Drivetrain "shimmy" a "feature"?

[rhc19]

I took delivery of a new X last Oct and immediately noticed that a "shimmy" in the drivetrain as it accelerated thru 35mph, especially on a hill where more power had to be applied. It feels almost exactly the same as the "shimmy" alert you get when crossing a strip on the road.

I immediately contacted Tesla Service and took it in. After driving it, they confirmed the shimmy, but thought it might be a "feature" of the new drivetrain. The next day, they called back to say that they had driven another new X with the new drivetrain and felt the same vibration - and hence, concluded it is indeed a "feature" of the drivetrain.

Fast forward 10 months and it still shimmies. Just wanted to check and see if anyone else was having a similar experience?

 

[Saghost]

Shimmy is usually used to described the car shaking side to side, which would be surprising and usually suggests a problem with wheel balance.

What you're describing sounds like it might be the acceleration shudder that Tesla has struggled with over the years. That's caused by parts in the front drive train vibrating back and forth, and a lot of the Ravens do it, with Tesla supposedly working on a solution but no visible progress. Some folks have gotten half shafts replaced, but the problem often came back.

Mine shudders sometimes, but driving in Low suspension does reduce the frequency.

The older cars had a problem with this that Tesla traced to the way the front motor was mounted, and there's a service bulletin out to fix them, but the mounts on the Ravens (April 2019 and newer build) are different and supposedly not related to the problem on them.

 

[Yinn]

Shimmy is usually used to described the car shaking side to side, which would be surprising and usually suggests a problem with wheel balance.

What you're describing sounds like it might be the acceleration shudder that Tesla has struggled with over the years. That's caused by parts in the front drive train vibrating back and forth, and a lot of the Ravens do it, with Tesla supposedly working on a solution but no visible progress. Some folks have gotten half shafts replaced, but the problem often came back.

Mine shudders sometimes, but driving in Low suspension does reduce the frequency.

The older cars had a problem with this that Tesla traced to the way the front motor was mounted, and there's a service bulletin out to fix them, but the mounts on the Ravens (April 2019 and newer build) are different and supposedly not related to the problem on them.

My first thought as well. Sounds like SC bs that it's a feature. What's the feature for? Acceleration based massaging seats?

Just to be sure though, since the SC isn't big on actually spending time on diagnostics. Check your driving settings. Try turning off lane departure warning, lane departure assist and give it another go. Let's at least eliminate the possibility of an incorrectly calibrated vehicle instead of jumping to the shudder.

If there's still the shudder then try setting your suspension on Very Low. Repeat test. Low. Repeat test. Standard Repeat test. High, repeat test. Very High Repeat test. The shudder described above is most prominent in suspension settings at Standard and above. Higher it goes, more noticeable it is and is usually only present when there's high power applied. It could be a hill, towing, or strong acceleration. At one point the "solution" was to keep the car in Very Low and don't accelerate quickly.

 

[rhc19]

I appreciate the feedback! Sorry for incorrect terminology - what I was attempting to describe was shaking of the steering wheel and a slight vibration felt in the car. Definitely different from what one experiences from wheel imbalance, though I'll have that checked just to be sure.

I have tried turning off the lane departure warnings etc, without any change in the behavior. It does indeed appear to be power related as it is more prominent when climbing the hill up to my home and when accelerating. SC's claim was that this was related to the new drivetrain Tesla switched to in 2019, and that all vehicles with that drivetrain were exhibiting it.

I typically operate the vehicle at Standard suspension with it set to adjust downward with speed. Occasionally "lift" the suspension to a higher setting when off-paving, but speeds are low then and I don't observe the shudder. I'll play with the suspension settings and see what happens - will report back!

Thanks again

 

[Yinn]

I can’t say I’ve seen it on a new car at immediate delivery. But if it matches those symptoms then you may want to refer to this thread:

News for Model X owners with the dreaded shudder

 

[rhc19]

Yep, that is it! I'm headed into the shop on Monday (windshield wasn't fit properly and whistles, but we had to wait for the pandemic to subside a little locally before fixing it), and I'll be sure to mention this again.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[hill]

Call it a shimmy, call it a shudder, supposedly it's been fixed, for years, members say - yet here we are. When you go into the SC, you can take your pick from any one of free responses that they give.
.

