HANSSHOW Trunk Liftgate v3 install

[apchoo]

I installed my V4 power tailgate (without foot sensor) over 2 days on the weekend. Overall I took 12-14hrs to complete the install but I took it real slow. Now that I've done it, I could probably do another one in under 6hrs.

Here are my tips from my installation.

1. Have extra pry tools than just the one orange one Hansshow provides in the kit. I have a set of 4 from my ICE days. They come in handy with trying to extract the white clips that from the trunk lid.
2. The trunk lid trim is secured with an insane number of clips (okay, 11; 7 greens and 4 whites). You're likely to break at least one green clip (Hansshow gives you 2 spares), and all of my 4 white clips came off from the trim and remained on the lid.
   
   You need to extract the 4 white clips and put them back on the trim before you can attach the trim back onto the lid. It was a real PITA to extract the white clips.
3. Removing the tailgate button plug from the wire made it a lot easier to fish the wire (and the tailgate handle+lock motor (bare) wires) thru the rubber tubing. Detaching the rubber tubing from the cable ties using a metal pick as per the Electrified Garage video (I happened to have the same pick) made it a lot easier to thread the fish tape thru the tubing.
   
   
4. I followed the Hansshow V4 trunk installation video and run the struct cables down the sides thru the gap between the chassis and bumper and coming into the trunk thru the 2 holes that were covered by blue grommets.
   
   Note that the left circular hole is smaller than the right larger oblong hole .
   
   Each struct has 2 plugs that are different sizes. The smaller hole is just big enough for the just bigger plug to get thru; tape the plugs to the fish tape as follows to be as streamlined as possible.
   
   In hindsight, it might have been easier with the plugs removed, however, I don't know if they're as easy to remove as the tailgate button plug.
5. I didn't pull the struct wires taut thru the grommets. I left a bit of slack hoping that'll result in a drip loop to prevent water ingress into the trunk (though there's no way I could visually confirm that). I used silicone to seal the holes in the grommets.
6. The small gap between the chassis and bumper is made smaller by a piece of rigid plastic. You need to gently nudge the plastic away from the chassis (maybe not so gently) using a pry tool so the plugs that are taped to the fish tape can get thru the gap.
7. Following the EG video, I connected the battery power (B+) wire to the red terminal beneath the rear seats. I ran just enough wire to reach the terminal; the remaining length of the wire is bunched up and cable-tied next to the control box in the trunk.
8. I connected the CANBUS cable behind the centre console. The Hansshow video doesn't show how to route the FRONT CAN wire to the centre console. I was able to run it along the right side beneath the door trim, across the base of the B pillar towards the driver's seat (for a RHD Model 3). There's an overlap in the floor carpet (see red arrow below). I lifted the trim to the right of the blue arrow and could see a harness going underneath the driver's seat.
   
   Using the fish tape I routed the FRONT CAN wire underneath the seat rail. From there I hand-threaded the wire underneath the other rail and connected the plug to one of the CANBUS sockets from the middle console. I tucked the cable beneath the floor carpet.
   
   All you can see is a bit of cable between the centre console and left rail of the driver seat.
   

The power tailgate is working well so far . I highly recommend it to anyone considering getting one. The installation isn't that hard. You just need time and patience.

 

[Skione65]

So I contacted HansShow re: the V1 to V4 Auto Trunk upgrade kit CANBUS adapter/connector not fitting the pre-2019 cars (I.e. 2018). Asked him if he has a CANBUS adapter that’s fits the 2018’s. He replied and said “Yes they have, but later. Need to wait 5 days”. So that leads me to believe it’s something they have in the works and that possibly they will be sending them out with kits in the future if requested. Or maybe he’ll even have a drop down menu (one can hope) like TeslaOffer does to specifically request the appropriate adapter for your specific car model year. Don’t know what his plan is.
So I would highly recommend (which I’ll be doing at some point) you specifically request in the free text portion of the Order when Ordering that you need the 2018 CANBUS adapter/connector so he sends you the correct one.

Ski

 

[tlr1000]

So I contacted HansShow re: the V1 to V4 Auto Trunk upgrade kit CANBUS adapter/connector not fitting the pre-2019 cars (I.e. 2018). Asked him if he has a CANBUS adapter that’s fits the 2018’s. He replied and said “Yes they have, but later. Need to wait 5 days”. So that leads me to believe it’s something they have in the works and that possibly they will be sending them out with kits in the future if requested. Or maybe he’ll even have a drop down menu (one can hope) like TeslaOffer does to specifically request the appropriate adapter for your specific car model year. Don’t know what his plan is.
So I would highly recommend (which I’ll be doing at some point) you specifically request in the free text portion of the Order when Ordering that you need the 2018 CANBUS adapter/connector so he sends you the correct one.

Ski

Great news! I had a feeling it was coming. Be interesting to see if a difference in functionality is noticed with the CANBUS connected.

