Drafty Cabin - Report issues here please!

[zax123]

Had a somewhat disturbing observation today. Being bright and sunny (but cold) I decided to take my car through a touchless car wash and I remembered the last time I did that I thought I had a draft from the triangle window area as I went through the blowers. So when my attention focused on that area, I noticed a white frosty looking substance creeping up the triangle window from the rubber seal at the bottom. Not much. About 1/8" or so across the bottom of the glass. At first I thought it was just frost being so cold and all, but when I ran my finger across it, it was gritty and sand-like.

It can only be one of two things: Road salt that has gotten inside the door panels or (and this is what I fear) it is corroding aluminum. It's way too cold outside for me to futz around trying to pull the door panel off and find out.

A second observation, more relevant to this thread, is that I noticed a draft through the door panel at the triangle window are both when the high pressure rinse sprayer went by and also as I passed by the air blowers.

@mknox,

I'm thinking this might be the corrosion from the aluminum frame of the car. I had my car hit this weekend (thread), and the mirror broke off and I was able to take a picture of the underlying aluminum frame and it's all corroded. Here's a picture:

Looks pretty bad to me, don't know if that's normal or not...

 

[Forty Creek]

@mknox,

I'm thinking this might be the corrosion from the aluminum frame of the car. I had my car hit this weekend (thread), and the mirror broke off and I was able to take a picture of the underlying aluminum frame and it's all corroded. Here's a picture:

View attachment 43073

Looks pretty bad to me, don't know if that's normal or not...

I sure hope this is not the norm. Once Tesla Service has had a chance to see and comment on it, I hope you could share their response. With the winter we've been having and the amount of salt used, I've wondered how the hidden bits have been holding up. Since your car was delivered in mid March, it wouldn't have seen much winter last year.

 

[mknox]

@mknox,

I'm thinking this might be the corrosion from the aluminum frame of the car. I had my car hit this weekend (thread), and the mirror broke off and I was able to take a picture of the underlying aluminum frame and it's all corroded.

Thanks. I just came to the same conclusion in your other thread about the accident.

 

[mcfadyena]

Wow. That looks awful.

Tesla's fix for the draft didn't do anything (hence a new Model S on the way). But when I went into the car wash this weekend, I had water shooting into both triangular windows. I would expect a lot of that water also leaks into the door cavity. And in our winters, and with the amount of salt used, I wonder how many other cars have the same type of internals as this door.

Do let us know what they say.

@mknox,

I'm thinking this might be the corrosion from the aluminum frame of the car. I had my car hit this weekend (thread), and the mirror broke off and I was able to take a picture of the underlying aluminum frame and it's all corroded. Here's a picture:

View attachment 43073

Looks pretty bad to me, don't know if that's normal or not...

 

[Mayhemm]

Looks pretty bad to me, don't know if that's normal or not...

Hopefully this is one of those "it-looks-really-nasty-but-it's-just-on-the-surface" situations. Like rust on the brakes.

Won't do the longevity of the vehicles much good if they're doing the aluminum equivalent of rusting out after only a few months.

 

[WarpedOne]

?

Where do you see (aluminum) corrosion on that picture?

I only see broken off foam.

 

[Jeeps17]

The "foam" is the corroded aluminum.

 

[WarpedOne]

Nope, that "whitish" foam in the middle of the picture is just foam - noise dampening and thermal insulation.

 

[Jeeps17]

WarpedOne,

Unless we are not looking at the same picture... here it is from a different angle.

Note that you are looking at the aluminium support bracket holding up the driver's side mirror (showing corrosion), that has been exposed by an unfortunate collision. The duct tape you see is holding the rest of the mirror up.

This is the same support bracket, whose bolted end is seen from the inside of the driver's door. Note the visible surface corrosion here as well (and absence of foam :wink.

 

[Duckjybe]

I opened up my passenger door to fix the drafts and there is no corrosion on the mirror's aluminum bracket! It is clean and shiny. So it looks like some seal is failing on the drivers side.

Regarding drafts, I have not been able to eliminate the drafts completely after trying again on both sides. It didn't bother me on my long drive to Columbus (Maumee Supercharger was awesome!). However, my feet were a little cold. Need more air at the feet.

Anybody notice that when you turn the climate off (or play with the settings) and then turn it on or back to auto, it seems colder for quite a while?

 

[mcfadyena]

YES - a long while. And that was part of my issues. I'm not a steady hand, so if I went to turn up the heat I would sometimes hit the power by mistake. Turning it back on blows very cold air into the cabin - for a long time - which brings the temp down. I have resorted to using the steering control to turn up heat ;-)

I opened up my passenger door to fix the drafts and there is no corrosion on the mirror's aluminum bracket! It is clean and shiny. So it looks like some seal is failing on the drivers side.