 

[kavyboy]

One of my old posts applies here, too.

 

[Vitaman]

By the word "shudder" do you mean the sound and feel that a high performance V8 engine with give if given low octane gas?
I've developed a growing noise like that on my Raven but I have never felt it shudder. Is this a different situation or just a word thing?

 

[Saghost]

By the word "shudder" do you mean the sound and feel that a high performance V8 engine with give if given low octane gas?
I've developed a growing noise like that on my Raven but I have never felt it shudder. Is this a different situation or just a word thing?

Sounds like a different situation. Mine is a vibration you definitely feel in the car at certain speeds and suspension and acceleration

 

[vandacca]

The original 2016-2019 Model-X had a suspension "flaw" that would develop and cause a shudder under extreme acceleration. It is minimized by keeping suspension on "very low" during hard acceleration. Tesla did do a OTA to change the default suspension setting to "low" to help reduce this issue. However, this issue will get worse and eventually, you'll have the shudder at all suspension levels.

Almost a year ago, Tesla finally released a redesigned suspension. However the new suspension also has a shudder, but the cause is different this time (apparently). I assume that Tesla is currently working on a new suspension design to fix this latest issue.

The concern is that after a period of time, this shudder will get worse and can cause premature wear/failure. Therefore, I recommend:
(a) being firm with Tesla to get this fixed
(b) ensuring you have extended warranty because it can be 4+ years before they have a fix for this and you won't want to pay for this out-of-pocket. You don't want to do what I did and pass the mileage limit (long before the 4-year limit) before attempting to pay for the extended warranty. Tesla will refuse to sell you the extended warranty once you pass either limit.
(c) avoid hard acceleration whenever possible. And if you must accelerate hard, put suspension into "very low" first.

Tesla service will try to downplay this problem as an issue. They'll say things like they haven't seen this before, this is how it works, it's a "feature", etc. Once you're out of warranty, their tune will change and they'll say they know exactly what's wrong with it and how to fix it (assuming they have a new fix) and you'll be paying out-of-pocket.

For this reason, I no longer recommend buying an S or X (both have this issue, but the X is worse because it has the higher center of gravity). It's unclear when Tesla engineers will finally find a long-term solution to this suspension problem, and it's possible it will be longer than 4 years from now. The power of these electric motors (especially in the Performance models) is crazy powerful and the air suspension isn't robust enough to be able to handle it. I'm sure they'll eventually figure this out, but it surprises me that it's taking this long.

 

[Yinn]

The original 2016-2019 Model-X had a suspension "flaw" that would develop and cause a shudder under extreme acceleration. It is minimized by keeping suspension on "very low" during hard acceleration. Tesla did do a OTA to change the default suspension setting to "low" to help reduce this issue. However, this issue will get worse and eventually, you'll have the shudder at all suspension levels.

Almost a year ago, Tesla finally released a redesigned suspension. However the new suspension also has a shudder, but the cause is different this time (apparently). I assume that Tesla is currently working on a new suspension design to fix this latest issue.

The concern is that after a period of time, this shudder will get worse and can cause premature wear/failure. Therefore, I recommend:
(a) being firm with Tesla to get this fixed
(b) ensuring you have extended warranty because it can be 4+ years before they have a fix for this and you won't want to pay for this out-of-pocket. You don't want to do what I did and pass the mileage limit (long before the 4-year limit) before attempting to pay for the extended warranty. Tesla will refuse to sell you the extended warranty once you pass either limit.
(c) avoid hard acceleration whenever possible. And if you must accelerate hard, put suspension into "very low" first.

Tesla service will try to downplay this problem as an issue. They'll say things like they haven't seen this before, this is how it works, it's a "feature", etc. Once you're out of warranty, their tune will change and they'll say they know exactly what's wrong with it and how to fix it (assuming they have a new fix) and you'll be paying out-of-pocket.

