Fix your door that won't open

[MartinAustin]

Working on removing the upper of the 4 bolts now... on the right rear door. Behind the window glass. In family friendly terms, this bolt is a "right one." The other three were a doodle by comparison...

 

[MartinAustin]

Your small detail "the socket driver I used is maybe unfair weaponry, it's a low profile head" proved to be critical. After I filed down my 10mm socket, it was a doddle by comparison.

However I have gotten the unit out... can't see any broken wires yet, it all appears to work when I push the handle out.

(right rear door)

 

[scottm]

Your small detail "the socket driver I used is maybe unfair weaponry, it's a low profile head" proved to be critical. After I filed down my 10mm socket, it was a doddle by comparison.

However I have gotten the unit out... can't see any broken wires yet, it all appears to work when I push the handle out.

(right rear door)

OK then, low profile socket driver is a must for rear doors... lessons learned!

What all appears to work when you push the handle out.. ? explain

These wire breaks are not always visible to the eye, break can happen inside the insulation right at the switch but insulation still appears OK from the outside... and these can be intermittent... sometimes the handle will work sometimes not.. depending on if the wire is being held at just the right position with just enough pressure to make electrical contact, or not.

when you move the handle in and out with your thumbs pushing, if you see noticeable movement / play of the wire right where it meets the switch.. probably a culprit .. Maybe a firm but not violent pull of the wire will convince you? .. if it breaks free with hardly a tug, was bad. If it's really stubborn, the wire inside is still probably making decent contact.

 

[MartinAustin]

Yeah. I haven't taken the wire looms off the handle unit yet so like you say, it might become obvious once I start doing that.

 

[scottm]

View attachment 188330
Yeah. I haven't taken the wire looms off the handle unit yet so like you say, it might become obvious once I start doing that.

Typically (at least in 4 out of 4 doors for me) it's the wire on the microswitch on the other side of handle (the side not shown in your attached photo) is the one that breaks.

It's also the more difficult of the two switches to get removed..

Tip: remove the controller module (2 screws) to gain a little more access to the head of the screw holding the microswitch on that side of the handle. Just take out those 2 screws, pop the module up, and slide it down a bit out of the way. You don't need to undo all the harness connectors - there's enough slack.

 

[tlbond67]

Tesla needs to look at your routing of the wires to keep this from happening.
Elon & JB need to send you a check for this fix & use it for future cars.

 

[scottm]

Tesla needs to look at your routing of the wires to keep this from happening.

they have!

Elon & JB need to send you a check for this fix & use it for future cars.

they haven't ! (yet)

Information like this -- customer improvement suggestions and feedback -- should be flowing freely.. Hey, if Tesla is giving away all their patents they can have this one on me. It would be cool tho if the E-man himself clicked on the donate link I put in post #36 above, as a gesture of thanks - it would make my day.

 

[Dithermaster]

I would accept your $8 donation as crowd sourced funding to produce the next DIY tip for Model S!

Donated. Enjoy a beverage on me! You saved me 2 two hour drives to the service center (and BTW still still haven't responded to my last email for an appointment!)

For the folks saying they didn't see a broken wire, you could use a meter across the wires on the plug end. I just tugged on the two wires and the white one pulled right off (the insulation was fine, the wires inside had apparently broken and were intermittent).

I might have been able to do the repair in-place without removing the handle, because my plastic shield had already rotated off from where it belonged. I'm not sure, since it is really right in there, and also I'm not sure I'd have been able to re-stick the plastic shield. If another handle breaks I might try it.

 

[scottm]

@Dithermaster, you are too kind.. thank you sir! I will do that.

Some people are starting to leave comments and ask questions over on the youtube video I posted. I don't like using youtube comments section, so if I've got something to reply I'll say it here instead..

Q: will a blob of silicone on the wires right where they meet the switch help with stress relief?

Probably. The idea is a good one, anything that reduces the concentrated movement of the wire at a "hinge" point spreading the flex out over the whole longer length of wire evenly is the art and craft of it.

 

[maz4278]

My door handle just stopped working and I'd like to perform the repair as you describe. Do you have the panasonic part numbers for each of the microswitch connectors. When I go on digikey there appears to be a ton of them in the ASQ series.

Thanks!!

 

[scottm]

I don't know the digikey part number in particular, but on the Tesla part itself it has a label attached, that says ASQ19244C (the Panasonic number) and another number that says 1016009-00-C (which I think would be the Tesla part number). This is the "kit" of 2 switches together with the single connector / harness.

If you're piecing together your own from other ASQ parts from digikey, just get one "left sided" and another with a "right sided" plunger... type, with solder lugs. Then you're good to go in and do surgery Re-use the harness that you've got, cut off the old bad switch, and solder the new switch to replace it.

