Chronic Misalignment - HELP

[AmpedRealtor]

It's a shame that forum members are being harassed for posting honest, negative experiences. It seems we have a few people who are a little too wound up into their stocks. I'm a stockholder, too, but I'll never have long term value if problems aren't addressed.

 

[Canuck]

For some strange reason, please rarely start a thread that reads: "My car has no alignment problems" so when reading these forums people must keep in mind that every problem, regardless of how minor, gets reported and dissected. That's part of the reason I like it here. People get help for all kinds of issues and members are more than willing to help with tips and suggestions.

What bothers me is when someone like Montag626 (the lemon law litigant) comes along and strings together all the problem posts to try to show excessive problems with the car (in fact, he made himself look even more foolish by doing so, if that's even possible).

If you're looking to buy this car, read the forums but more importantly read the reviews, because the forums will give you a skewed view. Most of the problems reported you will never have with the car. And what more can be said when it comes to the reviews of this particular car?

 

[ckessel]

Last time I was in the SC, one of the service bulletins they did was to install some sort of screw/bolt specifically intended to address keeping a wheel from drifting out of alignment. I had one of the 4 tires that had drifted out of alignment (they were doing an alignment since I had new tires) so that prompted them to apply that service bulletin to my list of repairs.

 

[KOL2000]

Last time I was in the SC, one of the service bulletins they did was to install some sort of screw/bolt specifically intended to address keeping a wheel from drifting out of alignment. I had one of the 4 tires that had drifted out of alignment (they were doing an alignment since I had new tires) so that prompted them to apply that service bulletin to my list of repairs.

Thanks but aren't those the bolts for camber correction? I sent the SC this and they told me it was for that (which I already had done).

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Last time I was in the SC, one of the service bulletins they did was to install some sort of screw/bolt specifically intended to address keeping a wheel from drifting out of alignment. I had one of the 4 tires that had drifted out of alignment (they were doing an alignment since I had new tires) so that prompted them to apply that service bulletin to my list of repairs.

I think you're talking about the camber bolt. It adjusts the camber, or vertical tilt, of your rear wheels. Low camber reduces wear along the tire's inside edge at the expense of cornering performance.

 

[ckessel]

Thanks but aren't those the bolts for camber correction? I sent the SC this and they told me it was for that (which I already had done).

Yep, that was it. Oh well.

 

[wycolo]

> screw/bolt specifically intended to address keeping a wheel from drifting out of alignment. [ckessel]

CK could you poke around and maybe photo that bad boy? Just for the record. Be nice to know where that particular weak point is located.
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[Owner]

I agree. I have had to be very critical of Tesla myself although I am a total supporter and a five year blogger. Even good companies will make mistakes hit potholes (analogy intended), great companies are the ones that can address them.

It's a shame that forum members are being harassed for posting honest, negative experiences. It seems we have a few people who are a little too wound up into their stocks. I'm a stockholder, too, but I'll never have long term value if problems aren't addressed.

 

[ckessel]

> screw/bolt specifically intended to address keeping a wheel from drifting out of alignment. [ckessel]

CK could you poke around and maybe photo that bad boy? Just for the record. Be nice to know where that particular weak point is located.
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Sorry, I have no idea where I'd even look . It was just a line item in the paperwork after I had my alignment done.

 

[KOL2000]

OK Guys the excellent people at San Diego SC solved this mystery. Apparently a bushing was worn that led to the alignment not being able to hold. I hope this information helps others with the same issue:

Corrections: Front Control Arm - Front - Lower - LHReplaced left forelink
Parts Replaced or Added
Part Quantity
FR SUSP FORE LINK ASSY LH (6007998-00 1.00-C)
BOLT H CAM M14x2.00x114 [10.9]-G720 1.00(2007108)
WASHER CAM M14x38x6x2.5 [10]-G720 1.00(2007115)
NUT CLN HEX M14x2.0 [10] ZnAl-W 1.00(1006484-00-A)
Corrections: Four Wheel Alignment (with Air Suspension)
Performed 4 wheeld alignment and caster split post forelink replacement

 

[Owner]

Seems kind of quick 13K miles to have these worn, but it isn't the same factory alignment issue us others have had.

OK Guys the excellent people at San Diego SC solved this mystery. Apparently a bushing was worn that led to the alignment not being able to hold.

 

[jerry33]

Seems kind of quick 13K miles to have these worn, but it isn't the same factory alignment issue us others have had.

If it was loose from the factory all the wear could have happened before the first alignment.

 

[KOL2000]

UPDATE!

Alignment is out again and my car just had the 12V battery fault and immobilized the car (same as Edmunds). Luckily I wasn't on a road trip with family.....

I think the 12V issue that Edmunds had is a serious one and if people keep getting stranded Tesla's going to have a PR nightmare on it's hands.

 

[zwede]

There is another possibility, and that is that your alignment isn't changing but that the SC alignment machine is measuring it wrong, and in different ways each time.

I've had performance cars the last 25 years and found it exceedingly difficult to get a good alignment anywhere. Years ago I bought the tools to measure the alignment myself and found that the actual alignment had very little to do with that nice, all green, computer printout.

My theory is the alignment machines go out of calibration easily, and there's no way for the tech to know.

I bet you could have it aligned at one shop, drive across the street to another shop and they would get a completely different alignment.

 

[KOL2000]

UPDATE:

The wonderful San Diego service center completed all the repairs - new 12V, HV battery and a totally new rack and pinion steering setup (which is believed to be the root cause of the misalignment).

 

[Alysashley79]

I just had a new drive unit/inverter put in on Monday and an alignment done at the same time and now my car is also pulling to the right really bad...I'm taking it back down today for another alignment. I've read through here to get some ideas on what to tell them, as far as I know the seattle SC hasn't had any major issues with alignment but I could be wrong here I'm just worried that now I'm going to be taking my car in every week. I took it home on Tuesday and it was fine that night and Wednesday morning by Wednesday afternoon it was pulling so bad I could wind up in a ditch if not for over correction to the left. My husband drove it yesterday and noted the same thing.

 

[KOL2000]

Alysashley - Tell the Seattle SC to call Dave Iverson in the San Diego SC. He is amazing and patiently took care of the car 4-5 times until they finally nailed down the problem. So far my car is still perfectly aligned so the latest fix seemed to work.

 

[Alysashley79]

Kol2000 thanks - I found a good tech at the seattle SC and he did a great job. Now just hoping the alignment holds. He did mention that they had their rack calibrated recently but said my car was done after but who knows if that's true. All I know us that for now it's driving straight and fingers crossed it'll stay straight and my drive unit won't crap out again and won't have to do this again. :/