For this reason, I no longer recommend buying an S or X (both have this issue, but the X is worse because it has the higher center of gravity). It's unclear when Tesla engineers will finally find a long-term solution to this suspension problem, and it's possible it will be longer than 4 years from now. The power of these electric motors (especially in the Performance models) is crazy powerful and the air suspension isn't robust enough to be able to handle it. I'm sure they'll eventually figure this out, but it surprises me that it's taking this long.

I think for the reasons at the end, I wouldn't call it a "flaw". Meaning to remove the quotations since it is an actual flaw that damages drivetrain components.

The last part of what you described actually happened to me. Under warranty they claimed it wasn't an issue. Only noise, no actual damage. 3 trips, all denied repair despite other vehicles I owned being previously repaired. Then when I decided to sell my X, the purchaser requested a PPI from Tesla, which they were happy to do for a fee.

Conveniently, they then also found the axles needed replacement to the tune of nearly $2000 now that it was out of warranty. They cited play in the drivetrain and the shuddering - which apparently wasn't an issue the prior 3 times with the most recent being less than 30 days prior. Luckily for me I had documentation from when they cited it wasn't an issue and fought them to fix it under warranty. They agreed and even agreed to place it into the PPI report which made my buyer happy and we closed the deal. Unfortunately for my buyer, last I heard from him was about 6 months after buying the car when he expressed his frustration in getting Tesla to honor that.

I hate to say it, but direct sales is not helping the consumer. I prefer an independent mechanic but heck even a franchised dealer will do at this point.

 

[Candie]

I took delivery of a new X last Oct and immediately noticed that a "shimmy" in the drivetrain as it accelerated thru 35mph, especially on a hill where more power had to be applied. It feels almost exactly the same as the "shimmy" alert you get when crossing a strip on the road.

I immediately contacted Tesla Service and took it in. After driving it, they confirmed the shimmy, but thought it might be a "feature" of the new drivetrain. The next day, they called back to say that they had driven another new X with the new drivetrain and felt the same vibration - and hence, concluded it is indeed a "feature" of the drivetrain.

Fast forward 10 months and it still shimmies. Just wanted to check and see if anyone else was having a similar experience?

We have had our 2020 Tesla Since Dec of 2020. It only has 6900 miles on it as we go south for the winter. Just last week I noticed the shimmy. Starts at abut 30 and goes till 40?

 

[mxnym]

We have had our 2020 Tesla Since Dec of 2020. It only has 6900 miles on it as we go south for the winter. Just last week I noticed the shimmy. Starts at abut 30 and goes till 40?

Sounds like you're describing what is more commonly referred to as Shudder. Here is a comprehensive thread on the shudder:

News for Model X owners with the dreaded shudder

My X is in the shop right now for the shudder that needs no explanation. I just got a call from my SC that told me that they just got off the phone with a "senior" engineer from Cali that says there IS a newly designed part that is a permanent fix that will be shipping out to service centers...

teslamotorsclub.com

Since you have a 2020 Tesla, you may have the "Raven" version, here is a newer thread on the shudder as it pertains to the "Raven" version:

The shudder problem: Current status (end of February 2020)

I was at my SC today to pick-up my All-Weather Floor Mats. I ran into the chief technician and we started talking. I had two topics in my head and this is one of them: > Why does my MX LR Raven shudder on "Standard" suspension mode since day 1. What he explained next lead me to creating this...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Quickwater]

I took delivery of a new X last Oct and immediately noticed that a "shimmy" in the drivetrain as it accelerated thru 35mph, especially on a hill where more power had to be applied. It feels almost exactly the same as the "shimmy" alert you get when crossing a strip on the road.

I immediately contacted Tesla Service and took it in. After driving it, they confirmed the shimmy, but thought it might be a "feature" of the new drivetrain. The next day, they called back to say that they had driven another new X with the new drivetrain and felt the same vibration - and hence, concluded it is indeed a "feature" of the drivetrain.

Fast forward 10 months and it still shimmies. Just wanted to check and see if anyone else was having a similar experience?

We have a 2019 Model X, they have tried to correct it 4 times and it just came back again today. We don’t trust the car at all anymore