspension and forced wheel upgrade. I would've sorted my own aftermarket suspension components and wheels for less.
In my opinion, the ONLY thing Tesla needed to upgrade for air suspension owners was the ability to manually over ride suspension height regardless of speed. In winter, with snow on the ground, I'd like to be able to set the ride height accordingly....vice versa, middle of summer and cruising, I'd like to be at the low setting. I don't want a nanny telling me what's a good ride height.
I would have gladly not bought the P+ option to get the adjustable air suspension had we known the company would be changing the 'low' functionality and settings. Sway bars and compliance bushing are things that could be upgraded with aftermarket components (and if those components aren't available, find a current manufacturer and distributer to make one-off for pilot testing market/product feasibility). The standard coilover set up looks a lot more appealing now....lower costs and ease of upgradability (either with just shorter and higher rate springs, or combined with shorter stroke struts).
I quite literally would've saved $10k for the suspension and forced wheel upgrade. I would've sorted my own aftermarket suspension components and wheels for less.
In my opinion, the ONLY thing Tesla needed to upgrade for air suspension owners was the ability to manually over ride suspension height regardless of speed. In winter, with snow on the ground, I'd like to be able to set the ride height accordingly....vice versa, middle of summer and cruising, I'd like to be at the low setting. I don't want a nanny telling me what's a good ride height.
Al Sherman
It's about THIS car.
^^^This^^^ I don't know anything more than the rest of you, but this thread is starting to sound like debate practice. I wouldn't bet everything I have, but I'd bet a lot that it's just a bug.
LOL.
This was posted by mknox in another topic titled "Firmware 5.8":
Quote: "Interesting.... I noticed that all my settings had been switched to Metric after the update and had to change them back..."
He is in Canada so he is probably used to thinking in kmh and not mph. But I wonder if his discovery could be an explanation for why the air suspension lowering is now occurring at over 96mph.
I have been reading every post about this issue (and it takes some time to keep up with the volume!) and am leaning towards the explanation being a software bug and not a deliberate change by Tesla to disallow the Low setting at normal highway speeds.
Quote: "Interesting.... I noticed that all my settings had been switched to Metric after the update and had to change them back..."
He is in Canada so he is probably used to thinking in kmh and not mph. But I wonder if his discovery could be an explanation for why the air suspension lowering is now occurring at over 96mph.
I have been reading every post about this issue (and it takes some time to keep up with the volume!) and am leaning towards the explanation being a software bug and not a deliberate change by Tesla to disallow the Low setting at normal highway speeds.
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