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I hate closing the frunk

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On my S there are little rubber stopper thingies around the hood contact points that can be adjusted by turning(same on rear trunk)if you need excessive pressure to close, is suggest making sure they are not adjusted wrong.... not sure about the 3.
 
Ahem...that video shows a Model S trunk modification. At the rear of the vehicle. Not the frunk.

No production Tesla has ever been built with a frunk that has a powered closing mechanism. What Tesla might have tested internally that never made it into production I am not privy to.

You said:
nor is there an “aftermarket auto-close” for the S or X that I am aware of.
which I was making you "aware of." If an aftermarket auto-close kit can be made for a MS trunk, one can be made aftermarket for model 3 trunk. If one can be made aftermarket for model 3 trunk, one can be made aftermarket for model 3 frunk. If Tesla won't provide it (I doubt they will anytime soon) then aftermarket will provide it because there will be a demand and there is money to be made.
 
Maybe I am just doing it wrong but I really hate closing the frunk. I really wish I could drop it from a known height, but I know that is a no-no. I can't tell you how many times I have placed my hands on the sides of the T logo and pressed firmly only to have it spring back and not latch. I worry about my ring scratching the hood and it ALWAYS leaves hand prints. This is undoubtedly not an example of Tesla's engineering brilliance at work.

Don't worry, let the Gas Station Attendants close it for you after they check the oil.;)
 
Yeah I hate closing the front trunk too. Even when I attempt to use the green zones shown in the manual I still feel like the panel is flexing quite a bit under my pressure and I fail to close it most of the times.

I end up closing it under the T with my palm gently and slowly.

I don't care that I have to close it with effort, I care that no way seems correct.
 
As far as finger prints go, I close it with a single closed fist over the logo. A Tesla tech told me that is how he does it and no finger prints. It's worked fine for me over the last few months. Though I would also prefer a soft close...

Just press slowly and gently down, until it latches. You don't need to do Heimlich type thrust to close it.

So, this thread is very helpful. After reading both @Xminusuno's version of single handed and on logo and @RAVAGESofTIME non-heimlich comment, I tried the combination. It worked very well. One handed and single held push. Nice. I did visually verify the logo is directly above the latch too.

The problem is the manual (thanks @kengchang) says both the single hand and this position are WRONG! What now??? I like this method damn it!
upload_2018-8-11_12-40-57-png.324983


For the life of me, I can't imagine why a single hand above the latch isn't a good option!
model3hood.JPG
 
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So, this thread is very helpful. After reading both @Xminusuno's version of single handed and on logo and @RAVAGESofTIME non-heimlich comment, I tried the combination. It worked very well. One handed and single held push. Nice. I did visually verify the logo is directly above the latch too.

The problem is the manual (thanks @kengchang) says both the single hand and this position are WRONG! What now??? I like this method damn it!

For the life of me, I can't imagine why a single hand above the latch isn't a good option!

I think all methods are ok as long as you are gentle about it, if you do this

the-rock-bottom-john-cena.jpg


it's not going to last
 
So, this thread is very helpful. After reading both @Xminusuno's version of single handed and on logo and @RAVAGESofTIME non-heimlich comment, I tried the combination. It worked very well. One handed and single held push. Nice. I did visually verify the logo is directly above the latch too.

The problem is the manual (thanks @kengchang) says both the single hand and this position are WRONG! What now??? I like this method damn it!
upload_2018-8-11_12-40-57-png.324983


For the life of me, I can't imagine why a single hand above the latch isn't a good option!
View attachment 325580

We need to have one test group using the one hand method over the logo and a second test group using the method described in the manual. We can reconvene next August and again in three years to see how the are doing. :)

Should we also have one test group just slam the hood closed? (Is that even possible)
 
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Despite your method of closing, the frunk will not latch if you abruptly close it.

My best results for latching have come from "slowly" depressing the frunk panel rather than using a Heimlich-like jerk to close. I typically close until the gas shocks are not acting and the first stage of the latch is enganged. I then put my palms into the "green zones" shown in the manual and then slowly press down until the second servo latch engages.
 
The more I stared at the red hood photo the more I think I began to see why Tesla wants us to close it in the green zones with 2 hands. First of all the area that I initially saw as "reinforced" (due to the structure behind it) is also the most "hollow". If we cut a cross-section through the reinforced areas, you would see there is NOTHING directly behind the thin Aluminum sheet metal of the hood and therefore the exterior thin hood flexes when pushed here. On the other hand, the green zones (which appear NOT to be reinforced) appear to have a second layer of Aluminum right against the thin Aluminum hood. I suspect the cross-section would illustrate that the two layers effectively are thicker in these zones and flex less. While the green zones extend further out in my illustration than I think they intended, you can see what I'm saying below.... Just my 2 cents.
hood frunk.png
 
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The more I stared at the red hood photo the more I think I began to see why Tesla wants us to close it in the green zones with 2 hands. First of all the area that I initially saw as "reinforced" (due to the structure behind it) is also the most "hollow". If we cut a cross-section through the reinforced areas, you would see there is NOTHING directly behind the thin Aluminum sheet metal of the hood and therefore the exterior thin hood flexes when pushed here. On the other hand, the green zones (which appear NOT to be reinforced) appear to have a second layer of Aluminum right against the thin Aluminum hood. I suspect the cross-section would illustrate that the two layers effectively are thicker in these zones and flex less. While the green zones extend further out in my illustration than I think they intended, you can see what I'm saying below.... Just my 2 cents.
View attachment 325653
I did not check my car, but if the "T" is right on the latch, the green area is not what you show. It should be slightly lower in this red hood figure.
I also feel the flexing even when I close with the recommended green area.
If I do it right on the side of the logo "T", I feel less bend. Actually, that is where delivery person told me to put my hands. So confusing.
 
Auto soft close, even via the app or a button on the screen, would be great.

While the 3 could be better it is (if you can believe it) an improvement over the early Model S. I swear every time I closed the frunk on my S the hood would bow half an inch. Never got a crease though.