P85D shock issue (air suspension)

[sorka]

I have a 85 D , del late March 2015, which made rattle from rear shocks. Once redesigned shocks were put in
that sound was gone
However, started hearing sound from the front- presumed from the front shocks - much softer than what came from the back.
The car is in service now for front shock replacements- although I am told front shocks have NOT been redesigned "yet"

Let's be clear, the shocks and air springs are two different components. The part numbers being referred to are the air spring assemblies. The shocks are inserted into the air spring assemblies. The question is does that sku include the shocks already. Even if they do, the shocks may not have been changed while the air springs have.

 

[NOLA_Mike]

I'm told that whatever part is being redesigned (shock, strut, whatever it is) will have the same part number but will be appended with "Rev. B".

I'm also told that while the new part is complete it is not available for ordering yet and anyone who got their's replaced simply got the same part put in with the hopes that it won't make the noise (not everyone's car makes the noise).

YMMV -

Mike

 

[MarcG]

Marc, I have asked for the rev numbers on the struts they put in last week. When I get the email I'll post the info here.
Also for more background, my car was built Christmas week and I noticed the rattle on day one. I had the car into the service center in April to have the noise worked on and they replaced the struts. They replaced the struts with new struts from the old design (apparently) so it did not help. That's when they said they had to wait for a new design from the vendor. In late July they reported that they had arrived and I handed over the car on August 1. It took a couple days (more than expected) and they reported that it took extra time due to difficulty installing the new struts (I assumed that this indicated a new geometry with potentially different installation procedures.) Again I don't know for sure but when I get numbers I'll share.

Thanks Robin, that would be greatly appreciated!

- - - Updated - - -

I'm also told that while the new part is complete it is not available for ordering yet and anyone who got their's replaced simply got the same part put in with the hopes that it won't make the noise (not everyone's car makes the noise).

Yeah that's what my service advisor is also telling me. However based on what Robin says, struts with the new design were made available to his service center and that's what they supposedly installed 2 weeks ago. Let's wait to hear back from Robin to confirm part numbers.

 

[MarcG]

Ok I just got off the phone with my service advisor and got a bit more clarity on the situation.

The P85Ds that were produced BEFORE mid-April had the original shock design, which CAN exhibit the issue I reported in the OP. After that mid-April timeframe, the shocks were designed with a softer setting and they *should* not experience the same issue.

For all those "early" models produced then, a third design from Bilstein (shock manufacturer) has been created and was finally received by Tesla in mid-July. They're apparently still in the process of being tested by Tesla, and should be available to service centers "shortly".

Oh and regarding my request to get my ratting shocks replaced now with those that had the old design: those are supposedly no longer available either, and technicians found that they had to be stored upright, not sideways, otherwise they start to exhibit the problem... interesting.

So the waiting game continues. At least I'll have LTE when I pick up Flash this afternoon :biggrin:

 

[Andyw2100]

Ok I just got off the phone with my service advisor and got a bit more clarity on the situation.

The P85Ds that were produced BEFORE mid-April had the original shock design, which CAN exhibit the issue I reported in the OP. After that mid-April timeframe, the shocks were designed with a softer setting and they *should* not experience the same issue.

For all those "early" models produced then, a third design from Bilstein (shock manufacturer) has been created and was finally received by Tesla in mid-July. They're apparently still in the process of being tested by Tesla, and should be available to service centers "shortly".

Oh and regarding my request to get my ratting shocks replaced now with those that had the old design: those are supposedly no longer available either, and technicians found that they had to be stored upright, not sideways, otherwise they start to exhibit the problem... interesting.

So the waiting game continues. At least I'll have LTE when I pick up Flash this afternoon :biggrin:

This sounds somewhat consistent with the discussion in the other thread about how the performance suspension (that may not be the correct term) was not being produced on the P85Ds built after April.

So your post, Marc, leaves the unanswered question as to whether or not this third design is attempting to match the original P85D suspension performance-wise, or if it is closer to the softer setting of the P85Ds built later.

I have not yet felt the problem. I'm wondering, though, if at some point I do if I might actually prefer a softer ride. I'm not up on the pros and cons of the various options.

 

[P85_DA]

Any idea on vin ranges that this knocking sound affects ? Mine is early vin and suspension seems just like my old + ..

 

[Dbitter1]

Any idea on vin ranges that this knocking sound affects ? Mine is early vin and suspension seems just like my old + ..

