sickfox
Member
+1 agree. there are times that i do not want to "show off" the trunk (look! i don't have an engine!) because i'm afraid that i might close it incorrectly. i wish they would also do a one click button similar to the trunk...
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Gizmotoy
Active Member
Ugh. What a mess. I'm surprised they pulled the video where they do it wrong, and replace it with a video where they again do it wrong. They're the ones telling us it's wrong and (mostly) blaming damage on user error!
The advice from the Sunnyvale SC is to use a wide stance, pressing in the green areas from the image above near the headlights, with your fingers pointed towards the headlights. This keeps your hands definitively in the green zones and puts no pressure on the frunk edge or latch red zones with your fingers. They don't recommend the old "rotate your wrists upside down and close the frunk with your fingers pointing back towards your body" method, even if you start with your palm up in the green zone.
As a note, Tesla updated the manual to change the recommended closing process as shown above only about 6 months ago, back in June. That left plenty of time for people to hurt their cars with the old method, unfortunately.
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The Tesla employee's hands are in the proper position per the owner's manual. I see no inconsistency. He was not applying pressure to the leading edge. His palms were resting above the leading edge and in the green area per the owner's manual. This is also how the hands were shown in the original video from last year, and how I close my frunk without any issues.
Gizmotoy
Active Member
Are we watching the same video? His hands clearly extend into the red zone on the leading edge of the frunk. Further, you can see his hands rotated about 45 degrees from vertical. With the outside part of his palm so close to the edge, there's no way the inside part of his palm isn't firmly in the red zone. So most of his palm is in the red zone and even the base of the guy's palms are in the red zone. That's definitively the old closing method recommended by the old manual. SCs specifically instruct new owners not to close the frunk that way anymore because it can cause damage.
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TechPreacher
Member
That's exactly how the Swiss SC taught me. All other ways, they said, are bad.
I *love* the term "frunk anxiety"
Bill D
Member
Workers at the Tesla factory have no Frunk Anxiety - They press directly on the RED zone near the corner.
Looking at the construction of the hood, the corners look strong. They also don't flex. The green zones flex and don't feel as solid to press on.
Andyw2100
Well-Known Member
We were having a discussion about this about a week ago in the P85D tracking thread. That's a huge thread, but some of the discussion is on this page, and the pages just before and after it: Tracking P85D delivery thread - Page 368
The gist of it boils down to this:
Some DSs, when giving instructions to people picking up new P85Ds, are claiming that there is a new correct way to close the new, one-latch P85D frunk, and are certain that their way is the right way, even though that is in direct conflict with the manual. Other DSs are still instructing their customers picking up P85Ds in the "old" method, which is the method currently being shown in the manual. (Note that this is not the very old method. I believe this had, pre-P85D, been being referred to as the new method.)
This is complicated by the fact that there is no manual specific to the P85D, so if there really is a different way to close the P85D frunk, Tesla isn't doing a good job of communicating it.
The fact that there is now a video on the Tesla Motors website that is also in conflict with the manual (I haven't watched it yet, but I trust what I've just read in this thread) only serves to muddy the frunk-closing waters even further.
Probably there is no "right way" to do this.
I think the main takeaway here is to avoid concentrating force in a small area. Spread it out as much as you can. Press gently and progressively, with just enough pressure to engage the latch.
I think the main takeaway here is to avoid concentrating force in a small area. Spread it out as much as you can. Press gently and progressively, with just enough pressure to engage the latch.
View attachment 67835
I've tried closing it as shown above, and I simply can't do it. When spreading my arms that far apart I don't seem to get much leverage.
View attachment 67836
When putting my hands in the green zone, my frunk hood flexes downward and does not leave me with a good feeling. The green zone area is not as rigid as the areas slightly forward, it seems. All I know is that I close my frunk as shown in this video (Tesla Model S P85D delivery walkthrough - part 1 - YouTube) and I've not had any issues since getting my car in August of 2013. I open and close it all the time.
While I'm now completely confused as to the correct way, my way seems to be working.
I've tried closing it as shown above, and I simply can't do it. When spreading my arms that far apart I don't seem to get much leverage.
View attachment 67836
When putting my hands in the green zone, my frunk hood flexes downward and does not leave me with a good feeling. The green zone area is not as rigid as the areas slightly forward, it seems. All I know is that I close my frunk as shown in this video (Tesla Model S P85D delivery walkthrough - part 1 - YouTube) and I've not had any issues since getting my car in August of 2013. I open and close it all the time.
While I'm now completely confused as to the correct way, my way seems to be working.
With all the other improvements made since the S was first released any ideas why Tesla hasn't addressed this?
I've known several people over the years who lost the use of one of their arms through accident or disease. Clearly, they cannot correctly use the frunk. Nor can those petite persons (mostly women) who can't easily press hard enough to compress the seals.
A motorized latch would make the frunk consistent with the excellent usability of the rest of the car. Please!
A motorized latch would make the frunk consistent with the excellent usability of the rest of the car. Please!
+1, except it's a concern of mine every time I close the hood. Reminds me of my Audi--don't put any downward weight on the headrest, or a cable inside the seat will detach. A fix wasn't implemented for years, and there never was a recall for those of us with the older models.
Larry93428
Member
I have been reading these frunk posts for months and still do not know how to close it.
What do we need to do to get this resolved?
~Larry
What do we need to do to get this resolved?
~Larry
(LMB spouse)
LMB's method is to sit down gently on the front of the frunk until it clicks closed. No hands or strength needed! Also, no fingerprints.
LMB's method is to sit down gently on the front of the frunk until it clicks closed. No hands or strength needed! Also, no fingerprints.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
NigelM
Recovering Member
When Tesla picks up a car for service, checking for frunk creases is specifically an item they look for as part of the condition inspection. To me that suggests it's not an infrequent issue.
Larry93428
Member
Asking these may not be on topic but here goes:
This photo shows the two latches of my frunk cover. The rear one appears bent.
Do other Tesla Model S latches look like this? Should I make an issue of it?
(The car will be picked up this week for other service.)
Thank you,
~Larry
This photo shows the two latches of my frunk cover. The rear one appears bent.
Do other Tesla Model S latches look like this? Should I make an issue of it?
(The car will be picked up this week for other service.)
Thank you,
~Larry
The seals on my car don't require any particular strength to close. A motorized closing mechanism would be ideal assuming it didn't also dent the hood--it easily could if the seals are so high that a significant amount of force is needed--but I believe the real fix is a redesign of the seals. They should seal without requiring a lot of pressure. Perhaps replaceable seals that were only intended to last a year or two.d
