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Rear trunk won't open

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TeslaAdviceBlog.com
Aug 31, 2013
3,202
4,302
Davis, CA
My rear trunk suddenly stopped opening. UI indicates it's open but it's definitely fully closed. All methods to open it electronically (key fob, touch screen, and trunk button) result in 2 beeps but no latch release or movement. The emergency release cable has no give (I.e. Doesn't move at all even when pulling on it with pliers). Pulling on cable while lifting gate manually also doesn't help. Reboot didn't help. Any other thoughts?
 
Something a lot like this happened to my wife (driving my Model S) a month or two ago. The MCU said the trunk was open, but it was physically closed (and wouldn't open for her despite using the fob, trunk button, etc.). She happened to be passing close to a service center, so I asked her to stop in and see what could be done. They ended up replacing the liftgate latch and the cinching actuator. Somehow this also required them to drill some holes in the liftgate trim, so they ended up needing to replace that piece too. All under warranty.

Bruce.
 
Something a lot like this happened to my wife (driving my Model S) a month or two ago. The MCU said the trunk was open, but it was physically closed (and wouldn't open for her despite using the fob, trunk button, etc.). She happened to be passing close to a service center, so I asked her to stop in and see what could be done. They ended up replacing the liftgate latch and the cinching actuator. Somehow this also required them to drill some holes in the liftgate trim, so they ended up needing to replace that piece too. All under warranty.

Bruce.

Looks like I have that exact issue. Car is still at service center and they are awaiting a part from the factory.
 
Good luck, hope they fix everything up and get your car back to you soon!

(Odd thing: when the service center replaced the liftgate trim, they also replaced the trunk light in the liftgate hatch. How I know this is because that light was formerly one of the ultrabright Abstract Ocean bulbs, and we could tell the difference even standing outside in the middle of the day. My service advisor told me to order another one from AO and they'd reimburse me, which they did, although nobody was ever able to explain why replacing the liftgate trim required also replacing the light.)

Bruce.
 
Wow, this exact same thing started happening to me ten minutes ago. I had just gotten back from the store with a trunk full of groceries, too.

Emergency release cable doesn't work?

Here's my service report. Sounds pretty complicated.

image.jpeg
 
wow!! thanx for the info.. that looks like a couple of thousand Tesla bucks to fix outside of warranty ... will keep a close watch on it and those upper ball joints!!

One ?.. Was ANY aftermarket work done to your rear lift-gate?? Ie.. EVannex lights like the back lit "T" or the fancy scrolling Darth Vader TESLA writing?? Or ANY other aftermarket stuff which would entail disassembling that rear hatch in any way?? thanks...joe
 
Was ANY aftermarket work done to your rear lift-gate?? Ie.. EVannex lights like the back lit "T" or the fancy scrolling Darth Vader TESLA writing?? Or ANY other aftermarket stuff which would entail disassembling that rear hatch in any way?? thanks...joe

I have the rear camera for a 2-channel BlackView camera setup on my liftgate (installed almost six months ago). Nobody from the service center commented on this, so I would conclude that they didn't think there was any relation to the problem.

Bruce.
 
Emergency release cable didn't work with mine either. Although I didn't have the guts to try to pull it with pliers.

I can't get an service appointment for 9 days. In the meantime, I get a couple minutes of nonstop beeping every time I drive off, I can't use the app to start climate control remotely(won't work when it thinks there's a door open), and worst of all, I can't lock the doors (won't happen if it thinks the trunks open).
 
Emergency release cable didn't work with mine either. Although I didn't have the guts to try to pull it with pliers.

I can't get an service appointment for 9 days. In the meantime, I get a couple minutes of nonstop beeping every time I drive off, I can't use the app to start climate control remotely(won't work when it thinks there's a door open), and worst of all, I can't lock the doors (won't happen if it thinks the trunks open).

You may be able to get a next day appointment on account of the car being "unusable". The beeping, the inability to use the left side of the dash screen for navigation, the inability to lock the car, etc.
 
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Reactions: wesley888 and jdo
This is a long shot, but do you have your settings for door handles set to present only the driver door handle? On my P85, my rear hatch becomes possessed with evil spirits - doesn't open, opens a few inches and closes, opens a couple of feet and stops, etc. When I reset to have all four handles present, the problem vanishes.

This behavior started with the first 7.1 update. I've hoped subsequent updates would fix the problem. They haven't.