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Ripped Undercarriage Composite from the rain?
- Thread starter SnickySnacks
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- service bulletin
voip-ninja
Give me some sugar baby
I wonder how the original part is faring in the snow? Seems like you wouldn't have to drive through very much to potentially hook up the front of the flimsy cover and rip it loose.
AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
I took another look at your picture, definitely another cover is in place in the rear but it is impossible to tell from that picture if anything has changed. I still see what looks like a problematic gap on the leading edge.
Yeah, there haven't been that many reports (though obviously not everything is reported here). Makes you wonder what the exact conditions were for the failures - or if there were pre-existing defects on the panel, with those few vehicles. I don't doubt that it would rip if you really ripped through a deep enough puddle. But maybe less is required if there is some pre-existing rip.
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I had to have my Front Aero Shield replaced after it began to tear away. I didn't hit any debris, road hazards, etc, it looked as if one of the front mounting screws worked loose and wind resistance did the rest. I taped it up to prevent further ripping, but that composite felt they use isn't the best material to stick duct tape to.
It wasn't covered under warranty, and I sent a rather detailed and upset e-mail to their support team since it seems like this issue is kind of common and could have been prevented with like $0.25 worth of loc-tite. That and they didn't tell me that the replacement wouldn't be covered until they'd already replaced it. Like you couldn't have mentioned that when you said you didn't have the part and it would be ordered?
It wasn't covered under warranty, and I sent a rather detailed and upset e-mail to their support team since it seems like this issue is kind of common and could have been prevented with like $0.25 worth of loc-tite. That and they didn't tell me that the replacement wouldn't be covered until they'd already replaced it. Like you couldn't have mentioned that when you said you didn't have the part and it would be ordered?
super20g
Member
If it was me, I would have told them to take it back off, hehe. Then drive to another service center. I bet you could still get your money back. Plenty of people have had theirs replaced under good will.
K3vin11
Member
Same thing happen to my M3P and the service center charged me $300 to replace the front and rear areo shield with the new version and waved the $40 labor fee. They said it was from high water damage so not covered under warranty. It was only 3in of puddle on the road... i’ve attached the invoice with the new more durable areo shield part numbers
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Hmmm looks a little different than the old material but maybe it’s just the photos.
I think it’s garbage that they aren’t replacing this under warranty for everyone. I don’t expect a recall replacement but if it fails it should be replaced under warranty if they improved the part. There’s a reason they improved it.
I can see how some would say “well they improved the seats so should those be replaced?” No- these aero covers actually functionally are failing. The original seats are not (other than being less comfortable- that’s not a functional failure).
voip-ninja
Give me some sugar baby
I agree. Kind of shabby. They are trying to ride the clock out so that they don't have to pay for the ones that star to fall apart right after the bumper to bumper warranty expires.
voip-ninja
Give me some sugar baby
The longer they can stretch it out the more they can claim it's just wear/tear causing it to fail. The original part appears to be pretty shoddy. I actually noticed a small part hanging down from mine and I got under the car and trimmed it off with a box cutter. It was surprising to me that they chose such a weak part in a location on the car that gets subjected to lots of abuse just through normal usage.
I wonder if there is a chance that later production models have had this addressed?
I've been avoiding driving in particularly bad weather in part to avoid this but also to steer clear of other drivers in hazardous conditions. I live in a metropolitan area so I have a few transportation options.
Does anyone think there are preventive steps that can be taken to avoid these tears? Maybe taping the leading edge of the fabric on the rear section? Has anyone tried anything yet that has seemed to work?
I've been avoiding driving in particularly bad weather in part to avoid this but also to steer clear of other drivers in hazardous conditions. I live in a metropolitan area so I have a few transportation options.
Does anyone think there are preventive steps that can be taken to avoid these tears? Maybe taping the leading edge of the fabric on the rear section? Has anyone tried anything yet that has seemed to work?
I haven’t followed the threads super closely but it seems like those who have ALL of the bolts that are supposed to be installed have not been having problems. That being said, I still wouldn’t go speeding through puddles even if I knew my car had all of the bolts. I’ve driven in snow once and through puddles accidentally a couple times with no issues so far. Hopefully it stays intact!
I taped the leading edge of the fabric and no trouble so far. /crosses fingers.
But...I'm in Texas so aside from the couple of weeks of downpours that got me, we haven't really had much bad weather where I'm at since then. Plus the few times its rained I've been extra careful of course.
As far as I could tell, I wasn't missing any bolts and mine got damaged. The bolts that look like they're missing in my photos are "under" the fabric and, as far as I can tell, not intended to have anything in them.
dbemis
Member
Tesla just swapped my car - mine is heading down to Cleveland for a few things (including getting this fixed). I got a 2013 Model S P85+ as a loaner - should be fun!
Electrek just did a story on the shield not having sufficient drainage holes based on info from Canadian owners who drive on roads that use sand for traction during the winter. The amount of sand found up there is quite amazing. I remember a TMC thread and posts with photos of the plastic shield being drilled to find the low points for drainage that were absent in his car. This does need to be addressed and in the case of water being retained up there I would say the undercarriage fabric is connected to the problem. I was aware of the torn cloth issue from early posters here on TMC with regards to rain and ice accumulations. Maybe some of you who had to pay out of pocket for this will get reimbursed at some point.
Tesla Model 3 design flaw results in sand and water getting stuck in underbody
Here's the other thread about the plastic shield drainage: Found out what’s causing undercarriage composite to break apart
Tesla Model 3 design flaw results in sand and water getting stuck in underbody
Here's the other thread about the plastic shield drainage: Found out what’s causing undercarriage composite to break apart
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AlanSubie4Life
Efficiency Obsessed Member
Yeah, this is not a surprise. The dirt primarily will accumulate in the rear diffuser, not the rear aero cover (the fabric bit - though could be a bit of a problem there too). There's just a lot more space for accumulation in the rear diffuser and very limited places for it to go. Stuff in the rear aero cover will tend to shift to the rear diffuser over time...
Not mentioned in the "missing bumper" connection is that the bracket welds holding on the rearmost bolts of the bumper cover have failed on both those instances (you can see little less brown patches in the pictures - there used to be a metal bracket there where the bolt was attached. Extra weight in the rear diffuser (from dirt or water) will put extra weight on these welds. As I've stated elsewhere, those welds should not fail and the plastic bumper cover should rip free of its plastic attachments first.
Not mentioned in the "missing bumper" connection is that the bracket welds holding on the rearmost bolts of the bumper cover have failed on both those instances (you can see little less brown patches in the pictures - there used to be a metal bracket there where the bolt was attached. Extra weight in the rear diffuser (from dirt or water) will put extra weight on these welds. As I've stated elsewhere, those welds should not fail and the plastic bumper cover should rip free of its plastic attachments first.
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