New Bulletin available to SC to align headlights with bumper - Mine fixed

[chinnam3]

Gentleman,

Now Tesla figured a way to address the protruding headlight syndrome.

Last week spoke to local service manager and I was told they received a procedure on how to align Bumper with headlights. (not other way around). Service manager told me it is the bumper that needs fix, not lights.

I was skeptical and dropped my M3 yesterday for few fixes along with this. Today I picked up the car and now have headlight aligned correctly. Earlier lights were protruding by 1/4 inch or more.

So, if your car has this same issue, now reach out to your SC and get it fixed. I think this will reduce some air turbulence in the front end and hence less drag..

 

[privater]

Could you post the before/after photo? Thanks!

 

[chinnam3]

I am not sure if I have photos from before, but I will take some tomorrow and post to how it looks now. You will know just looking at it.

 

[chinnam3]

Found one photo from before, and couple I took after adjustment.

Also, SC notes about alignment on work order.

 

[privater]

Found one photo from before, and couple I took after adjustment.

Also, SC notes about alignment on work order.

Much appreciated! My car is in service right now, I'm sending message and ask for the same fix.

 

[Fusion]

Looks like they are extending the front bumper out a little now from looking at the tip where the side fenders point meets the front bumper.

 

[chronopc]

I have an similar issue with my taillight.

 

[MarkinArch]

Does realigning the bumper to "fix" the headlight protrusion create any large gaps with the bumper or other panels adjacent to the bumper? My car goes in for an A pillar replacement Monday so I may have the SC look at this issue as well. But I don't want to solve one problem and create 2 others.... Thanks!

 

[SDKoala]

Wouldn't moving the bumper outward to align it with the protruding headlight create a larger gap between the bumper and the fenders? I just looked at my car and don't see how they'd be able to re-position the bumper without doing that.

 

[Fusion]

Anyone else getting it done, please take some pictures before from a distance from both sides, front, and a few closer shots. Then after the fix with the same angles.

 

[chinnam3]

Does realigning the bumper to "fix" the headlight protrusion create any large gaps with the bumper or other panels adjacent to the bumper? My car goes in for an A pillar replacement Monday so I may have the SC look at this issue as well. But I don't want to solve one problem and create 2 others.... Thanks!

I am not sure what the procedure is, overall bumper alignment is better including fender and hood positions now vs before. This fixed headlight overhanging lip issue and corrected other positions also. Other locations were not bad earlier, there was some fender over bite on to the bumper, now that is fixed.

Overall I very happy this was taken care, as I was always thinking the because of the position, and location, headlight protruding lip create considerable air turbulence increasing Cd.

 

[ecarfan]

Last week spoke to local service manager and I was told they received a procedure on how to align Bumper with headlights. (not other way around). Service manager told me it is the bumper that needs fix, not lights.

Thanks for your post. Glad to hear Tesla has figured this out. I see a lot of 3’s in my area and have noticed for months that on almost every one that I can put my fingers on (which is dozens over the past 8 months, I see them in parking lots regularly) the lower edge of the headlights protrude out from the bumper by varying amounts; they were rarely flush with the bumper. In another thread on TMC there have been posts saying that Tesla personnel have stated the protrusion is for “headlight cooling” or that it was done by design, which I never believed was the case.

 

[Kcharwood]

Thanks for posting this. I sent an email yesterday about getting the inner trunk mold. I’ll add this to the list.

 

[TheLocNar]

So much for “the gap is for cooling the headlights”.

Great post OP!

 

[cizUK]

Um... LEDs shouldn't need cooling should they?

 

[TheLocNar]

Um... LEDs shouldn't need cooling should they?

Of course not. A member did post here however in another thread that the service reps at their SC told them exactly this.

 

[insaneoctane]

Here we go again ...

 

[Daniel in SD]

Um... LEDs shouldn't need cooling should they?

Here we go again ...

Haha. LEDs need more cooling than incandescents. They generate way less heat but they have to run much cooler. That's why many LED bulbs say not to put them in inclosed fixtures.

 

[eli_]

Yeah LEDs are extremely sensitive to temperature, headlights need huge heatsinks or they'd fail in no time.

 

[Thunder7ga]

Are the service bulletins publicly available anywhere? If not, they should be.