 

[univ0298]

<LOTS OF GREAT TIPS FOR INSTALL>

Thanks very much for detailing all that out! Really great when people go to the trouble of explaining stuff so clearly, and with photos. I think you will really help me with my install! by the way 'strut' not 'struct'

Did you not even order the foot sensor? Or did you find that it would be too hard in addition to the base install?

 

[apchoo]

Thanks very much for detailing all that out! Really great when people go to the trouble of explaining stuff so clearly, and with photos. I think you will really help me with my install!

No worries. I could have taken more photos but wanted to focus on the primary objective of getting the job done. Ping me if you have any questions and I'll be glad to answer to the best of my knowledge.

by the way 'strut' not 'struct'

I blame that on muscle memory from my C programming days . Bugger ... I can't edit my post anymore!

Did you not even order the foot sensor? Or did you find that it would be too hard in addition to the base install?

Yes, I did order the foot sensor but didn't want to remove the bumper (yet). I decided that would be the Phase 2 install. I didn't check if my bumper has the bottom panel that pops off in this video here. If it has, then it would be a lot easier to install the foot sensor as I'm not really keen on removing the bumper .

 

[bsk997]

Thanks for the pics and detailed tips apchoo!
Will come in handy

 

[apchoo]

Some more tips with power tailgate install.

1. Mark the centre position of the original latch before removing it. My SR+ is black so I marked it using a sharpie on masking tape.
   
   
2. When extracting the white clips, positioning the 2 pry tools as shown below.
   
   The white clip has 2 "bumps" on either side---if you depress them using the pry tools it makes it easier to get thru the holes.
3. To extract the two shock absorbers, use a metal pick or small flat blade screwdriver and depress the 3 bumps around the perimeter in turn.
   
   Swap these with the 2 grommets that comes in the kit.

 

[p1l0t3]

I also received the v4 kit today. Will dive in the next few days into it.
Thanks apchoo for more details.

 

[tlr1000]

Some more tips with power tailgate install.

1. Mark the centre position of the original latch before removing it. My SR+ is black so I marked it using a sharpie on masking tape.
   View attachment 562234
   
2. When extracting the white clips, positioning the 2 pry tools as shown below.
   View attachment 562236
   The white clip has 2 "bumps" on either side---if you depress them using the pry tools it makes it easier to get thru the holes.
3. To extract the two shock absorbers, use a metal pick or small flat blade screwdriver and depress the 3 bumps around the perimeter in turn.
   View attachment 562235
   Swap these with the 2 grommets that comes in the kit.

1. I forgot to do this so ended up wasting time after to align. This is a good point.
2. some videos suggest leaving some clips on the trunk and some on the plastic panel. I found it easier to put all of them on the plastic panel. I put a small piece of painter's tape on the reverse side of each pin location on the face of the panel so I had an easy reference of where to tap down with my hand to lock the clips into position
3. Any idea why the shock absorbers are removed for these grommets? Would seem they add some stability to the trunk lid when it's closed.

 

[tlr1000]

In the above post I asked why the two shock absorbers were removed and after rewatching the Hansshow v4 installation video I noticed that it is only to be removed if there is a gap when the trunk is closed. Seems depending on a number of factors the tension created by these two springloaded shocks could cause a gap and therefore remedied by removal. So it's probably better to leave them in to see if there's an issue rather than removing by default.

 

[apchoo]

In the above post I asked why the two shock absorbers were removed and after rewatching the Hansshow v4 installation video I noticed that it is only to be removed if there is a gap when the trunk is closed. Seems depending on a number of factors the tension created by these two springloaded shocks could cause a gap and therefore remedied by removal. So it's probably better to leave them in to see if there's an issue rather than removing by default.

I replaced them as per Hansshow's instructions/videos but I see your point. My trunk lid has no gaps with the V4 kit installed; I'll put back the shock absorbers today and see if they make any difference.

 

[tlr1000]

I replaced them as per Hansshow's instructions/videos but I see your point. My trunk lid has no gaps with the V4 kit installed; I'll put back the shock absorbers today and see if they make any difference.

If the shock absorbers don't cause any gap issues when installed, then I think keeping them in would be a good thing as it provides some additional support at the corners of the trunk lid when the trunk is closed. Let us know how it works out.

The only other possible issue is if the shock absorbers cause too much resistance and trigger the sensor into thinking something is in the way and therefore stop closing before the trunk lid is all the way down.

 

[Skione65]

HansShow has said in the past the mini spring shocks can put too much “stress” on the soft close motor causing it too work too hard and fail prematurely. Thus the changeout. YMMV.

Ski

 

[apchoo]

2. some videos suggest leaving some clips on the trunk and some on the plastic panel.

I'd initially wanted to leave the white clips in the lid and "slid" the trim panel into them but found that to be quite impossible because of the proximity of the metal pieces (see yellow arrow below) for the handholds to the 2 white clips close by.

Didn't want to crease the panel, and it was easier to fit back the panel with all the clips in it anyway.

I partially broke the a white clip on my first attempt to extract one. Unlike the green clips (which Hansshow gives 2 spares), the white clip has 2 bumps on opposite sides. I extracted the remaining 3 clips more easily (relatively speaking) using two pry tools (see previous post) and without damage.

