Closing the single electronic frunk latch experience

[Firewired]

I just recently took delivery of my Model S a couple of weeks ago, and one of the things I was concerned about after reading all the threads was using the frunk and the possible dreaded crease. The only frunk I got to try out was the prior double latch type. I didn't find it particularly easy, felt like it really took a careful touch, and felt like I would probably not use it because of that.

Well at least to me, I find the newer single latch version much easier. Seems to me another Tesla incremental improvement. I know the single electronic latch was designed primarily to meet the Euro NCAP pedestrian requirments, but I think it made the frunk much more forgiving to close. For me, I lower the hood down gently and the softly push down on either side and the electric latch pulls it shut the rest of the way.

Just wanted to to know if those that if those that have had extensive experience with both agree.

 

[svp6]

Mine works pretty well - easy to push in (2 day old P85D)

 

[Larry93428]

Wow! Still another reason to want a Model D!
~Larry

 

[Han Chen]

The frunk the one concern I have with this car. You have an electronic frunk latch that will auto-close? Is this new or am I really misinterpreting this because I want to?

 

[stevezzzz]

No, the newer frunk latch is still mechanical and must be closed by hand, same as the old design. I've only closed the frunk once or twice on my new P85D, but I don't really feel much difference in the force required compared to the frunk latch on my Sig S.

 

[zro ltr]

I'm curious about the VINs being discussed in the thread. I just took delivery of my car on Friday. I read this thread and checked on my car to see if it had some newfangled electronic latch. Now I can't get the frunk to close.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Hmmm, yeah this is interesting. I find my P85D slightly harder to push down, but I do hear an electro-mechanical sound like there is some mechanism pulling the hood down tight. It's not soft close, but it sounds and feels _almost_ like it could be. VIN 63xxx here.

 

[Firewired]

Mine is a P85D also, to be clear it doesn't close down like the back. You set the hood down and softly push down on either side, you don't have to push all the way to closure. When you push down slightly, and softly, you hear the latch "whir" sound, and it engages and pulls the hood the rest of the way to tightly closed. You can see the hood get every so slightly pulled down tight when it engages, and closes. I don't think that the prior two latch system does that. Can someone verify that?

 

[zro ltr]

I hadn't realized this was just a P85D thing. Now I feel dumb. My plan to never use the frunk was thwarted on the second day and now I can't get it closed.

 

[Firewired]

I wouldn't think that it is a P85D thing. I think they changed from a double latch to a single with the electric motor in order to do well on the Euro NCAP and have the hood pop up when it impacts a pedestrian. I thought all cars produced after approximately September had that change.

 

[zro ltr]

My S85 was built in December (VIN 60838) and seems to have the old double latch.

 

[Andyw2100]

Mine is a P85D also, to be clear it doesn't close down like the back. You set the hood down and softly push down on either side, you don't have to push all the way to closure. When you push down slightly, and softly, you hear the latch "whir" sound, and it engages and pulls the hood the rest of the way to tightly closed. You can see the hood get every so slightly pulled down tight when it engages, and closes. I don't think that the prior two latch system does that. Can someone verify that?

I just tried this with my P85D. I really tried to listen for any whir, and to feel for any "pulling" of the hood to close tightly, and I just couldn't hear anything or feel anything.

If this was a joke, you got me.

If it wasn't, I want one of your frunk latches! It sounds really cool!

Edit: I wonder if this could be something that Tesla is testing and/or adding in somewhat randomly, (much like the heated steering wheel,) to only some cars, which would explain some people having it and others not having it.

 

[Firewired]

Andy,

No joke. That is interesting. It is slight, but there is definitely an electro-mechanical sound and you can see the slightest narrowing as the hood is engaged. I can't imagine that they put it on some cars and not others as it was designed to meet safety

 

[Andyw2100]

Andy,

No joke. That is interesting. It is slight, but there is definitely an electro-mechanical sound and you can see the slightest narrowing as the hood is engaged. I can't imagine that they put it on some cars and not others as it was designed to meet safety

Any chance you could make and post a video, and then ask other P85D owners if their frunk hoods close that way or not? I have a feeling we will discover that only some of us have this, and I'm guessing you may be in the minority.

 

[Vitaman]

Definitely no auto whir on mine.
Good old mechanical push til it latches.
Would love some automation here.

 

[Firewired]

Any chance you could make and post a video, and then ask other P85D owners if their frunk hoods close that way or not? I have a feeling we will discover that only some of us have this, and I'm guessing you may be in the minority.

Will try to. it will have to be when I get home tonight. Could you all post picture of the U loop latch and where it connects to in the car so we can see if there are any apparent physical differences?

 

[stevezzzz]

I just made a side-by-side comparison of the Sig S and the P85D frunk latching sequences, opening and closing both at least half a dozen times. There is little difference, if any, in the force required to completely close the two frunks. Both have a two-stage closing sequence. When closing the Sig's frunk you can hear the first latch engage early in the process and with very little force; keep pushing and the second latch engages. Neither latch seems to be electromechanically fired when engaging. On the P85D it's slightly different: a light push triggers an electromechanical first latch, with a whir and a clack but no drawing closed of the hood. At that point you can lift the hood up perhaps an inch with no resistance until it fetches up against the latch. Keep pushing down and you can hear the second and final latch engage, but it's a strictly mechanical sound and again, there's no drawing closed of the hood.

Hope that helps...

 

[EarlyAdopter]

I think mine is different, more like what Firewired is describing. Car is at the detailer getting wrapped this week though, so I won't be able to confirm until Friday at the earliest.

 

[benjiejr]

I checked my P85D last night and mine does not seem to be like what @Firewired (Rich) has described. I tried to close it gently and then press down on it some to see if it would mechanically latch and it does not. I have to use 2 hands with a bit of force. Then I do hear a mechanical sound like its locking the latch or something, but nothing automated pulls it down.

Rich, if you want to do a side-by-side comparison, we can certainly do that since I live so nearby!

 

[Firewired]

OK. Sorry for the delay. I have been working a bunch, and had to wait to I literally had like 10 minutes to film a video. If the video is lacking, I had to find something to prop my phone by my lonesome while I opened and closed the trunk.

Feel free to tell me I am way off on this, this is my first MS and I am just going from my recollection of the model S I test drove and have seen briefly in the gallery. Here is what I tried to do in the video.
1) I pushed on the remote so you could hear the electronic latch mechanism
2) once the trunk was open, pushed it again via the remote to open again, to make sure the sound electric latch sound was audible
3) started to close the trunk until I felt like the electric latch started to grab, I stopped pushing at that point, when I pushed the rest of the way, it felt like it simply closed without any electric latch.
(I felt that pushing right through might be too quick to hear the sound, or the electric sound might be obscured by the closing sound.)

Thanks for any feedback or insights:

Opening Frunk - YouTube