I've got the disease... and I'm one of the first P85Ds. (VIN below)

 

[pax]

Did anybody with the rear-right knocking sound ever get is solved. Mine is still doing it and service has looked at it twice with no solutions.

 

[MarcG]

Did anybody with the rear-right knocking sound ever get is solved. Mine is still doing it and service has looked at it twice with no solutions.

Sadly the re-design solution that will fix this permanently is still not available. I've been bugging my local SC every couple of weeks about it but they say the new part still isn't available.

 

[ashok.bansal.md]

Hi
In my P85 D with air suspension - all 4 were making the sound
Mine we to to SC few times -I was told I now have revised versions of struts.
Sound has also resolved.

 

[MarcG]

Hi
In my P85 D with air suspension - all 4 were making the sound
Mine we to to SC few times -I was told I now have revised versions of struts.
Sound has also resolved.

Thanks for the info. Two questions:

1. What month & year was your P85D manufactured?
2. What service center installed your revised struts?

 

[ashok.bansal.md]

Delivered March 28 th
Struts replaced by Cleveland SC
Revised struts apparently have same part # as original with a letter B or C after the numbers.

 

[ashok.bansal.md]

Year 2015

 

[pax]

Thanks guys! that is helpful. My SC has not been able to find a problem and is apparently unaware of the revised version of the struts. I will let them know.

 

[RobinF]

Ok I just got off the phone with my service advisor and got a bit more clarity on the situation.

The P85Ds that were produced BEFORE mid-April had the original shock design, which CAN exhibit the issue I reported in the OP. After that mid-April timeframe, the shocks were designed with a softer setting and they *should* not experience the same issue.

For all those "early" models produced then, a third design from Bilstein (shock manufacturer) has been created and was finally received by Tesla in mid-July. They're apparently still in the process of being tested by Tesla, and should be available to service centers "shortly".

Oh and regarding my request to get my ratting shocks replaced now with those that had the old design: those are supposedly no longer available either, and technicians found that they had to be stored upright, not sideways, otherwise they start to exhibit the problem... interesting.

So the waiting game continues. At least I'll have LTE when I pick up Flash this afternoon :biggrin:

I promised to circle back with the part number for the redesigned struts that I had installed, and Saturday I finally learned that it was indeed a fully different part, not a rev. Part number 6006352-07-A.

 

[MarcG]

I promised to circle back with the part number for the redesigned struts that I had installed, and Saturday I finally learned that it was indeed a fully different part, not a rev. Part number 6006352-07-A.

Thanks for following up! I'll find out if my SC can now order this part to finally fix the shock issue with my car.

 

[MarcG]

Quick update on this: my service center has confirmed that the new shocks for my older, stiffer P85D suspension setup has a part number that ends in C. So the part number shared above is most likely the part for the newer, softer shocks that have been in place since April or so.

As for my situation, I have the choice to move all four shocks to the softer suspension now, or wait longer to get a replacement for my rear shocks with the C part (which is still not available apparently).

From reading Lolachampcar's posts on suspension setups, I think I'd rather wait and skip the soft suspension option. Thoughts?

 

[Andyw2100]

Quick update on this: my service center has confirmed that the new shocks for my older, stiffer P85D suspension setup has a part number that ends in C. So the part number shared above is most likely the part for the newer, softer shocks that have been in place since April or so.

As for my situation, I have the choice to move all four shocks to the softer suspension now, or wait longer to get a replacement for my rear shocks with the C part (which is still not available apparently).

From reading Lolachampcar's posts on suspension setups, I think I'd rather wait and skip the soft suspension option. Thoughts?

If you went with the softer suspension now and hated it, could you switch back to the stiffer suspension when the C parts become available?

 

[NOLA_Mike]

Marc,

I'm in the same boat as you (meaning I want the car with the same suspension/shocks that I bought it with, the same "sport" suspension that my P85+ had - not the softer shocks).

Having said that, this is just becoming another issue to add to my growing list of disappointments in Tesla. WTF could possibly be taking so long to get a replacement shock that doesn't sound like a loose tool is rattling around in the rear quarter panel other than the fact that it appears to be only a handful of us with the problem and it is just not that important to them? 15,000 miles and 10 months of listening to this thing rattle and still no acceptable solution and no time table for an acceptable solution.

I'm still waiting but my patience is wearing thin on this issue.

Mike

 

[sataponw]

I wish I could hear what this noise sounds like. The road around my city is so bad and with the super stuff suspension that the car has, I am hearing so much road noise while going through all the bumps (tiny and big) on the road that I don't even know if my car is having the same issue or not.