The broken clip still fitted snugly into its slot on the panel. In my V4 installation feedback to William@Hansshow, I suggested they also provide a couple of white clips in their kits.

 

[apchoo]

HansShow has said in the past the mini spring shocks can put too much “stress” on the soft close motor causing it too work too hard and fail prematurely. Thus the changeout. YMMV.

Ski

The shocks could also prevent the lid from latching on to the motorised catch. If that happens, you'll have to increase the closing strength so it latches before the motorised catch pulls it shut.

I guess it's a balance between the size of the gaps and latching ability. I will check today how close the lid is to the chassis. My SR+ is black and the gaps are hard to see inside my garage; it didn't occur to me to check the gaps when the trunk is closed. In this video the guy stuck a painters tape at the left corner where he reckons the lid is touching the chassis.

 

[apchoo]

I checked the gap between the trunk lid and the chassis, and based on a grand statistical sample of 2 cars (mine and the one in the video posted above) I'll say that Tesla may have a QC issue with non-uniform gaps between trunk and chassis. That isn't a surprise as there have been lots of reports of inconsistent gaps with the 3.

I stuck masking tape on the left and right sides of the chassis; with the trunk closed the left gap is also smaller by about 1mm compared to the right. I don't think the lid is touching the chassis but it did look pretty close.

I put back the shock absorbers and trunk closed normally as per before. I tested half a dozen times, even looked in from the back seats. I can see the shocks being compressed as the latch was caught before being pulled down. Every time the trunk closed and opened successfully like before without the shocks.

With the shocks in place, the left side gap is slightly wider than before . Since the trunk worked as before, I decided to leave the shocks in place.

 

[Skione65]

I checked the gap between the trunk lid and the chassis, and based on a grand statistical sample of 2 cars (mine and the one in the video posted above) I'll say that Tesla may have a QC issue with non-uniform gaps between trunk and chassis. That isn't a surprise as there have been lots of reports of inconsistent gaps with the 3.

I stuck masking tape on the left and right sides of the chassis; with the trunk closed the left gap is also smaller by about 1mm compared to the right. I don't think the lid is touching the chassis but it did look pretty close.

I put back the shock absorbers and trunk closed normally as per before. I tested half a dozen times, even looked in from the back seats. I can see the shocks being compressed as the latch was caught before being pulled down. Every time the trunk closed and opened successfully like before without the shocks.

With the shocks in place, the left side gap is slightly wider than before . Since the trunk worked as before, I decided to leave the shocks in place.

Does it close any softer with the shocks in place? Have hated mine slightly “slamming” shut the last 2 inches or so every time. Worse from in the car. That’s why I’ve been entertaining the idea of the V1-V4 Auto Trunk Upgrade with supposed softer soft close which is not soft on my V1. Along with the Frunk upgrade to get ‘in-car’ Frunk close capability and possibly Frunk foot sensor.

Ski

 

[apchoo]

Does it close any softer with the shocks in place? Have hated mine slightly “slamming” shut the last 2 inches or so every time. Worse from in the car. That’s why I’ve been entertaining the idea of the V1-V4 Auto Trunk Upgrade with supposed softer soft close which is not soft on my V1. Along with the Frunk upgrade to get ‘in-car’ Frunk close capability and possibly Frunk foot sensor.

Ski

My trunk closed the same with or without the shocks (except for the differences in the gap). The strength is default (2 beeps I think), speed is set at the fastest (6 beeps), it slows down with about 6in to go with the latch catching soon and getting pulled down. Never had any slamming with my V4.

 

[tlr1000]

I checked the gap between the trunk lid and the chassis, and based on a grand statistical sample of 2 cars (mine and the one in the video posted above) I'll say that Tesla may have a QC issue with non-uniform gaps between trunk and chassis. That isn't a surprise as there have been lots of reports of inconsistent gaps with the 3.

I stuck masking tape on the left and right sides of the chassis; with the trunk closed the left gap is also smaller by about 1mm compared to the right. I don't think the lid is touching the chassis but it did look pretty close.

I put back the shock absorbers and trunk closed normally as per before. I tested half a dozen times, even looked in from the back seats. I can see the shocks being compressed as the latch was caught before being pulled down. Every time the trunk closed and opened successfully like before without the shocks.

With the shocks in place, the left side gap is slightly wider than before . Since the trunk worked as before, I decided to leave the shocks in place.

Good call. Can always reverse it later if issues arise.

 

[arjunprabhu]

Okay got unit reset and tried the closing strength setting again and everything seems to be working great. Thanks from me and ReneeC

Any info on how to reset the control box unit?

I was attempting to upgrade by FRUNK to v3 (to get screen/open control), but unit seems to have bricked, with both green and red lights staying on solid even after power cycle.

PS: as part of the V3 frunk update, they shipped me a new wire harness and a sd card with the update.bin.
Followed instructions to the T., but still failed.