Frunk Dent (Frustrating...)

[Bill D]

Even that is contrary to the new instructions in the manual. Does anyone close as the manual suggests, up on the hood a ways and on the sides? Last I heard there was no protection there at all. Does the manual only apply to new cars, maybe the structure has changed?

I don't know if there were any changes to the hood design, but my gut feel is that the recommend hood-press areas in the walk-through video and the manuals (both old and new) are weak areas that may fatigue the top aluminum skin if pressed repeatedly.

My hunch is that the corners are strongest because there's no flexing of the top aluminum skin when you press there, so the video clip above may show the best closing technique. That's how I've been closing it.

Also, without a valet mode, valets can easily press the fob wrong and pop the hood, which obviously causes them to shut it. For this reason, I've thought about installing a hidden hood release kill switch.

 

[jthompson]

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My hunch is that the corners are strongest because there's no flexing of the top aluminum skin when you press there, so the video clip above may show the best closing technique. That's how I've been closing it.

That is how they trained me in Dec 2012 when I got my car, and I have had no problems. And you are correct - the corners of the hood have the most strength.

 

[dsm363]

22 months of places hands to the left and right of hatch with fingers pointing out to close and no problems.

 

[Brass Guy]

I believe I know the best way to close the "frunk." The issue is a combination of the pressure needed to compress the seal and connect the latch. If you just press down on the seal, the latch will try to bow up. If you just push on the latch, the seal will try to bow up on both sides. If you use the "recommended" method, you press on thin areas of the lid and none of the pressure points are really supported.

So to close it, you need to apply even pressure all around. Luckily the windshield corners are fixed by the hinges. You need to press over the seal about 14 1/2" from the front and about 13 1/25" in from each edge, one hand over the left and one hand over the right, using a microfiber cloth under each hand, and another hand and a third microfiber cloth over the latch, and press evenly over all three areas. I am certain that with this three-hand-three-microfiber method there will be no more dents.

Don't forget to remove any rings etc. from all three hands!

 

[markb1]

Also, without a valet mode, valets can easily press the fob wrong and pop the hood, which obviously causes them to shut it. For this reason, I've thought about installing a hidden hood release kill switch.

Good idea! If you figure out how, let us know.

 

[huntjo]

I believe I know the best way to close the "frunk." The issue is a combination of the pressure needed to compress the seal and connect the latch. If you just press down on the seal, the latch will try to bow up. If you just push on the latch, the seal will try to bow up on both sides. If you use the "recommended" method, you press on thin areas of the lid and none of the pressure points are really supported.

So to close it, you need to apply even pressure all around. Luckily the windshield corners are fixed by the hinges. You need to press over the seal about 14 1/2" from the front and about 13 1/25" in from each edge, one hand over the left and one hand over the right, using a microfiber cloth under each hand, and another hand and a third microfiber cloth over the latch, and press evenly over all three areas. I am certain that with this three-hand-three-microfiber method there will be no more dents.

Don't forget to remove any rings etc. from all three hands!

And brass guy wins the thread

 

[WTFRUNK]

Lots of threads on this, here is just one other cross reference: Repairing Crease in Frunk

I have not yet experienced the issue, but am now very hesitant to use the Frunk because of all of the reported issues. For a moment let's set aside Tesla fixing this in some way (which they should do). In anyone's discussion with body shops or paintless dent repair, have any of them indicated, or anyone on the forum self-investigated, what a DIY preventative fix might look like? A small wedge of solder, a wood shim, or a firm caulking compound inserted into the gap under where the crease is likely to occur? This may give the thin skin some additional structural rigidity. It may not solve the problem completely, but may lessen the likelihood of occurrence? If the fix was that simple I'm sure Tesla would have implemented it, but trying to come up with some creative solution to reduce the occurrence ahead of time.

 

[JRP3]

Some of us have suggested a stiff expanding spray foam on the underside of the frunk might stiffen it up enough.

 

[Cal1]

Just noticed our crease this morning. Crazy that this is so easy to occur. We have another all aluminum vehicle (NSX) and knew the relative delicate nature but we still got it. Has no one approached their SC and asked for resolution? So many in the same place seems to indicate bad design.

