"Lurch" when putting the car in park

[tnt1971]

I am a new 85D owner. I have had the car for 2 months and it has about 2,600 miles on it. I notice that when I put the car in park, and release the brakes, it seems to move an inch or two when I release the brakes and then the parking brake engages like a minor abrupt stop. Most of the time I am on flat ground when this happens, but it does happen in my driveway with a very slight incline.

The car is obviously fully stopped when I engage the park, and I do not have creep mode on. If I count to 5 after stopping the car it does not seem to happen. I usually notice it when I am letting a passenger out and have to engage the parking brake to open the door.

Just checking if this is a normal issue or if I should bring it in for service.

 

[Saghost]

I am a new 85D owner. I have had the car for 2 months and it has about 2,600 miles on it. I notice that when I put the car in park, and release the brakes, it seems to move an inch or two when I release the brakes and then the parking brake engages like a minor abrupt stop. Most of the time I am on flat ground when this happens, but it does happen in my driveway with a very slight incline.

The car is obviously fully stopped when I engage the park, and I do not have creep mode on. If I count to 5 after stopping the car it does not seem to happen. I usually notice it when I am letting a passenger out and have to engage the parking brake to open the door.

Just checking if this is a normal issue or if I should bring it in for service.

Tesla doesn't use a parking pawl in the transmission (well, the fixed gear set) for "Park" - they simply engage a separate cable operated caliper on the rear brake discs.

They only way the car should be shifting is if the suspension is wound up from a hard stop and releasing the brake pedal is letting the car relax, or if the car is moving from a slope before the parking brake engages.

The first case seems unlikely, unless you drive into parking spaces very aggressively. For the latter case, put the car into Park, pause for a second or two, then release the brake pedal.

 

[Steve2498]

I am a new 85D owner. I have had the car for 2 months and it has about 2,600 miles on it. I notice that when I put the car in park, and release the brakes, it seems to move an inch or two when I release the brakes and then the parking brake engages like a minor abrupt stop. Most of the time I am on flat ground when this happens, but it does happen in my driveway with a very slight incline.

The car is obviously fully stopped when I engage the park, and I do not have creep mode on. If I count to 5 after stopping the car it does not seem to happen. I usually notice it when I am letting a passenger out and have to engage the parking brake to open the door.

Just checking if this is a normal issue or if I should bring it in for service.

You are use to an ICE car where you put it in park and immediately take your foot off the brake, which works because going into park takes immediate effect. Withe the Tesla pressing the park button doesn't take effect immediately. So, if you press park and the immediately take your foot off the brake the car can roll a bit before park is engaged giving you that abrupt stop.

To "fix" this just change your behavior, after pressing park, leave your foot on the brake for a half second or so until park is engaged.

 

[Chasedrgc1223]

You can actually hear the parking brake engage, so listen for when it stops and that's when to release it. You can also just engage 'hold' and it will fix your issue.

 

[Lloyd]

Ask this guy!

 

[Edmond]

Actually the parking brake is separate from the disk brake, and is an electrically-activated servo which screws the pads onto the rotor. ('ebrake')

 

[Gizmotoy]

You can actually hear the parking brake engage, so listen for when it stops and that's when to release it. You can also just engage 'hold' and it will fix your issue.

Right. The parking brake servo is actually quite loud. In most situations you can hear it engage. It does take a second or two after you hit park for it to fully apply.

If OP's not on completely flat ground, he'll need to keep your foot on the brake until it engages or he'll get the behavior he describes.

 

[tnt1971]

Now I know what that noise is. Thanks for the tips.