Model S Technical / Mechanical Issues

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Thanks, Nigel! If I don't get the update before, I'll ask the service folks to move my car up to v4.5 this Friday.

Couldn't wait till Friday as I couldn't put up with the touchscreen hum anymore. Pulled and reseated fuse 51 in the fuse box 2 and that did the trick! Not parking the car out in the hot sun (ahem, nowhere in sight in the Bay Area right now) for a bit.

 

[Todd Burch]

Couldn't wait till Friday as I couldn't put up with the touchscreen hum anymore. Pulled and reseated fuse 51 in the fuse box 2 and that did the trick! Not parking the car out in the hot sun (ahem, nowhere in sight in the Bay Area right now) for a bit.

GG, we had our first "hot" day here (90°F+) and my cooling fan has now pegged to 100%. I'm going to call service to see if they can push me to 4.5, but if not I'll reseat the fuse. Thanks for confirming the temporary workaround.

Come on 4.5...what is taking you so long!!! Updates just seems to be coming less frequently all the time...

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Weird; got 4.5 this evening and strangely, the touchscreen fan noise is back post-update! I don't think the bug's quite fixed in this release. I'll show it to the Fremont service center folks tomorrow before reseating the fuse once again (or have them do it).

 

[Todd Burch]

Weird; got 4.5 this evening and strangely, the touchscreen fan noise is back post-update! I don't think the bug's quite fixed in this release. I'll show it to the Fremont service center folks tomorrow before reseating the fuse once again (or have them do it).

Maybe you have to reseat the fuse *after* the update?

Nigel said the 4.5 update fixed it for him. I got 4.5 last night, so I have my fingers crossed.

 

[scaesare]

I've seen the issue with the loud "compressor/pump" sound referred to before... specifically when standoung outside the car when it kicks in. It's now happened to me a couple of times.

Interestingly, I also happened to be getting out of the vehicle at one point when it kicked in, and I noticed vibration in the steering wheel. I recall one thread saying the fix involves re-routing the lines so that they don't reverberate against portions of the steering mechanism.

Is this a well-known issue that service center personnel are likely to be aware of? Anybody know if there's a published TSB on it?

I'm taking my S85 in to the local center today for headliner issues, and thought I'd see if they can address this as well...

Thanks.

 

[Todd Burch]

Out of curiosity... does a reboot not fix it (even temporarily)?

No, it requires you to reseat Fuse 51. (Area 51?)

 

[NigelM]

Nigel said the 4.5 update fixed it for him. I got 4.5 last night, so I have my fingers crossed.

We had afternoon temperatures well over 100F yesterday and the fan seemed fine. There's no way to force a test but, as Todd says, it seems to be ok now.

I've seen the issue with the loud "compressor/pump" sound referred to before... specifically when standoung outside the car when it kicks in. It's now happened to me a couple of times.

That's the AC. Definitely not the fan hum issue.

Is this a well-known issue that service center personnel are likely to be aware of? Anybody know if there's a published TSB on it?

Yes to both questions. This was adjusted when I had my 12k done.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Another report of 4.5 actually starting up the touchscreen fan:

Firmware 4.5 - Page 32

 

[Zythryn]

Another report of 4.5 actually starting up the touchscreen fan:

Firmware 4.5 - Page 32

Interesting. With our Sig we never had the fan issue. With our 60kWh we had the fan issue with the 4.4 software. When we got the 4.5 update the fans stopped without the need to pull the fuse.

 

[mknox]

I've gotten into the "close, hold hand until ACK and then get in the car" habit. By "ACK", I mean "acknowledgement" and by that I mean the click that confirms the locking or whatever has engaged while the charge door is closed. Works every time.

Doesn't work for me. I close, get the "click" then get in the car. As I'm putting on my seatbelt, I get another "click" and the "Chargeport Open" message comes on the dash. Get out, close chargeport again and repeat. Usually happens two or three times. I now just stand at the side of the car waiting for it to happen to avoid getting in and out of the car. To be fair, it doesn't happen all the time, but enough to be annoying.

Not sure if it's related, but my UMC's button will no longer open the chargeport... I have to use the touchscreen. I know the UMC's button works, because it works to unlock the handle when I'm done charging. I've been using the touchscreen to open the port anyway, because even back when the UMC button worked, the car would not recognize that the adapter was plugged in if I opened it with the UMC, only if I opened it with the touchscreen.

I have a workaround for now, but something for Service to check next time I'm in (unless the 4.5 update that is waiting for me to install fixes it).

 

[scaesare]

We had afternoon temperatures well over 100F yesterday and the fan seemed fine. There's no way to force a test but, as Todd says, it seems to be ok now.



That's the AC. Definitely not the fan hum issue.



Yes to both questions. This was adjusted when I had my 12k done.

Excellent, thanks NigelM.

- - - Updated - - -

Doesn't work for me. I close, get the "click" then get in the car. As I'm putting on my seatbelt, I get another "click" and the "Chargeport Open" message comes on the dash. Get out, close chargeport again and repeat. Usually happens two or three times. I now just stand at the side of the car waiting for it to happen to avoid getting in and out of the car. To be fair, it doesn't happen all the time, but enough to be annoying.

Not sure if it's related, but my UMC's button will no longer open the chargeport... I have to use the touchscreen. I know the UMC's button works, because it works to unlock the handle when I'm done charging. I've been using the touchscreen to open the port anyway, because even back when the UMC button worked, the car would not recognize that the adapter was plugged in if I opened it with the UMC, only if I opened it with the touchscreen.

I have a workaround for now, but something for Service to check next time I'm in (unless the 4.5 update that is waiting for me to install fixes it).