You might have to move over the "spring leaf / simulated roller" from the Tesla switch to your digikey switch if it's that one that broke its wire.

Cheers

 

[dogphlap]

@Dithermaster, you are too kind.. thank you sir! I will do that.

Some people are starting to leave comments and ask questions over on the youtube video I posted. I don't like using youtube comments section, so if I've got something to reply I'll say it here instead..

I was one of those folks replying to the YouTube video but as you expressed a preference for the Tesla Motor Club forum: Removing that chrome trim at the base of outside window frame allowed easy if tedious access to the upper rearmost nut holding the door handle mechanism to the door. All four nuts are now off but I still can't get the handle mech out yet because the window mechanics are in the way but I have not exhausted the possibilities yet for getting a few extra millimetres of wriggle room. It must help to have a sadistic streak if you design this stuff for a living. With a moving part and a limit switch it is normal to put the switch on the stationary part so there is no likelihood of a wire breaking from bending fatigue, I see no reason that was not done here.
Thanks for your help, it's getting dark here so I'll continue in the morning (no response from my first call and last email to Tesla service yet but it's only been a few weeks !).

 

[scottm]

but I still can't get the handle mech out yet because the window mechanics are in the way but I have not exhausted the possibilities yet for getting a few extra millimetres of wriggle room.

To get the wiggle room you need .. there is a vertical metal post, a window guide of sorts.. you have easy access to undo the bottom bolt holding that end of the post. Take that nut off and pull/push (I forget) the post away from its bolt anchor there.. letting it hang as it remains attached at the top, all you're doing is letting it swing "freely" at the bottom. It may or may not need to clear its bolt, just move it as much as you need. Push the post in the direction you'd need to make more room for getting the mechanism by. This will create enough working room to get the mechanism out through the hole in the door. I found the technique to get the mechanism out is to lower it in the door and roll the leading edge (front of car) down and forward ahead of the hole, then go in reverse and back the mechanism out through the hole opening in the door.


In your case, you've got a handle that likes to be stuck out in the "presented" state. You will need to have that handle retracted to make the mechanism "pancaked" or as thin as possible extract from the door.

Tip of the day: The way to retract a handle is to have the door mechanism harness disconnected from the car. Then, peel off the rubber sheet backing from the mechanism. Spot the hefty drive motor with its two wire (red and black) harness connection to the logic controller. Disconnect that motor connector. Apply +12V to the red lead to the motor, and GROUND to the black lead going to the motor, for about a second. This will drive the motor to retract the handle in.

Do not have electricity / harness still attached to the mechanism as you're trying to extract the mechanism from the car. Last thing you want is the car, or a fault, causing the handle to "present" itself in those tight spaces.

And if you haven't done this already, please use a few layers of masking or electrical tape, taped over the whole chrome door handle exterior surface to prevent scratches as you are wiggling the mechanism around in the door.

 

[dogphlap]

To get the wiggle room you need .. there is a vertical metal post, a window guide of sorts.. you have easy access to undo the bottom bolt holding that end of the post. Take that nut off and pull/push (I forget) the post away from its bolt anchor there.. letting it hang as it remains attached at the top, all you're doing is letting it swing "freely" at the bottom. It may or may not need to clear its bolt, just move it as much as you need. Push the post in the direction you'd need to make more room for getting the mechanism by. This will create enough working room to get the mechanism out through the hole in the door. I found the technique to get the mechanism out is to lower it in the door and roll the leading edge (front of car) down and forward ahead of the hole, then go in reverse and back the mechanism out through the hole opening in the door.


In your case, you've got a handle that likes to be stuck out in the "presented" state. You will need to have that handle retracted to make the mechanism "pancaked" or as thin as possible extract from the door.

Tip of the day: The way to retract a handle is to have the door mechanism harness disconnected from the car. Then, peel off the rubber sheet backing from the mechanism. Spot the hefty drive motor with its two wire (red and black) harness connection to the logic controller. Disconnect that motor connector. Apply +12V to the red lead to the motor, and GROUND to the black lead going to the motor, for about a second. This will drive the motor to retract the handle in.

Do not have electricity / harness still attached to the mechanism as you're trying to extract the mechanism from the car. Last thing you want is the car, or a fault, causing the handle to "present" itself in those tight spaces.

And if you haven't done this already, please use a few layers of masking or electrical tape, taped over the whole chrome door handle exterior surface to prevent scratches as you are wiggling the mechanism around in the door.

