New door handle design

[hans]

One question for Hans, though: How does this design address any heat issues?

I don't have the latest design so I don't know that it does address the heat issue. I could speculate on different ways to make the design cool faster or resist heat but I don't want to make wild guesses without facts. Perhaps someone with the new design can comment on whether they see any difference in the material or the temperature when left in direct sun for a while.

 

[jomo25]

My car hasnt seen the sunlight much since I got her. Maybe will have a chance today. If so, I will let you know as it's sunny here in PHX. But I dont have anything to compare with in terms of the old design. I'll just tellyou if its hot to touch after sitting in the sun for 30 min to an hour.

 

[Doug_G]

I suspect the new design does two things - provide a little more tactile feedback to the person opening the door, and the extra motion probably makes adjusting the microswitches a lot easier.

 

[jomo25]

My car hasnt seen the sunlight much since I got her. Maybe will have a chance today. If so, I will let you know as it's sunny here in PHX. But I dont have anything to compare with in terms of the old design. I'll just tellyou if its hot to touch after sitting in the sun for 30 min to an hour.

So, I went out for lunch today. It wasnt long, about 45 min to an hour in the sun (and it is a bit hazy today). When I returned, the handles were maybe just a bit over ambient temperature. So, not hot at all, barely warm. But I wouldn't call this a good test. I'll try again and if I get better idea, I'll post.

A side note. So those with the "old" handle design, where is the microswitch where you need to touch to release the door? When I went back tot the car, I purposely did not pull on the inner portion of the handle, just gripping the top/bottom of the handle and pulled to see if it released. It did. So, I didn't have to touch the inside of the handle to release the door. Just pull to extend it out the final 1 cm or so and it released.

 

[Doug_G]

A side note. So those with the "old" handle design, where is the microswitch where you need to touch to release the door?

You don't touch the microswitch. The handle does. The original handles do move microscopically when you pull on them.

 

[lolachampcar]

Pure speculation here but I thought I remember reading that the handles are spring loaded inward and that a motor moves them out. If that is true, could you just not run the motor a tad bit less to extend the handle a tad bit less thus leaving some pull travel for the end user before the microswitch is engaged? That could be a software change unless they are using limit switching for the extension. If they are using limit switching, then it could be the same hardware with a different set up..... again, just speculating.

 

[jomo25]

You don't touch the microswitch. The handle does. The original handles do move microscopically when you pull on them.

OK, fine. the answer I was trying to get at is can simply a touch of the old handle trigger the release opening the door? Or does does it actually require a slight microscopic pull to open the door? If the former, where must the touch be to trigger?

 

[MikeK]

It's the latter.

 

[JohnEC]

I wonder if the new handle design addresses the (sort of) issue that, if you grab the handle and pull before it has finished extending, the process fails and you can't open the door without getting the handles to retract and re-extend.

 

[Lloyd]

Door handles top the list for maintenance problems for Tesla. Hopefully this will move them down the list some.

 

[Cattledog]

Lloyd +1. I've had one handle replaced, hope it's the last.

 

[NigelM]

The new handle design auto extends as before and then retracts slightly. I was told it is 3mm, just enough to allow the user a slight physical tug to open the door. This should reduce the issues that occasionally arise with the pressure switches. They work perfectly fine but feel "loose" to those us accustomed to the no movement originals.

The reason they haven't appeared on the forum I guess is that none of us early adopters will ever have one handle changed out that then functions differently to the other three. Those receiving more recent production cars never noticed the change.

 

[Doug_G]

OK, fine. the answer I was trying to get at is can simply a touch of the old handle trigger the release opening the door? Or does does it actually require a slight microscopic pull to open the door? If the former, where must the touch be to trigger?

I guess I wasn't being clear enough. It requires a microscopic pull to trigger the microswitch.

 

[HVM]

The new handle design auto extends as before and then retracts slightly...

Not in Jomo's video, it does not. Also if it auto extends fully, would there be exact same problem with the microswitch clearance?

 

[NigelM]

Not in Jomo's video, it does not.

I'll bow to video evidence (video link doesn't seem to be working on iPad and I was traveling this weekend); the handle action was described to me.

 

[jomo25]

For clarification, the person who described it to Nigel may have mixed up scenarios. You'll notice that when you close the door, the handle does retract slightly back to the same point it only auto extends to. So, the new extended, but resting position is this new 80% extension

 

[hasselboxster]

For clarification, the person who described it to Nigel may have mixed up scenarios. You'll notice that when you close the door, the handle does retract slightly back to the same point it only auto extends to. So, the new extended, but resting position is this new 80% extension

This is exactly what i was thinking (except more like 90%)

- - - Updated - - -

i have the old style handles with little/no "give". vehicle is 6607. my only complaint is that they frequently get hung on the window - i.e. the window does not lower quick (or sequentially soon) enough to provide a free path from the car's frame. anyone else experience this?

 

[mknox]

i have the old style handles with little/no "give". vehicle is 6607. my only complaint is that they frequently get hung on the window - i.e. the window does not lower quick (or sequentially soon) enough to provide a free path from the car's frame. anyone else experience this?

Yes! More prominent on the rear doors. I always open the back door to put my briefcase on the floor behind the driver's seat and notice the glass catches on the upper door seal. It kind of flips the glass back as I pull the door open. Now that I'm expecting it, I can slowly pull on the door handle and 9 times out of 10 the window will drop in time.

 

[neroden]

Interesting... I wonder how they'll handle the service of door handles for earlier models? Will failed individual Rev A handles get replaced with a Rev A or Rev B? And if you get one Rev B, will they replace all the door handles at once to Rev B? Just asking questions out loud... not that important what the answers are as long as Rev A doesn't continue to cause unintended door openings.

Good question. I have the "no further movement" design, it's working fine and I haven't had a problem understanding the motion. The windows also drop fast enough (... with the sole exception of when the service tech had the 12v system cut out and had to use the interior manual door handle!) But in the next 8 years time, they'll probably fail... it'll be good to expect them to change behavior.

 

[JohnQ]

Just picked mine up yesterday and they have the new handle style. While I like the extra pull on the handle--it feels natural--I expect I would have gotten used to and enjoyed the originals.