Model S 2022 - charging door does not open if pressed - normal?

[DimaCA]

I picked up Tesla Model S 2022 recently and I have noticed that my charging port door does not open if pressed. We have model Y, which has similar design of charging port door and it DOES open if you press on it but not on model S.

I visited local Service Center today (for another issue) and I asked about this but the technical advisor told me that it is a feature of the model S refresh that the charging door does not open if pressed since Tesla changed the door design. Somehow, he was not very convincing to me and it just sounds weird to remove such a useful feature.

Can someone with refreshed S chime in and let me know if you charging door can be opened by pressing on it?

 

[DimaCA]

I just reviewed the manual for my car and based on it, the door should be opened if pressed.

 

[DerbyDave]

You evidently have a car later than a refreshed. You have a redesigned refresh, which has a new port door for cars built in the last few months, with the redesigned rear end and matrix headlights. You need to get someone with the redesigned rear lights to check. Which refreshed do you have?

 

[DimaCA]

I have 2022 (with redesigned rear end and matrix headlights). The online manual under my account suggests that charging port door should open if pressed but any confirmation from someone who has 2022 MS would be helpful.

 

[mscott]

I have a 2022 with the new charge port door and I, too, have been unable to make it open by pressing it. When charging at a CCS station, I've had to open it from the touchscreen. Kinda annoying.

 

[WilliamG]

I can confirm the charge port does open on my refresh 2022 when pressed. I pressed on the fatter/wider section toward the rear of the car. Pressing on the tapering section toward the front does nothing.

 

[ASMills85]

Can also confirm this works.

Maybe a dumb question, but is your car locked?

For what it’s worth I’ve found this to be somewhat inconsistent on all three cars I’ve owned.

 

[DimaCA]

Thank you! I went back to my car and found out that the door opens up if you press on the middle of the wider section toward the rear of the car. Indeed, pressing on the front section or bottom section does nothing. The door seems to be recessed too much, FWIW.

 

[DimaCA]

Strange. On our "Y", you can press anywhere and the door opens up.

 

[DimaCA]

I have a 2022 with the new charge port door and I, too, have been unable to make it open by pressing it. When charging at a CCS station, I've had to open it from the touchscreen. Kinda annoying.

It is annoying indeed. My prior experience was opening it from the screen or app but it sometimes closes before I insert the charger.

Have you tried pressing on the wider section of the door (towards the rear)?

 

[DimaCA]

On the other hand, I am quite astonished by the level of blatant lies from the service advisor who was claiming that Tesla modified the charging port in refresh model and removed the functionality of opening it by pressing the cover.

 

[bandido]

What charger were you using to charge/open the door? Interestingly, there is something "different" about the charge door protocol for mine as well. I am on my 4th Model S with same Gen 2 wall charger. Every prior car has opened no problem, but now I have to hold the charge button for 10-15 seconds and it will open. I am waving it around a bit and it will work. I asked service check and they said try different charger. I tried my new mobile charger and it opened immediately, everytime. Also at supercharger, opened immediately, weird. Maybe the wall protocol is slightly different.

 

[DimaCA]

What charger were you using to charge/open the door? Interestingly, there is something "different" about the charge door protocol for mine as well. I am on my 4th Model S with same Gen 2 wall charger. Every prior car has opened no problem, but now I have to hold the charge button for 10-15 seconds and it will open. I am waving it around a bit and it will work. I asked service check and they said try different charger. I tried my new mobile charger and it opened immediately, everytime. Also at supercharger, opened immediately, weird. Maybe the wall protocol is slightly different.

No charger. If I use chargers, the door opens just fine.

My door does not open very well when I press on it. The way it looks is it sits too deep and there is not much space to press it down before it opens.

 

[WilliamG]

No charger. If I use chargers, the door opens just fine.

My door does not open very well when I press on it. The way it looks is it sits too deep and there is not much space to press it down before it opens.

Mine sits a tad deep too. I wonder if it’s to protect it from airflow over the car.

 

[mscott]

Have you tried pressing on the wider section of the door (towards the rear)?

I guess I hadn't because I just went out and tried it and it works great if I push it at the rear. Thanks!

 

[mscott]

What charger were you using to charge/open the door? Interestingly, there is something "different" about the charge door protocol for mine as well. I am on my 4th Model S with same Gen 2 wall charger. Every prior car has opened no problem, but now I have to hold the charge button for 10-15 seconds and it will open. I am waving it around a bit and it will work. I asked service check and they said try different charger. I tried my new mobile charger and it opened immediately, everytime. Also at supercharger, opened immediately, weird. Maybe the wall protocol is slightly different.

Do you have another car you can try that charger on? I've got two Gen 2 wall chargers and a brief push of the button on either opens the charger door on both our Ses (2015 and 2022). It doesn't work as reliably on our 2022 Model Y, however. (The Y is generally much slower to respond to open the charge port door—charger button or pressing on the door—as was our Model 3 before it. This despite our Model Y having the Ryzen computer in it.)

 

[WilliamG]

Do you have another car you can try that charger on? I've got two Gen 2 wall chargers and a brief push of the button on either opens the charger door on both our Ses (2015 and 2022). It doesn't work as reliably on our 2022 Model Y, however. (The Y is generally much slower to respond to open the charge port door—charger button or pressing on the door—as was our Model 3 before it. This despite our Model Y having the Ryzen computer in it.)

Yes the new-design S is slower to open than my old S, which was pretty much instant the second you click the button, and this seems to rev a motor up before it opens, but it always opens (just about a second-or-so slower). Also, for those that care, here's a video of it opening manually. And BEFORE ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING, yes, I have a charger penis in the reflection. I needed both my hands for the video/activation of the charge port door, so get over it already.

 

[M3Jay]

I have the same problem with my refresh refresh S with the new lights and charge port. The door won't open when I press on it (regardless of where), and it also won't open when I push the button on the charger handle, regardless of old or new mobile charger, even superchargers won't open it. The service center confirmed this and said it's a problem with the ECU, but they weren't able to fix it yet because the part is not yet available. I recommend making a service appointment through the app.

 

[WilliamG]

I have the same problem with my refresh refresh S with the new lights and charge port. The door won't open when I press on it (regardless of where), and it also won't open when I push the button on the charger handle, regardless of old or new mobile charger, even superchargers won't open it. The service center confirmed this and said it's a problem with the ECU, but they weren't able to fix it yet because the part is not yet available. I recommend making a service appointment through the app.

Did it ever work for you? I assume you can open it from the screen in the car or from the app?

 

[M3Jay]

Did it ever work for you? I assume you can open it from the screen in the car or from the app?

It never worked by pushing on it or with the charger handle. I've been opening it with the key fob. It also works from the screen in the car as well as the app.