Door Handle Intermittent

[gr108]

Twice in the past month, i've had my driver door fail to open when pulling the handle to open. I walk to the car, the handle presents normally. When I pull it, it moves slightly like it normally does, the window lowers a tad, but the door doesn't open.

I can get in from the passenger door and it opens from the inside. The first time it happened, i rebooted things by holding down both buttons on the steering wheel. When I got home, i got out of the car and tried to re-open the door and it was fine.

It was fine for a few weeks then happened again a couple days ago. I got in through the passenger side again. I didn't reboot this time. When I got home, i could not open the door again after getting out. Same thing, handles present, windows move when pulled but door doesn't open. I just left it. I didn't go anywhere and it sat in the garage. I went to drive it last night and it opened fine/normal. I rebooted things again for good measure and it was fine the rest of the evening. Seems to be fine today.

I've tried searching for some answers but everything is about failed/broken door handles not presenting. I could not find anything else like this.

it's a late 2016 model S with the refreshed front end. MCU and driving computer upgrade running 2022.28.2. Those have been in about a year.

 

[RedTesY]

Likely the door handle itself. Schedule a service appointment. A mobile tech should be able to repair at your home.

 

[Del Schier]

A couple of months ago I fixed my left rear that presented but wouldn't open. It was the wires going to the microswitch that closes when you pull the handle. It is on the left side of the handle lever arms looking at the back. The wires were dressed so they flexed too much and there was some corrosion. I cut away rubber around the wire connections to the switch, resoldered, put on shrink tubing and reinforced that point with hot melt glue. I re-dressed the wires so they would not flex the joint connection and it has been working perfectly since. Took me about 4 hours and cost nothing. It is not a trivial task to remove it from the door and put it back together. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to get it out and back in. Good luck or give Tesla $1000. I just fixed the right front that would not present, saved another $1000 but spent $8 on the gear. Now I have to figure out what to do about the 3rd daytime running light that has turned yellow.

 

[dark cloud]

A couple of months ago I fixed my left rear that presented but wouldn't open. It was the wires going to the microswitch that closes when you pull the handle. It is on the left side of the handle lever arms looking at the back. The wires were dressed so they flexed too much and there was some corrosion. I cut away rubber around the wire connections to the switch, resoldered, put on shrink tubing and reinforced that point with hot melt glue. I re-dressed the wires so they would not flex the joint connection and it has been working perfectly since. Took me about 4 hours and cost nothing. It is not a trivial task to remove it from the door and put it back together. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to get it out and back in. Good luck or give Tesla $1000. I just fixed the right front that would not present, saved another $1000 but spent $8 on the gear. Now I have to figure out what to do about the 3rd daytime running light that has turned yellow.

I second the microswitch wire. Upon inspection the wire from the factory was way too tight, and after about 500 cycles of flexing back and forth it cracked the sheathing, and after some time later moisture caused corrosion to set in and it worked intermittently. It was just the rear right so not that big of an issue, and a new one is only $200 these days, (requiring a factory reset) but just decided to fix it by cutting out the broken wire piece and splicing in another inch of 22 gauge speaker wire. Works better than before and should last another 4 years.

Del Schier your signature says you are from Flordia. fyi