MODEL S passenger hanhle light burnt out? i thought they were led?

[meomyo]

service center says whole handle needs to be replaced. $300 yikes....it works fine i just noticed the light doesnt light. Bummer

 

[Ostrichsak]

It's LEDs but LEDs aren't invincible. They can run hot (this is the primary culprit for the yellow/faded/broken/burnt out DRL on the LED headlight housing equipped cars) and this leads to them burning out.

The handle is a unique creature though. There's a lot of wiring issues inside that could occur that could potentially short it out. Maybe check to see if the handle is clearing the door skin. I've seen it where the light is on but the handle doesn't extend far enough to clear the door skin for it to shine on the ground.
If you've eliminated that then handle replacement is probably the best bet as you can fix the wiring issue (if that's the issue) but you'll have other issues if that's an older version of the door handle.

Just be glad a $300 replacement exists as the older versions cost much much more and last much much less before issues typically presented.

 

[Gtech]

Door handle LEDs are sold separately by Tesla (see Tesla EPC)

The SMD LEDs they use are not watertight so moister get in to it and then they die.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Door handle LEDs are sold separately by Tesla (see Tesla EPC)

The SMD LEDs they use are not watertight so moister get in to it and then they die.

View attachment 857702

Are you sure they offer an LED replacement for all versions of the door handle assembly?

 

[Gtech]

I know there are differences in connector for gen2 and gen3 but since the handle is interchangeable I guess the LED itself is the same.
EPC shows 2 variants I guess gen2 and gen3.
Not sure about gen1 since I never seen one

 

[meomyo]

its a 2017 model s..likely gen 2 i think....so to have tesla replace the led vs a new handle should be cheaper maybe but they have to pull the whole handle anyhow to do either(replace led or relplace handle soo maybe cose is still similar?)but i will ask if they do it? Any why doidnt they make it waterproof..lol- the handle extends all the way out and works fine..its just that led isnt lighting...i guess a car wash or 5 can ruin the lights.

 

[Ostrichsak]

its a 2017 model s..likely gen 2 i think....so to have tesla replace the led vs a new handle should be cheaper maybe but they have to pull the whole handle anyhow to do either(replace led or relplace handle soo maybe cose is still similar?)but i will ask if they do it? Any why doidnt they make it waterproof..lol- the handle extends all the way out and works fine..its just that led isnt lighting...i guess a car wash or 5 can ruin the lights.

To be fair, I've never seen a Tesla Model S door handle LED failure. We have unlimited car washes and run ours through washes several times a week and I've owned 7 Model S's across all years they were made save for the first and most recent. In fact, until this thread, I wasn't even aware it was a part Tesla sold separately. The handles fail all the time but typically it's a sensor, paddle gear or even the wiring inside. All are known failure points on those previous two versions.

That said, I wouldn't assume what version your door handle is. If you've owned it since it was brand new you can probably guess that it's the ver2 but not the latest ver3 which was just released within the last couple of years. There's three different versions (although Tesla may consider the first two versions the same "Gen 1" as a whole internally once they moved on to the latest revision) and all require different firmware to function properly. The latest version is what you want.

Unless that LED part that was posted previously is like ten bucks, I would just have them replace that door handle assembly entirely with the latest version if it's an older version. They can provision the proper firmware and provide a warranty on the part and work as well. If you choose to fix the one you have, the more common failure points still remain. You'll likely have to pay to fix it again. Especially for $300 for a unit that eliminates most all of the potential failure points of a design that is one of the most problematic parts on the car during the years you're talking about.

From someone who likes saving money anywhere and everywhere I can, I firmly believe that if it's either of the previous versions it should be pulled out and immediately tossed in the trash can. If you're going to invest any time or money at all just invest it into the latest one. Head down that rabbit hole and you'll quickly see how much of an improvement it is in design and how it will be FAR less likely to cause you issues moving forward.

 

[beatle]

I had an LED replaced on one of my door handles back in December of 2019. Not sure what version the handle is or the price since this was under warranty, but this was the part:

LED ASY, DOOR HANDLE OUTER LH(1008995-00-F)

I think it's worth asking the SC if they can just replace the LED. They should also be able to tell you the generation of door handle.

Or you could just leave it alone. If my car were not under warranty II honestly don't think I would have spent the money to have them replace the LED. They're barely noticeable, and only when it's pretty dark. Just wait until the door handle fails (if it fails) and then you'll get a new LED for free.

 

[meomyo]

thanx will ask them...but yea i dont want to monkey with it myself...they did the cinch rear lock for free even though out of warranty..and they replaced the mc2 screen because they installed it with gasket sticking out when i did the upgrade so they replaced the screen(gasket is attached i guess) for free too...Maybe i can get them to give me a deal on the handle as i know a few of the service guys and manager.