Show me your tow hook cover

[robt_sf]

Hello all,

Got my car back from service and noticed my tool hook cover was out of place a little. Went to go push it back and saw it was broken. My service manager came back and said that they didn’t do it, even though given its condition it would have flown off thousands of miles ago. He blamed the wrap company because of the plastic cord hanging it on. He emphatically said that’s not Tesla. Saw a replacement cover on eBay and it had the same square to mount the plastic strap.

If any of you have a setup like shown can you photo it? I’d like to go back to Tesla and show the advisor that he’s full of it. Tesla is so quick to deny responsibility for things.

 

[Wennfred]

 

[SMAlset]

What your Tow Hook cover looks like might depend on the mfgr timeframe of your car as they are continually changing up parts. OP what was yours?

 

[SageBrush]

The instructions say that the cover pops open by pressing on the cover edge at 1:00, and looking at how the cover is made it should work ... but not for me.

After some fiddling though, I found that pressing at 1:00 opens just enough of a gap at 7:00 to insert a dime to gently pop the cover. The dime works like a charm and was wife approved as a tool to always carry in her purse.

OP: No

 

[smatthew]

Luckily tow hook covers are like $7 at the service center. And they are supposed to include the little square and a zip tie.

Usually the positive lead for the frunk release is zip tied to the cover. It certainly looks like your wrap company attached it differently, but I doubt they broke it. Just tell them when you had the car wrapped, you removed the tow hook cover. And volunteer to show they how you did it.

I've started just keeping a plastic spudger in the console to use to open the tow cover.

But, I honestly think the tow hook cover should be considered a disposable part. Like the "Break in case of emergency" glass in a fire extinguisher. There are only four reasons I can think of to remove the tow hook cover

1. You're bored, and wonder what's under there
2. You're wrapping the car
3. You need to use the tow hook
4. You need to use the emergency frunk release because your 12V battery is dead

And if it doesn't break, great! But if it does break, just relax, and move on with life.

PS: If you're under warranty, and you show them you removed it correctly, they'll give you a replacement for free.

 

[SMAlset]

I think they break because people don’t realize how the connecting points are underneath and need to get manipulated. Plus how many people read the manual? Lol. I have heard of people breaking off the tabs. It does help to know what’s underneath before manipulating anything. Generally it’s easy if you know the right way to do it and how the parts fit together.

 

[smatthew]

I think they break because people don’t realize how the connecting points are underneath and need to get manipulated. Plus how many people read the manual? Lol. I have heard of people breaking off the tabs. It does help to know what’s underneath before manipulating anything. Generally it’s easy if you know the right way to do it and how the parts fit together.

Sorry, I read the manual, I know what's underneath, I know how to manipulate it. Unless I have a spudger with me, the only way to get the tow hook cover off is to break it in half. Pushing in at the 1 o'clock position causes nothing to happen - that is until the cover just breaks in half. I suspect the mold is just a little too tight or something.

 

[robt_sf]

Was one of the first performance deliveries. I believe it was late July 2018.

 

[robl45]

Luckily tow hook covers are like $7 at the service center. And they are supposed to include the little square and a zip tie.

Usually the positive lead for the frunk release is zip tied to the cover. It certainly looks like your wrap company attached it differently, but I doubt they broke it. Just tell them when you had the car wrapped, you removed the tow hook cover. And volunteer to show they how you did it.

I've started just keeping a plastic spudger in the console to use to open the tow cover.

But, I honestly think the tow hook cover should be considered a disposable part. Like the "Break in case of emergency" glass in a fire extinguisher. There are only four reasons I can think of to remove the tow hook cover

1. You're bored, and wonder what's under there
2. You're wrapping the car
3. You need to use the tow hook
4. You need to use the emergency frunk release because your 12V battery is dead

And if it doesn't break, great! But if it does break, just relax, and move on with life.

PS: If you're under warranty, and you show them you removed it correctly, they'll give you a replacement for free.

Mine comes off fine usually, I tried the warranty thing, said it broke accidently when I took it off, the sent me a quote for 195 dollars. 20 dollars for the part and labor and 175 to paint it.