Can someone tell me how suspension works? Im confused

[vegasko]

Every time i select very high or high it goes back to “standard”. Also, is there any downside for suspension to be always in high/very high? Thank you

 

[Huachipato]

Car stresses different components when you raise the car, which is why there are speed limits where it will lower itself. The higher you go, the lower that speed limit becomes. I think the Very High setting is just up to 10MPH.

 

[Takumi]

Why do you want to keep it in high?

The car automatically adjusts lower for better efficiency at higher speeds. Why do you think race cars are low to the ground?

 

[Art VandeIay]

Every time i select very high or high it goes back to “standard”.

Hey @vegasko, every time you change the ride height to High or Very High, the suspension automatically lowers to its default ride height after driving 100 feet or when the driving speed reaches a specific pre-programed threshold:

For High, the threshold is 35 mph, as you can see from your second photo.
For Very High is 15 mph.

These threshold parameters cannot be changed as they are hard-coded to the vehicle's firmware.

If you want to extend the time your Model S stays in High or Very High beyond the 100 feed distance, you need to drive below 35 mph or 15 mph (depending on the ride height you selected) and click on the blue "Keep" text (visible on your second photo).

You can find all this information here in the Owners Manual:

Also, is there any downside for suspension to be always in high/very high?

As @Huachipato and @Takumi mentioned, it is not recommended to drive for prolonged periods of time in High or Very High as this creates excessive stress on several suspension components:

 

[vegasko]

Ah ok. I didnt know that. So i should leave on standard and”set ti 100+mph”. Correct?

 

[Art VandeIay]

So i should leave on standard and”set ti 100+mph

You don't have to leave it on Standard for ever and ever. Standard is the default setting. It will automatically go back to Standard after you raise or lower the suspension. As you know, you can raise the suspension to High or Very High when you need extra ground clearance, such as when driving on a steep driveway or ramp, in deep snow, or over large speed bumps and parking curbs, and it will set a geolocation tag on that particular place, so your Model S will always raise its suspension on that exact location, (as you can see on your second picture, just below the Ride Height title), but it will always go back to Standard on its own.

The Automatic Lowering setting in your third photo, (the one you currently have set to 100+ mph) is a different feature.

Here, you can set the speed on which you want your Model S to automatically lower its suspension to its Low ride height (like maybe Highway speeds).
This improves aerodynamics, handling and range. According to your current setting, your Model S will lower its suspension to Low when it reaches 100 or more mph. You can change this speed by clicking Adjust Speed and sliding the selector left or right.

Here you can also choose for your Model S to default its ride height to Low (instead of Standard) if you set this feature' to "Always", or to never automatically lower its ride height if you set it to "Never".