I'd read about that window guide anchorage and removed the 10mm nut (6mm thread) but that still did not get me enough room. In the end I had to loosen the window clamp nut and lift the rear of that window clear of the clamp, then I got the mechanism out. That clamp had made a vertical incision on the soft black plastic mech cover (it had gone all the way through but had not done any wire cutting). I checked the limit switches and wiring with a Fluke DMM but all seemed OK. Getting the mechanism back in again was interesting. I found I had to fully close the window clamp and hold the clamp as far as I could get it towards the drivers seat (with the window still lifted fully clear of the fully tightened clamp) with a taut shoe lace before I had enough room to get the mech back in. Well I learned a lot but I still have my original problem. The good news is Tesla has a Ranger here and he has responded to my original request for some service to get this problem sorted. The car was delivered in September 2015, the limit switch wiring is different to the one in your video in a few ways, in particular the limit switch plug that you have on the right is on the left so the short pair is on the left, not the right for me but the part number for the limit switch assembly is the same (that seems odd). Something else I noticed was a strong tendency for the nuts to seize before they were fully down, I had to clean the threads of the nuts with a 6mm tap otherwise I may have torn the studs out of the door frame. Tomorrow I will be shopping for 0.1mm Al sheet/foil and some black mastic to make the water proofing look a little less trashed. Thanks again for your input. Hopefully not just me but others will gain from it.

 

[Knightowl]

I've been working on attempting this repair myself for my driver side front door (had to be that one to quit working) but I have so far been unable to get deep enough in the door to get the door handle unit out, large bar in the way as part of the power window assembly and rail that I cant slide over.

Seems to be no wiggle room to get it free of the bottom even after removing that bottom nut.

 

[scottm]

I've been working on attempting this repair myself for my driver side front door (had to be that one to quit working) but I have so far been unable to get deep enough in the door to get the door handle unit out, large bar in the way as part of the power window assembly and rail that I cant slide over.
Seems to be no wiggle room to get it free of the bottom even after removing that bottom nut.

I see you have not removed the chrome trim on the door window sill, exterior.
Doing so allows window to flop around ... a wiggle room creator.
Careful in pulling that trim, as outlined earlier in this thread.

 

[Knightowl]

I see you have not removed the chrome trim on the door window sill, exterior.
Doing so allows window to flop around ... a wiggle room creator.
Careful in pulling that trim, as outlined earlier in this thread.

No I did not, others have been able to remove it without messing with the chrome trim or window so that is what I am going to do, as soon as can get that bar moved the handle unit will be free for me to remove.

 

[scottm]

I agree with you, I think front doors chrome trim removal makes it easier, but is not necessary, whereas rears are definitely easier (or only possible?) by removing chrome trim.

Keep us posted... with your success on getting the front out, whatever was necessary or trick you used .. ?

 

[dogphlap]

I've been working on attempting this repair myself for my driver side front door (had to be that one to quit working) but I have so far been unable to get deep enough in the door to get the door handle unit out, large bar in the way as part of the power window assembly and rail that I cant slide over. View attachment 199803

Seems to be no wiggle room to get it free of the bottom even after removing that bottom nut.

I found I had to remove the chrome trim to get easy access to the top rear 10mm nut (one of four that holds the door mechanism to the door skin). If you have a set of plastic trim pry tools it is not hard to remove and with a little care you won't do any paint damage but you have to be patient, don't try and lift it too soon from one end or it will fold and become trash instantaneously. But that still did not give enough wriggle room for me. I had to also release the rear driver's window clamp (to be found at the top end of that near vertical bar that gets in the way), raise the rear of the driver's window clear of the clamp and tighten the clamp (without the glass) to gain enough space to get the mechanism out. Then when putting the mechanism back I had to tie the closed empty clamp out of the way to ensure enough room.

My car was delivered September 2015, I'm starting to believe these latter vehicles have less wriggle room than the earlier ones.

One tip: The access holes have a 0.1mm Al sheet/foil cover held in place with black mastic. For $2.50 I bought a pack of six Al baking trays with enough flat area between embossing to cut out new seals, one or two per tray. Black mastic comes from the local hardware store. White spirit is the solvent to remove the old mastic and clean up and does not appear to damage the paint (but I did wash the paint after with soap and water just in case there were going to be any long term issues).

Some of these thoughts are my own but most are my interpretation of advice I have received from others, in particular Scottm.

 

[scottm]

Nicely done:

One tip: The access holes have a 0.1mm Al sheet/foil cover held in place with black mastic. For $2.50 I bought a pack of six Al baking trays with enough flat area between embossing to cut out new seals, one or two per tray. Black mastic comes from the local hardware store. White spirit is the solvent to remove the old mastic and clean up and does not appear to damage the paint (but I did wash the paint after with soap and water just in case there were going to be any long term issues)