Regarding drafts, I have not been able to eliminate the drafts completely after trying again on both sides. It didn't bother me on my long drive to Columbus (Maumee Supercharger was awesome!). However, my feet were a little cold. Need more air at the feet.

Anybody notice that when you turn the climate off (or play with the settings) and then turn it on or back to auto, it seems colder for quite a while?

 

[zax123]

I opened up my passenger door to fix the drafts and there is no corrosion on the mirror's aluminum bracket! It is clean and shiny. So it looks like some seal is failing on the drivers side.

This really needs to get to TM somehow. I haven't done it yet, but I think my car is heading there after the body shop, so maybe they can look at it then. But the fact that the driver side is corroded by the passenger isn't definitely is cause for some concern.

 

[rogers08m3]

Do you guys notice this getting progressively worse? I'm not sure if this thread is making me paranoid but on really cold days I do feel a slight draft in that area and it seems to be getting a little worse as time goes on.

 

[mknox]

Do you guys notice this getting progressively worse? I'm not sure if this thread is making me paranoid but on really cold days I do feel a slight draft in that area and it seems to be getting a little worse as time goes on.

For me, it really depends if there is a side wind against the car. Huge difference. That's why I'm convinced the air (and I fear a lot of salt water spray) is getting in through the door handles. Remembering to turn Recirculate Off (it comes on by default) and bumping the fan speed up a bit has largely fixed this issue and also prevents any and all window fogging I would otherwise get.

 

[Doug_G]

I've never had an issue with any of this. Go figure.

 

[mknox]

I've never had an issue with any of this. Go figure.

Mine definitely got worse after my door handles were replaced. In fact I have some wind noise that sounds like it's coming from the B-pillar that wasn't there before, but it may actually be in the door by the handles. I wonder if some seal or something got missed on re-assembly?

To be fair, Tesla Service has both called and e-mailed me to set up a service appointment, and I haven't got back to them yet. (also to fix my rusty chrome bits).

 

[Grassy Knoel]

This thread got me to re-create the conditions and I was able to reproduce the draft. Increased fan speed and the draft was reduced significantly. Wouldn't say no to a retro-fix at the upcoming yearly service appointment.

 

[rogers08m3]

For me, it really depends if there is a side wind against the car. Huge difference. That's why I'm convinced the air (and I fear a lot of salt water spray) is getting in through the door handles. Remembering to turn Recirculate Off (it comes on by default) and bumping the fan speed up a bit has largely fixed this issue and also prevents any and all window fogging I would otherwise get.

Thanks. I asked because it was much worse today despite being warmer, but it was very windy. I always turn recirculate off. I guess I will take a trip to service to see what they say.

 

[Liz G]

I also am still having this problem and the cold right foot problem. I had my S in for service last week and the added foam or something inside the door. The draft is a little better now but the cold right foot is still there. Like many of you I find the draft increases with a good strong cross wind. I've also noticed that the temp in my car drops noticeably once I start driving. I can get my right foot nice and toasty when warming up the car but as soon as I start driving it starts getting cold.

We are picking up my husbands new (used) Model S tomorrow and I've been asked to see if the same problem exists in his car. We'll see though even if it does I'm not sure that means it shouldn't be fixed.

Until then I keep a blanket in the car for those 203 mile trips in 8 degree weather to and from the Normal SuperCharger.

 

[mcfadyena]

Do you guys notice this getting progressively worse? I'm not sure if this thread is making me paranoid but on really cold days I do feel a slight draft in that area and it seems to be getting a little worse as time goes on.

Mine got so bad that it was freezing on cold days in my cabin. They would "fix" it, return it to me, and then it would be back again. I had it in 4 times for fixes. Each time they said it was perfect and it was returned to me with the same draft. The last time they fixed it, they put on the service report that they corrected the draft and reduced it by 90%. When I asked why they didn't get it reduced by 100%, they said because they just couldn't. Knowing I had a new car on the way, I left it at that. However, my frustration renewed the other day when I went through the car wash and had water shooting at me from both triangular windows. Apparently 90% leaves holes in the window area for water to shoot through ;-)

I am hopeful things are being worked on, but I'm not confident that they are really taking it very seriously. The Toronto folks have no idea what they are doing with this, which is why Jerome stepped in to look after things. If the group wants, I'm happy to send this thread back over to Jerome for him to revisit and review.