Model Y power trunk won't open, ONLY on first try of the day!?!

[mlkmade]

Just as the title states, the first attempt of opening my trunk on my Model Y, on any given day results in it opening a few cm, waiting, then shutting immediately.
If I try to open it again, it works as normal and will work normal for the rest of the day. I cannot replicate this, unless I wait till the next day or overnight.

I live in San Diego..its' been getting cold at night so I thought maybe my latch was getting stiff/frozen. What the heck is going on? Its super annoying and I can't replicate this for the SC. But it happens every day.

Every day. Doesn't matter if I use phone or press the button from the inside.

Any clue?

 

[Kokukenji]

I would open a service ticket and get their feedback. It's weird that it does it consistently with a full day cooldown.

 

[Fourdoor]

The problem only happens on the first opening of the day because the hatch seal sort of adheres to the body of the car overnight making it need just a little more "oomph" to start the opening process on that first opening of the day.

Best part is, you can easily fix it yourself!

Extend the rear hatch bump stops (turn them counterclockwise a couple turns) so that you have a little more pressure pushing the hatch open when the latch is released and it will solve the problem. I had this issue after a rear hatch replacement due to my car being rearended. I thought they had screwed up the repair until I realized they just hadn't adjusted the bump stops properly.

Keith

 

[Chicago_Chris]

Just as the title states, the first attempt of opening my trunk on my Model Y, on any given day results in it opening a few cm, waiting, then shutting immediately.
If I try to open it again, it works as normal and will work normal for the rest of the day. I cannot replicate this, unless I wait till the next day or overnight.

I live in San Diego..its' been getting cold at night so I thought maybe my latch was getting stiff/frozen. What the heck is going on? Its super annoying and I can't replicate this for the SC. But it happens every day.

Every day. Doesn't matter if I use phone or press the button from the inside.

Any clue?

This used to happen to my ‘21 Model Y LR. The rear hatch would fail to open initially after it sat closed for a few days. After failing once, I’d try to open it again, apply a little upwards push by hand and it would then open freely each time. But if it sat closed for a bit, it would stick again.

I took it to the local Tesla dealership for warranty service. They changed the lift actuator but it kept happening intermittently. Turns out the rubber gasket (car side) was sticking slightly to the metal (hatch side). The actuator is designed at an odd angle and wasn’t able to overcome this additional force to open. Once I’d helped it open by pushing, and “broke the seal,” it was able to operate normally.

To fix, you just need to apply a small amount of lubricant to the metal on the hatch side to prevent sticking. I used a thin silicone oil like shown in the attached picture. It can be bought via the link below from Amazon. Don’t use WD 40 or other petroleum based lubricants, they’ll break down your gasket over time and will actually increase the “stick.” And choose a silicone oil that is nice and thin, close to water viscosity, around 100CST.

First clean with a damp cloth the metal area of the hatch where the gasket contacts it. All the way around the opening. And then make sure it’s dry. Then apply a light portion of the silicone oil to a separate dry cloth. Don’t soak it. Just enough to dampen it. Then gently wipe the damp cloth around the full perimeter of the hatch where the gasket contacts it. Do this for about 3 circles of the opening to get a nice consistent coat. You don’t want it goopy or drippy, just a slick surface when you glide your finger across it. After that, open and close your hatch 2-3 times to distribute it across the gasket. Don’t apply directly to the gasket, just let it transfer naturally from the hatch. That’s it.

I did this months ago and my hatch hasn’t stuck once after doing it for 1.5 years. I imagine I may have to reapply at some point in the future. But for now it’s working great.

Amazon.com

 

[sdnative4@yaho]

This used to happen to my ‘21 Model Y LR. The rear hatch would fail to open initially after it sat closed for a few days. After failing once, I’d try to open it again, apply a little upwards push by hand and it would then open freely each time. But if it sat closed for a bit, it would stick again.

I took it to the local Tesla dealership for warranty service. They changed the lift actuator but it kept happening intermittently. Turns out the rubber gasket (car side) was sticking slightly to the metal (hatch side). The actuator is designed at an odd angle and wasn’t able to overcome this additional force to open. Once I’d helped it open by pushing, and “broke the seal,” it was able to operate normally.

To fix, you just need to apply a small amount of lubricant to the metal on the hatch side to prevent sticking. I used a thin silicone oil like shown in the attached picture. It can be bought via the link below from Amazon. Don’t use WD 40 or other petroleum based lubricants, they’ll break down your gasket over time and will actually increase the “stick.” And choose a silicone oil that is nice and thin, close to water viscosity, around 100CST.

First clean with a damp cloth the metal area of the hatch where the gasket contacts it. All the way around the opening. And then make sure it’s dry. Then apply a light portion of the silicone oil to a separate dry cloth. Don’t soak it. Just enough to dampen it. Then gently wipe the damp cloth around the full perimeter of the hatch where the gasket contacts it. Do this for about 3 circles of the opening to get a nice consistent coat. You don’t want it goopy or drippy, just a slick surface when you glide your finger across it. After that, open and close your hatch 2-3 times to distribute it across the gasket. Don’t apply directly to the gasket, just let it transfer naturally from the hatch. That’s it.

I did this months ago and my hatch hasn’t stuck once after doing it for 1.5 years. I imagine I may have to reapply at some point in the future. But for now it’s working great.

Amazon.com

What an amazing coincidence Chicago_ Chris! I had the mobile service out to the house the day before this thread for the exact same issue and the exact same symptoms.The tech had no solution and couldn't duplicate the problem. He suggested that maybe an aftermarket cargo cover was interferring with the trunk seal. He suggested to note what time it happens so the shop can pull the logs. The problem with that is the logs wouldn't show an error. Well it happened again after he left. Luckily I found your suggestion and it has worked so far. The seal sounded sticky. I put the WD40 brand Silicone on the seal and the metal. No issues for the past few days. Thank you!