 

[pgiralt]

It appears that Tesla has made a design change at some point to at least attempt to improve, if not eliminate, this problem. Looking at the 44XXX VIN loaner I had today, I took a look at the hood and the lip is different. Instead of having a piece of metal that seems to fold over and then end (the crease that seems to cause the dent), it is more of a smooth rounded slope from the edge towards the middle of the hood. Here's some photos.

This is my 15XXX VIN:

This is the 44XXX VIN loaner:

It looks like it still has that same crease at the top, but it doesn't - it's actually smooth.

 

[shadowinstallz]

are you saying the latch now has like an added buffer, instead of flat it is now on like a "step-down" mounting position? pictures look almost dentical....can you circle in red what you are trying to point out?

 

[cynix]

are you saying the latch now has like an added buffer, instead of flat it is now on like a "step-down" mounting position? pictures look almost dentical....can you circle in red what you are trying to point out?

If you look at the top edge of the hood, on his vehicle it looks like a sheet of metal has been folded over the edge to make the edge thicker, whereas the loaner is simply thicker at the edge and nothing was folded over (or the fold has been concealed).

 

[shadowinstallz]

So where the fold/overlap is in the middle there is no seam anymore ur saying?

 

[cynix]

So where the fold/overlap is in the middle there is no seam anymore ur saying?

That's what pgiralt seems to be saying, there's no seam on the loaner.

 

[russman]

But the crease appears to be further down the hood than where the fold over is. I'm not sure that's the cause of the crease. Granted the change my still fix it, but the way I read the post was he's saying the crease is at that point.

 

[Mayhemm]

I was told by a Ranger during his visit that the proper way to close the frunk is as it's being done in the captured factory video frame (hands on each edge).

He told me the reason for this is that the round knobs/plugs (see red highlights on attached photo) on either side of the frunk are actually the pressure points when closing, not the latch, so applying pressure anywhere between the edges can cause the frunk to flex/crease.

 

[JRP3]

I see a market for a "Frunk Closing Bar", a semi rigid curved plastic bar with padding that puts even pressure across the entire front edge of the frunk and spreads the pressure from your hands evenly. Or Tesla could just reinforce the frunk a little bit more....

 

[Bill D]

I was told by a Ranger during his visit that the proper way to close the frunk is as it's being done in the captured factory video frame (hands on each edge).

He told me the reason for this is that the round knobs/plugs on the rim of the frunk basket are actually the pressure points when closing, not the latch, so applying pressure anywhere between the edges can cause the frunk to flex/crease.

*Will take a photo tomorrow for reference*

Here's that captured video frame I posted above on this thread:

As I also said above - I recall noticing, on the Fremont factory tour, that the workers close hoods this way, which is contrary to the instructions in Tesla's walk-through video and their Owner's Manual, so that's how I've been doing it. My wife has difficulty pressing hard enough this way, so she has to avoid using the Frunk.

I hate to say it, but Tesla is missing the ball with a hood that's so vulnerable to denting that it requires special closing instructions, even though they've hit a home runs on almost everything else. A very easy improvement for Tesla here would be a "valet mode" so valets do not accidentally pop the hood. That's the only reason we do not valet park.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Sometimes we don't have a choice and must valet at a few places, so in those cases we really need valet mode.

 

[Damiano]

The frunk crease is another "not ready for prime-time" Tesla feature, and Tesla deserves whatever ding's Consumer Reports gives them this fall for such issues. I can count on one hand the number of times I have used the frunk, and I've always closed it as instructed, yet I still noticed the crease the other day. The car was in for services a few days before I noticed the crease, and they had the frunk open (I can tell courtesy of the mobile app). So it's possible it happened at the SC, but I didn't inspect every inch of the car after getting it back (I shouldn't have to), so I can't say for sure how it happened. Regardless, there is a clear design flaw with the hood for which Tesla needs to take responsibility. I applaud their move on the drive-train warranty front to respond to the drive-train issues. They will need to take action on the frunk as well! Every auto manufacturer manages to make doors, trunk lids and hoods that open and close normally without denting, let alone requiring special instructions. Anything short is simply a design flaw.