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Model Y bumper almost ripped off in pooled water
- Thread starter rrohde
- Start date
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
Condolences to the OP, but seriously, this has to be the most entertaining thread we've had here in a LONG time!
One thing nobody mentioned: there is a black plastic cover under the car that should deflect the water (and air at high speed) so that the carved bumper cover does not act like a parachute. That must have come loose first, and we don’t know how that happened. Maybe there was prior damage?
But a bit too deep for me! BTW, cruise control can be scrolled down to 1 mph! Try that speed next time just to be safe. O yes, you can scroll down to 0 too - might be even better!
(P.S. Now I'm wondering if you can scroll negative and back up - I'll try it tomorrow - there might be some rain!)
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
That won’t help much— there’s still a gap between it and the bumper allowing water up behind the bumper. As it becomes turbulent it will deform the bumper, causing more resistance and turbulence.
I’m amazed that people are surprised at this - they really must have no comprehension how much force water can exert.
WillwayGTO
Member
Once the water is over the wheel centers your really endangering your wheel bearings, if they are not 100% filled with grease then water gets in and rusts those bearings. I would never go in that deep. Plus electricity and water are not good together 
The car should not fold up driving through a rain, flood, monsoon. This is not saying anyone should drive through flood waters, but your stretch is ridiculous…he didn’t drive through a lake, as your analogy of a cliff and pothole…instead it would be driving off a 3 foot drop. If the tires popped or an axel affected, that would be understandable, but for something like the trunk door to fall off, there’s an issue. For some reason it seems there’s a lack of understanding that two things can be true at once. The OP can be in the wrong for driving through the water at speed AND poor quality control, that literally hundreds of threads have been posted about, most likely reared it’s head again.
The bumper came off not the entire back end of the car. There is literally a warranty that is being upheld because of something similar…but no issue here…smhyes.. it's all about how fast you are going.
âï¸ Water & Bumper
21 seconds · Clipped by Nathan Kim · Original video "The Best Fails Iâve Caught In The Past Year At Rufford Ford!! | EPPIC FAIL COMPLETION!!" by Tom Sunderlandyoutube.com
If the bumper fell off at some point when they weren’t blazing through a deep puddle fast enough to throw up a rooster tail, maybe there would be some point to your comment. As is, it’s just nonsense. Akin to claiming his axel fell off due to the service issue on them when the guy was playing dukes of hazard.
Bottom Line: The bumper was damaged through the negligence of the OP's actions and using a his vehicle in a way in which it is NOT intended. The Tesla Model Y is not an offroad vehicle meant for fording water, If it were a Jeep Wrangler, large 4x4 truck, maybe, but Tesla is right to refuse to fix this under warranty. It's a hard lesson to learn but it is what it is.
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
The car should not fold up driving through a rain - it didn’t.
The car should not fold up driving through a monsoon - it wasn’t but I doubt it would.
The car should not fold up driving through a flood - it didn’t fold up, but The force of hundreds to thousands of gallons of water pushing on the inside of the scoop-shaped bumper in a manner and direction for which it wasn’t designed was enough to break the fasteners.
Do this experiment - go to a swimming pool (or fill your bathtub up with water). Take an ordinary dinner plate and push it through the water at 10 MPH (that’s a decent running pace for most people). See how much force it apples. Now multiply that force by about 20x. Possibly more because the inner surface of the bumper is actually scoop shaped so it catches the water instead of deflecting it.
Water weighs about 8 lbs/gallon, or 1 kg/liter (gee, which one of those systems is easier?) That is a ton of force. Literally. Why do you think a bumper should be designed to sustain that much outward force?
(Agree with your comment in general)
A few years ago, the idea of what an SUV fundamentally abandoned the category being designed for off-road use. This wasn’t something Tesla did, it happened before Tesla existed.
I would love a Tesla which is similar to the Model Y but actually designed for off-road use. If such a vehicle existed, I think the bumper should be designed to withstand this kind of treatment. The Cybertruck for example should certainly be able to do this.
Nonsense....
Tesla has confirmed that water can cause Model 3 bumpers to fall off
The flaw affects all vehicles built up to May 2019, and repairs for earlier cars are covered under warranty.
This will most likely be my last response, the OP seems to have dipped out, this is not my car and my car did not strip and still looks very good. I have had similar depth of water and I do not drive fast through them at all, in fact I go quite slowly (one of the few times I do). I also do not require a physics lesson on fluid or what happens with fluid shifts, as it’s part of my job. What I have been saying and continue to say is there is a known issue with this exact thing in Model 3s, when people are driving quite slowly, there are known issues with some of the craftsmanship of Teslas in general. It is obvious that this was brought on by driving through the water. It is not obvious, that it is solely due to this, which is what the original post asked about. The response to the OP was and remains utterly ridiculous. Your responses remind me of those people who would have their 3rd grade bully flown out to bully them because of how well they have done in adulthood.
thesmokingman
Active Member
That addressed a different water issue, where water could accumulate. This is highly different where the OP raced thru a flooded area at high speeds. The bumpers are not designed to withstand that sort of force. And you defending this *sugar* is ridiculous man, give it a rest.Nonsense....
Tesla has confirmed that water can cause Model 3 bumpers to fall off
The flaw affects all vehicles built up to May 2019, and repairs for earlier cars are covered under warranty.www.inputmag.com
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
No, that's not what you have been saying until your post earlier today. Even with that (late-coming) information, it doesn't change my opinion and statements. The OP was not going through a 'puddle,' s/he was going through a flooded road (an area which the video shows another car and the sense to stop.) On top of that, s/he was traveling at a decent rate of speed. There's a big difference here.
I specifically refuted the points you raised. If that qualifies as bullying, sorry. I'll try to be more sensitive to your ego next time.
Oh don’t you worry, it’s not my ego.. This isn’t my car, my car looks great. This isn’t even my post. The bullying I was referring to is what apparently chased off the OP, how you all went after him or her for asking a legitimate question to a supposed forum that is for people to ask questions and interact with others who know a few things about Tesla. It’s obvious to me that many of you didn’t learn what is taught in pre-kindergarten, be kind to others. However, I would like to make certain you realize, there is literally nothing any of you could TYPE (or say for that matter) that would cause me a second of actual concern, let alone bother my ego.
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