The fact your UMC is NOT working makes me wonder if there's some RF interference nearby that could be mucking up your UMC button and occasionally triggering your chargeport door... although I'd expect it would then happen at other times too...

 

[mknox]

The fact your UMC is NOT working makes me wonder if there's some RF interference nearby that could be mucking up your UMC button and occasionally triggering your chargeport door... although I'd expect it would then happen at other times too...

That's an interesting thought, but it does it at work sometimes too. There, I unlock the car, press the J1772's button and pull the J1772 and adapter out of the car. Close the port, hear the clunk, wait, hear another clunk and the port pops open again. Maybe my cell phone in my pocket?

 

[brianman]

Doesn't work for me. I close, get the "click" then get in the car. As I'm putting on my seatbelt, I get another "click" and the "Chargeport Open" message comes on the dash. Get out, close chargeport again and repeat. Usually happens two or three times. I now just stand at the side of the car waiting for it to happen to avoid getting in and out of the car. To be fair, it doesn't happen all the time, but enough to be annoying.

I'd ask service about this next time you go in. That seems like a faulty -- something.

 

[mknox]

I'd ask service about this next time you go in. That seems like a faulty -- something.

It's on my list. The first time I took it in, they verified a problem with my old UMC, tried a new one and it worked. About two weeks later the problem recurred. It seems to me it must be something in the car itself, since I get the same kind of weirdness when I'm using public stations and my UMC is miles away at home. As long as I open the chargeport from the touchscreen, it charges just fine, and for now, I can put up with the 1 in 5 times the chargeport cover plays it's little close then open again game. (I actually did throw a roll of duct tape in the car in case I'm out and it decides it just isn't going to stay closed).

 

[kevincwelch]

Have to take my car in for a third time to fix the alignment and suspension issue.

3 service visits in three months.

Sent via Tapatalk.

 

[scaesare]

Headlight/Displays Quirk

(I posted this elsewhere, but I forgot there was this dedicated thread for such things. Mods, please feel free to delete the other in the User Interface section)

Always keep my headlights on "Auto". When I jump in my car in the garage, they typically come on until I pull out in to the sun. My dash & console typically don't go in to night mode, however. (Which is interesting, now that I think about it...)

This morning my headlights came on and the interior displays were in night mode. After pulling out in to the sun, neither reverted. I thought perhaps I had a dirt spot over the sensor, so I squirt/windshield-wipered the windshield. No deal.

Bringing up the controls, I toggled the interior displays to "Day", then back to "Auto", and they then behaved correctly. Tried to do the same toggle trick for the headlights, but they stayed on.

Rebooted center console... no fix. Finally I parked at the store. When I jumped back in, it behaved correctly, with lights being off when in "Auto" on a sunny day.

This is firmware v4.5 (.43 flavor).

 

[mknox]

(I posted this elsewhere, but I forgot there was this dedicated thread for such things. Mods, please feel free to delete the other in the User Interface section)

Always keep my headlights on "Auto". When I jump in my car in the garage, they typically come on until I pull out in to the sun. My dash & console typically don't go in to night mode, however. (Which is interesting, now that I think about it...)

This morning my headlights came on and the interior displays were in night mode. After pulling out in to the sun, neither reverted. I thought perhaps I had a dirt spot over the sensor, so I squirt/windshield-wipered the windshield. No deal.

Bringing up the controls, I toggled the interior displays to "Day", then back to "Auto", and they then behaved correctly. Tried to do the same toggle trick for the headlights, but they stayed on.

Rebooted center console... no fix. Finally I parked at the store. When I jumped back in, it behaved correctly, with lights being off when in "Auto" on a sunny day.

This is firmware v4.5 (.43 flavor).

I had the exact same behavior this morning (also on v4.5). I toggled the display to "Day" and just left it there. I left the headlights in the "Off" position. I stopped for a coffee, and when I came out, the display was still in "Day" (this is new, it used to revert to "Auto" after a stop and re-start), but my headlights had reverted to "Auto".

 

[RyanG]

It seems like after 4.5 it sometimes takes longer to decide when to revert back to headlights off for me. I think it takes 30 sec to a minute, but it eventually does for me. What's weird is that coming out of my garage it's immediate, out of the garage at work though it has this delay. It may be related to either the time driving in the garage or that I am leaving work in lower light conditions. Just my guess though.

 

[scaesare]

It seems like after 4.5 it sometimes takes longer to decide when to revert back to headlights off for me. I think it takes 30 sec to a minute, but it eventually does for me. What's weird is that coming out of my garage it's immediate, out of the garage at work though it has this delay. It may be related to either the time driving in the garage or that I am leaving work in lower light conditions. Just my guess though.

Interestingly, I noticed similar yesterday after my morning headlight weirdness.... in the evening I drove thru a long shady patch, and the headlights went on... I then came out in to sunlight for another couple of minutes before I finally got to my destination, and they never kicked back off. Hadn't noticed before, but at only 10 days in, I still am experiencing new driving conditions.

I suspect they have some hysteresis in the system depending on what mode the car powers up in. If its dark enough for headlights when coming out of park, they may kick off immediately in sun, because the likelihood is that you are coming out of a garage... whereas if they kick on after having been in the light, they stay on a bit jus to avoid rapid flashing in "tree shadows at highway speed" scenarios. Maybe it's even speed sensitive...

 

[mknox]

I suspect they have some hysteresis in the system depending on what mode the car powers up in.

I believe this also, and think they've been trying to tweak it with each release. A couple of versions ago, I noticed that my headlights were flicking on and off a lot more than my past cars ever did (and more than I thought was necessary).