Model S Technical / Mechanical Issues

[dsmith2189]

had a strange problem the other day. My phone was low on charge to I left my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in my (Classic pre-AP) car when I went to work. When I got off work to go home I got an error message that my touch screen was not responding. tried rebooting center console a few times and then both screens. no change. each time it responded with the same error. I unplugged my phone from the USB port and rebooted again. this time my center console booted normally with no error. has anyone else seen this, or am I the only person who owns a Tesla MS and a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge?

 

[BertL]

had a strange problem the other day. My phone was low on charge to I left my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in my (Classic pre-AP) car when I went to work. When I got off work to go home I got an error message that my touch screen was not responding. tried rebooting center console a few times and then both screens. no change. each time it responded with the same error. I unplugged my phone from the USB port and rebooted again. this time my center console booted normally with no error. has anyone else seen this, or am I the only person who owns a Tesla MS and a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge?

No, I firmly believe there are just more generic problems with Tesla's USB and/or error management -- not unique to your smartphone. There are many comments in other threads about failures by just using different USB sticks for media playback. In fact, in response to several of my MP USB problems a few months ago, my SvC told me Tesla recommends NO devices be plugged-in to any USB ports when you start the car. (That of course to me is ridiculous, but supports my theory there are a lot more problems under-the-covers than Tesla let's on. If 8.1 is every delivered, it should contain a new Linux kernel, so hopefully improved device libraries and USB support so owners have less of these sort of problems.) Good luck.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

had a strange problem the other day. My phone was low on charge to I left my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in my (Classic pre-AP) car when I went to work. When I got off work to go home I got an error message that my touch screen was not responding. tried rebooting center console a few times and then both screens. no change. each time it responded with the same error. I unplugged my phone from the USB port and rebooted again. this time my center console booted normally with no error. has anyone else seen this, or am I the only person who owns a Tesla MS and a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge?

It's Samsung in general. This happened to me a few years ago. Samsung always attempts to connect as an installer, and there seems to be no setting to avoid that. You have to use a charger that plugs into the 12v outlet instead.

 

[Lithivm]

I have two PCs that wont boot when I have my cell phone plugged-in..... I think the PC picks it up a boot drive. Unplug the phone and it boots fine... I can then plug-it back in and nothing would happen.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

It's interesting that the refreshed cars with the center console with "built in" charger don't act the same, even though it's just a USB plug in a holder. I still have a Samsung, it still tries to connect as an installer, yet has no effect in my new car, thank goodness. I can use the convenient charger with no problems.

 

[navinc]

Sure looks like someone should be paying more attention to galvanic corrosion.

Yup: Control arm corrosion

 

[Marcboy]

Noooo. I have a late 2014 (AP). I thought I was immune to all usual issues, but this morning a handle did not present .

2 years old, 38k. No other issue before. Bellevue (WA) SC was super fast, appointment on monday.

 

[Marcboy]

I have two PCs that wont boot when I have my cell phone plugged-in..... I think the PC picks it up a boot drive. Unplug the phone and it boots fine... I can then plug-it back in and nothing would happen.

If so you can fix that my putting USB as a secondary boot device in your Bios

 

[mknox]

Just realized the light on my drivers door handle is not coming on (other three doors still are). Impending doom or just a burned out bulb?

 

[scottm]

Just realized the light on my drivers door handle is not coming on (other three doors still are). Impending doom or just a burned out bulb?

LEDs just don't burn out that often... I bet it's a broken wire, due to flexing. Perhaps corrosion of a contact on that wire, either at the LED end or controller board end. Because of the exposure to weather elements in that vicinity.

There's one story floating around of recurring LED burnouts.. on one side of the car.. and a handle failure that eventually happened. Maybe if there was over-voltage going to a side because of a harness fault.. that could happen.. ?

Easy to get the front handles out of the car, to have a look. It's the kind of thing I'd do myself. I would consider changing the LED color to a bright amber or maybe blue, but that's just me.

 

[mknox]

[QUOTE="scottm, post: 2032485, member: 25876"Easy to get the front handles out of the car, to have a look. It's the kind of thing I'd do myself. I would consider changing the LED color to a bright amber or maybe blue, but that's just me.[/QUOTE]

I'd consider doing it myself too. I am into my extended warranty period, so I could ask Tesla, but I'd be looking at (I think) $200 deductible for what might be an easy fix.

Any instructions anywhere on-line for what to remove and how? I assume it's from inside by removing the interior door panel.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Easy to get the front handles out of the car, to have a look. It's the kind of thing I'd do myself. I would consider changing the LED color to a bright amber or maybe blue, but that's just me.

I'd consider doing it myself too. I am into my extended warranty period, so I could ask Tesla, but I'd be looking at (I think) $200 deductible for what might be an easy fix.

Any instructions anywhere on-line for what to remove and how? I assume it's from inside by removing the interior door panel.

Fix your door that won't open

 

[Tony8489]

On March 27 we drove from SoCal to Reno, skied Mt. Rose Tuesday and Squaw Valley Wednesday.

