Door Handles: Warning! Random Door Opening While Locked!

[derekt75]

If the door is locked, it ought not to open regardless of pressure on the handle.

I don't think it does, and I'm not sure that's the issue here.

After I got over the initial paranoia of the handles automatically retracting, I now just walk away. I wonder if when the handles start to retract, the pressure sensor thinks that someone is opening the door, and opens it before the handles are fully retracted and the car is locked. (At least I think the car would lock after the handles retract as that would eliminate any issues from someone sticking their hand into the handle while it was retracting.)

Anyway I think it could be the same mechanism as the door opening when extending the handles: the movement of the handles triggers a false open-door request.

 

[smoothoperator2]

It is either hit or miss with my experience with the door handles. Some days they open with a gentle tug, other days you feel like you may tear your rotator cuff trying to get the door to open. I too have noticed some odd behavior with the handles. In my experience on my vehicle, this is usually due to the handles being out of sync. I have locked my door and come back and seen the handles out, but I am almost positive these handles came out <1 minute after I left the vehicle and not randomly after 20 mins. I always spend at least 30 seconds re-locking and locking my car 3 times prior to leaving it in a public space. I think this is more of a software issue than a handle issue?

 

[W8MM]

I had a conversation about our right-front door spontaneously unlatching with the Chicago (5 hours away) service center yesterday.

They promised to pull logs from our car via 3G, analyse the results, and formulate a plan of action.

This morning, my wife reported that she set her purse down in the garage near the car (extending the handles) and went back in the house for a minute. Upon returning the handles were retracted and wouldn't extend, even by pressing the fob buttons. She touched the driver's door handle, and the handle extended and she opened the door.

After finishing a meeting, she returned to the car in their parking lot, and handles refused to extend, etc. Pressing the door handle let her into the car.

Seems like the auto-extend feature comes and goes on its own time table.

Running 4.1 -- 1.19.31

 

[contaygious]

That happens to me everyday though while I put on my shoes. If you are near then handles extend and will time out eventually. Once timed out and the handles go back in then it will only open if you press the handle.

 

[yobigd20]

What brand of car?

`97 chevy camaro and `04 nissan murano. had it happen a few times on both. moreso on the camaro I think.

 

[jerry33]

That happens to me everyday though while I put on my shoes. If you are near then handles extend and will time out eventually. Once timed out and the handles go back in then it will only open if you press the handle.

There is likely a wait time before they become active again. The Prius works the same way. If you lock the car, you can't open it again for a few seconds. My guess is that the wait time is set much longer on the Model S.

 

[Doug_G]

Okay, my misbehaving door handles have been replaced. I talked to my Ranger at length, and am satisfied that this will indeed correct the problem.

It sounds like this is a pretty rare problem. If you do see something like this happen, you should contact service immediately.

 

[Zapped]

I searched and couldn't find anyone reporting this (although maybe that's just my search). On that serious an issue, do you have a source or a post link please?

Had the front passenger door unlatch while driving. Someone else on this thread also. Nothing since.
Model S Technical / Mechanical Issues - Page 100

 

[EarlyAdopter]

Okay, my misbehaving door handles have been replaced. I talked to my Ranger at length, and am satisfied that this will indeed correct the problem.

It sounds like this is a pretty rare problem. If you do see something like this happen, you should contact service immediately.

Did he provide any explanation for how a faulty door handle could have overridden the door being locked?

 

[ddruz]

And has anyone had this problem running 4.2?

 

[W8MM]

That happens to me everyday though while I put on my shoes. If you are near then handles extend and will time out eventually. Once timed out and the handles go back in then it will only open if you press the handle.

Thanks for the explanation of what happened while the car was in the garage at home with her purse nearby. I suspected as much.

Why would it act the same way when she came back to the car in an office tower garage after a 90 minute meeting?

 

[mknox]

Okay, my misbehaving door handles have been replaced. I talked to my Ranger at length, and am satisfied that this will indeed correct the problem.

Did they replace ALL the handles, or just the ones where you observed the problem behavior? (I realize you said "misbehaving door handles" but am wondering if Tesla figured a bad batch of four went into your car).

 

[Doug_G]

He replaced the two rear handles that popped their doors; and while he was at it the driver's door handle, which was cosmetically defective.

He showed me the handle mechanism but wouldn't allow a picture. It's an elegant design. He showed me how it works; the microswitch that triggers the door to open is mechanically, not electrically, prevented from being triggered when the handle is retracted. Should be very robust. The explanation appears to be a defective microswitch.

 

[neroden]

He replaced the two rear handles that popped their doors; and while he was at it the driver's door handle, which was cosmetically defective.

He showed me the handle mechanism but wouldn't allow a picture. It's an elegant design. He showed me how it works; the microswitch that triggers the door to open is mechanically, not electrically, prevented from being triggered when the handle is retracted. Should be very robust. The explanation appears to be a defective microswitch.

Ohhh! That makes sense. However, if it's mechanical, then apart from defective switches (which are easily replaced), I'd worry about ice forming in the mechanism. Tell us if you get further problems.

 

[mknox]

He showed me the handle mechanism but wouldn't allow a picture. It's an elegant design. He showed me how it works; the microswitch that triggers the door to open is mechanically, not electrically, prevented from being triggered when the handle is retracted. Should be very robust. The explanation appears to be a defective microswitch.

A mechanical interlock is what I would have expected. There have been a number of reports (and even Ben's video) of doors popping open as the handles extend. This fact, combined with how little effort is required pulling an extended handle, leads me to believe that the accidental door openings are happening after the handles extend. Did the Tesla repair guy agree with your earlier assumption that the door opened first, then the rest of the handles came out? You would think that in addition to the mechanical interlock, the microswitch circuit itself would be prevented from doing anything whenever the handle is in, and certainly whenever the vehicle is locked. My current car has microswitch activated solenoids, although with a traditional handle design. You can pull on the door handle all you want (closing the microswitch in the process), but unless my fob is in proximity, the solenoid won't activate and the door won't open. It sounds like Tesla is relying solely on the mechanical protection and that the microswitch/door solenoid circuit remains alive.

 

[efusco]

Just happened to me! The front passenger side door just unlocked & popped open while I was sitting in the car waiting for my son. The dash display says "car off" though I'm in that sort of 'accessory' mode. Scared the crap out of me!

 

[Doug_G]

Just happened to me! The front passenger side door just unlocked & popped open while I was sitting in the car waiting for my son. The dash display says "car off" though I'm in that sort of 'accessory' mode. Scared the crap out of me!

Report it to service! Also tell them approximately what time it happened. They can pull your logs to see what happened.

 

[efusco]

Report it to service! Also tell them approximately what time it happened. They can pull your logs to see what happened.

Reported, didn't see your post before sending it so I neglected to tell them what time it happened.

 

[ddruz]

Just wondering if this bug could be related in any way to the auto presenting door handle feature in the Tech Package. Has this happened to anyone without the Tech Package?

 

[mknox]

Just wondering if this bug could be related in any way to the auto presenting door handle feature in the Tech Package. Has this happened to anyone without the Tech Package?

It has been observed on cars before the auto presenting feature was made available. See this video at about 40 seconds in.