How to put the maintenance panel back on?

[MY-Y]

Mobile tech put my cover back on after installing homelink. There were two tricks.

1. Reach under front bucket edge and lift up to click in the corners.
2. Push on front bucket for support when attaching the center clips. See the pic below of the mobile tech doing this.

 

[laservet]

Please let us all know how your service installs the clips. Thank you

Unfortunately I was at work and the car at home when they replaced the clips. I asked her to video the repair but she forgot to do so,

 

[lachambers]

Thanks for trying...
I had the same problem when I received my new Y . One of the Clips in front would not snap in. What I did was remove it and start from the front of the panel and they snapped in very easy then I worked my way to the back and they also snapped in easy so that must be the formula. Do the front ones first and moved to the back.

 

[laservet]

Unfortunately I was at work and the car at home when they replaced the clips. I asked her to video the repair but she forgot to do so,

“Her” would be my wife.

 

[ATL1000]

I opened up the panel to check out the 12v battery and to confirm that my heat pump had the sound insulation cover that Munrolive had discussed (it did). Saw that two panel clips were broken and one missing. Going to my local service center tomorrow to replace these clips and install Homelink. Plan to watch how they reinstall the panel.

 

[techniq]

Mobile tech put my cover back on after installing homelink. There were two tricks.

1. Reach under front bucket edge and lift up to click in the corners.
2. Push on front bucket for support when attaching the center clips. See the pic below of the mobile tech doing this.
View attachment 564472

Thanks for the post.
I also tried both tricks and still could not make it work. Still too much flexibility in the trunk back. Maybe my panel is distorted. Anyway, the service truck is coming in about a week.

 

[ATL1000]

I opened up the panel to check out the 12v battery and to confirm that my heat pump had the sound insulation cover that Munrolive had discussed (it did). Saw that two panel clips were broken and one missing. Going to my local service center tomorrow to replace these clips and install Homelink. Plan to watch how they reinstall the panel.

 

[ATL1000]

Went to service center today, and Tesla said they need to order a new panel that will be installed with mobile service. To be continued...

 

[techniq]

I just got my new Model Y and my first impulse was to look "under the hood".to see what I can or should service when necessary. That started a chain of events that burned up my day.
I read the manual and it doesn't say much about removing the maintenance panel -- essentially to pull up to get it out, and to do a good job when putting it back.
I got it out OK, although I was afraid to break the thin plastic; so it took me a while, but nothing broke. I saw what I wanted to see, but I'm not sure it was worth it.
Putting it back on proved to be almost impossible. The main problem is that the front of the maintenance panel attaches to the rear of the thin plastic trunk. You have to push hard on the fasteners to insert them into their holes and the thin plastic trunk bends away instead of letting you push hard enough to get the fastener's into their holes.
I spent literally hours trying to get it back on . I got it on and I don't think I broke anything, but not all the fasteners are attached.
I can't believe that it is this hard -- especially since we all are likely to need to remove that panel at some point. There must be a trick. Does anyone know what it is?

 

[techniq]

Update: I just had a visit from the Tesla Service Truck. The mechanic could not get it back on either. He had to modify the clips to get it on. It isn't an ideal solution, but it is holding for now. I asked him to support my request to have Tesla review the design of the panel, and he agreed. Any help from people this forum would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ATL1000]

Had a visit from mobile service. Unfortunately the service center ordered the wrong part for the maintenance cover and so the mobile tech re-ordered it. He did say re-attaching the cover is tricky and he himself is not always able to get all the clips connected.

 

[lachambers]

Thanks ALT1000

 

[DanDi58]

Do you really have to remove this panel to jump the car?

 

[Ruffles]

Do you really have to remove this panel to jump the car?

I think I saw a picture of someone connecting a 12v charger to some wires that are accessible from the tow hook hole so maybe you don't need to remove it. I don't have my Y yet so I can't confirm.

 

[DanDi58]

I think I saw a picture of someone connecting a 12v charger to some wires that are accessible from the tow hook hole so maybe you don't need to remove it. I don't have my Y yet so I can't confirm.

I do have a copy of the manual and sure enough, you need to remove that maintenance panel to jump start. Hopefully AAA knows how to put it back! ;-)

 

[ATL1000]

If you have totally discharged the battery, you may not be able to open the hood electronically to access the cover and 12v battery. In that case accessing wires through the tow hook panel is needed. Explained in the MY owners manual.

 

[Mitchel]

1) The manual says to jump the 12V battery, there is a small round access port on the left side of the front bumper. No need to take out the maintenance panel. 2) I haven't tried to remove the MY maintenance panel, but whenever I removed the plastic engine compartment cover in my Lexus to get to the air filter I replaced the clips with new ones. Reusing the old ones doesn't work well. For the Lexus they cost $1.50 each. Perhaps new clips will solve your problem.

 

[DanDi58]

If you have totally discharged the battery, you may not be able to open the hood electronically to access the cover and 12v battery. In that case accessing wires through the tow hook panel is needed. Explained in the MY owners manual.

Would certainly be easier of you could simply jump start using those cables!

 

[Medic]

I opened up the panel to check out the 12v battery and to confirm that my heat pump had the sound insulation cover that Munrolive had discussed (it did). Saw that two panel clips were broken and one missing. Going to my local service center tomorrow to replace these clips and install Homelink. Plan to watch how they reinstall the panel.

Did exactly that for the same reasons, and found both front corner clips missing....

 

[ATL1000]

Had a visit from mobile service. Unfortunately the service center ordered the wrong part for the maintenance cover and so the mobile tech re-ordered it. He did say re-attaching the cover is tricky and he himself is not always able to get all the clips connected.

The continuing saga. After ordering the correct part, Tesla received the part broken! They re-ordered the part again, but told me yesterday that Tesla is now re-designing the cover and would re-schedule mobile service once they receive the new part. Hopefully the redesign will address the fastener issues we have been posting about.