Thursday we packed, drove to Alpine Meadows, then decided not to ski with very few lifts open due to high winds. The dash Thursday morning had a warming message that "Driver Assistance features are Unavailable." I assumed this was due to the ongoing snow, but once we got over Donner Summit the weather cleared, the message remained, and the Autopilot features were indeed disabled. I called the Burbank Service Center in my phonebook, they asked for my name and VIN number and diagnosed over the air that the windshield camera behind the rear view mirror had failed and needed to be replaced. We then called the Service Center in Rocklin, determined they had one is stock and said we would be there in an hour. They said the repair would take 2 hours. It took three, but we had things to catch up on, it was a lost ski day anyway and it was nice to get TACC up and running for the 400 mile drive home. We had a brief charge stop in Santa Nella, then an hour and a half at Harris Ranch for dinner before driving home.

 

[riemannh]

Mystery solved. Service Center called me today with the results of their log analysis. It WAS ABS kicking in that made the car feel like it was lurching forward. Regen stops when ABS kicks in. Thanks to everyone who offered their thoughts. On a side note, it was great that the Service Center reached out earlier than my appt next week to update me.

Not deleting this post since it still seems like a problem, but I just realized I quoted something from almost two months ago... sorry.

Wait - I understand that ABS would likely require regen to disengage to avoid interference.. However, this seems like a problem to me (and, based on tdjvfr's comment, one that presents on other cars with regen systems). I should think, although perhaps not easy to program, that the system should be designed such that the total deceleration force shouldn't be reduced by regen being disabled.

For example, if I were applying x newtons (I think this would be the appropriate units - I've a math background, not physics) of break-force and y newtons of regen force to decelerate, when abs kicks in, the emergency brake assist should automatically override my brake input to x+y applied to break-force and disable regen and then enhance breaking as appropriate subsequently (and apply the anti-locking system as necessary). I know EBA generally just jumps to max brake force, but since it's fly-by-wire, this shouldn't be a difficult thing to approximate... I'd think.

The idea that ABS being activated would act to suddenly reduce my brake force by y seems... illogical.

 

[jerry33]

The idea that ABS being activated would act to suddenly reduce my brake force by y seems... illogical.

That's how every other car works. Tesla's is barely noticeable compared to other cars I've had.

 

[riemannh]

That's how every other car works. Tesla's is barely noticeable compared to other cars I've had.

I should be careful, yes, it should reduce brake force to the limits of traction. However, given the poster was back on the ground, now no longer decelerating at the same rate as before, the ABS system should have, within a tenth of a second or so, realized he wasn't sliding and reapplied his original break-force or, if EBA was triggered, as much force as possible under traction conditions.

I.e. the force should be, if EBA is not activated, Min{Traction allowed, x + y}, not Min{Traction Allowed, x} or, if EBA is activated, Min{Traction Allowed, 100% Breaking force}. In the former case, I'm imagining the break pedal input is augmented by (current driver input) * (x + y) / x until fully released, at which point normal behavior (1.0 multiplier) is resumed.

I don't know that much about these systems, but, at a glance, the described behavior seemed at odds with what I would expect...

 

[miimura]

If Tesla had blended regeneration when the brake pedal was applied, it would be easier to maintain the total braking force for the entire vehicle across the friction brakes and the electric motor. However, they don't, so it's much harder to modulate to get that effect.

 

[xyeahtony]

my new model s makes this interesting rumble sound while the a/c is running that comes from the passenger side. you can hear it every so and so random seconds and u can even hear it on the outside in the wheel well on the passenger side. Anyone else had this? its not annoying enough to take to a SC and you can only hear it if the car is standing still and the radio is off. turn the volume all the way up it happens around the 14 second mark at first, then 29, then 45.

 

[Skipdd]

I should be careful, yes, it should reduce brake force to the limits of traction. However, given the poster was back on the ground, now no longer decelerating at the same rate as before, the ABS system should have, within a tenth of a second or so, realized he wasn't sliding and reapplied his original break-force or, if EBA was triggered, as much force as possible under traction conditions.

I.e. the force should be, if EBA is not activated, Min{Traction allowed, x + y}, not Min{Traction Allowed, x} or, if EBA is activated, Min{Traction Allowed, 100% Breaking force}. In the former case, I'm imagining the break pedal input is augmented by (current driver input) * (x + y) / x until fully released, at which point normal behavior (1.0 multiplier) is resumed.

I don't know that much about these systems, but, at a glance, the described behavior seemed at odds with what I would expect...

Just saw your note. EBA was not engaged according to SC, just ABS.

 

[MotorMichael73]

Since more Model S' are hitting the road I think we need to have a new sticky or sub forum for mechanical or technical issues. I was at the LA store yesterday having a vibration issue with my Roadster looked at (it was determined to be a bent rim...ouch). There were several Model S' there for service. One had a broken windshield, the others were there for upgrades or replacement of the stereo amp. The service guys said there has been an issue with the amp that can only be fixed by either replacing it or upgrading the firmware at a service center (won't work over the air). They also said they've had a few door handle issues arise already.

So far the techs have said they've seen no drive train problems, and that's a good sign. I don't want to read too much into these early delivery problems, but I think we should start to track them in a wiki or thread.

The build quality of cars seemed to have declined recently. It could be because of worker issues and cars being rushed while in the production stages in order to meet the increase in demand for Tesla cars. I have recently had to send my brand new Model X back to have some issues fixed with seals and interior parts.