Show of hands… Adaptive Suspension

[SteveSchweer]

How many new Model S owners out there can actually FEEL the difference between “Sport” and “Comfort “? I know I can’t.… even though Tesla Service says it is functioning normally. No matter what I do with the suspension controls, my ride is the same… punishingly harsh. Yet, from these forums and YouTube, I see that many of you think the suspension is great. As this is probably one of the most sophisticated suspensions ever put in a car, I have trouble believing that mine is “functioning normally “. I think the key objective question here is “can you actually FEEL a difference in ride quality when you change suspension modes?” (By ”feel” I mean you KNOW it changed, if you just THINK it changed then it didn’t). It would really help me and, I know, a number of others out there to find out if our suspensions are screwed up or if that’s just the way they are. Thanks for any input you can provide.

 

[SteveSchweer]

@SteveSchweer any news from your service appointment yesterday? ( thanks for your investigation so far!)

They still have it…. No word yet on what the problem might be. FWIW, I believe that the service team has truly accepted the idea that there IS something wrong… the CRITICAL first step in finding a solution. BTW the “module “ that I imagined must control the variable dampers is apparently not a discrete unit, but is incorporated into the main computer board. It’s difficult to get to, but they appear to be prepared to replace even that if they have to! I’ll keep you posted.

 

[sorka]

Thought I'd throw my update in after a lot more miles in the seat and a new (sorta) observation.

I've been playing with advanced settings for a while trying to zero in on the best "all purpose" setting to set and forget and currently have the following setting as my favorite. Similar to what others have posted but thought I'd throw in my specific as well.

View attachment 1014958

In all the settings, the Handling set to sport is the most appealing to me and the Ride Comfort seems best "all purpose" in the middle though may be slightly better in different positions on different road conditions. But I've been happy with it overall in this position the most.

(unnecessary side story begins)
I got tired of the thousands of paint chips I was getting on the rear fenders from grit kicked up from the front so I bought the new Model S mud flaps in an attempt to close the barn door after the horse got out. While they did help in that sense, they introduced a new issue when in comfort mode. With the Tesla mud flaps installed, they would scrape the ground constantly in comfort mode. Not just over speed bumps or big dips as some report, but a completely flat surface making a slow turn they would scrape all the way around the turn. On the interstate, very light dips they would scrape, and if it was a moderate dip, they would scrape on the second oscillation as well. Now this doesn't have anything specific to do with ride comfort but thought I would add it as interesting. Anyway. the mud flap scraping goes from constant to occasional when changing between comfort and the advanced setting above.
(unnecessary side story ends)

Why not just PPF that part of the fender flair prone to damage? That's what I did. Designed a reasonable shape and then cut it out with my Cricut.

 

[glide]

How many new Model S owners out there can actually FEEL the difference between “Sport” and “Comfort “? I know I can’t.… even though Tesla Service says it is functioning normally. No matter what I do with the suspension controls, my ride is the same… punishingly harsh. Yet, from these forums and YouTube, I see that many of you think the suspension is great. As this is probably one of the most sophisticated suspensions ever put in a car, I have trouble believing that mine is “functioning normally “. I think the key objective question here is “can you actually FEEL a difference in ride quality when you change suspension modes?” (By ”feel” I mean you KNOW it changed, if you just THINK it changed then it didn’t). It would really help me and, I know, a number of others out there to find out if our suspensions are screwed up or if that’s just the way they are. Thanks for any input you can provide.

The new MS suspension is far from what I would call “great”.

It’s better than a 3/Y, as it should be, but personally I think it’s worse than the outgoing MS.

I also cannot tell a difference between the various modes. In my previous MS, it seemed far more apparent

 

[MNDan]

I concur - my MSLR suspension is quite firm/harsh no matter the setting. I expected more out of the combo of air suspension and the weight of the car. I’m in MN so maybe when the weather warms up it’ll soften? Unlikely I suppose. It’s pretty smooth on the highway but the city streets are jarring…

 

[mulot30th]

So true plaid suspension is much harsher than the 2020 model s

 

[jaguar36]

As this is probably one of the most sophisticated suspensions ever put in a car, I have trouble believing that mine is “functioning normally “.

Certainly not the most sophisticated suspension. The magnetorheological suspensions are way more sophisticated (and are now 20 year old technology) and work waaay better.

I can just barely tell the difference between comfort and sport. Both are worse than the coil spring suspension in my 2014 S.

 

[ninefiveone]

Definitely something wrong with your cars then. There is a very noticeable difference on my plaid between comfort, sport, and track mode.

 

[SteveSchweer]

Thanks for that input. We need to get a feel for how common this problem is. I think that a lot of owners don’t realize that they have a problem. Service doesn’t help as they, I believe, are too dependent on error codes. If it doesn’t generate an error code, and associated instructions on what part to replace, they insist that nothing is wrong. I tried to get them to take voltage measurements at the shock solonoids or simply bounce the fender up and down to check the damping rate. Simple, time tested diagnostic techniques are simply not in their repertoire. (BTW bouncing the fender on my car is similar to trying to bounce the kitchen granite countertop.).

 

[ninefiveone]

Is the car in Jack mode?

 

[tm1v2]

Can two people in the same area who have Palladium S with and without functioning damper adjustment get together, compare cars to make sure there's really an issue with one of them, and then show up at a Service Center together to show how obvious the problem is?

I know that shouldn't be needed to get Tesla to take this seriously, but wow, sounds like they are sandbagging like crazy on this. For a while it wasn't clear to me if the widely varying Palladium suspension reports were just because of people's different car backgrounds and preferences, or if the cars actually varied, but now I'm quite convinced the cars vary widely and the adjustable dampers are not working correctly in a large percentage of them.

 

[SteveSchweer]

There isn’t enough data yet, but so far it seems like everyone with a working system has a Plaid. Does anyone out there with a refreshed model S Long Range have a noticeable mode change?

 

[SteveSchweer]

….. and no, jack mode is off… good thought though.

 

[serendipitous]

It was very noticeable in my Raven Model S Performance and is also very noticeable in my Plaid, FWIW.

 

[sorka]

Is the car in Jack mode?

It won't drive in jack mode.

 

[dev_lvl80]

How many new Model S owners out there can actually FEEL the difference between “Sport” and “Comfort “?

21 wheels, difference is pretty noticeable! I have no concerns, it's working.

 

[Veregon]

I don't feel a difference in my car build on 1/31/22. I tried showing the suspensions diagnostics but it was hard to watch while driving to see if there's any difference. I might try setting up the phone to video the screen while driving the same route in both modes to see if the numbers are different in each mode.

 

[SteveSchweer]

I tried to watch the g forces displayed on the screen. They move at millisecond speed so they are difficult to see. They did appear to vary within the same range, regardless of suspension mode. BUT, the important thing is the difference in modes will be OBVIOUS if the suspension is working properly.… if you can’t FEEL it, it isn’t working. So, I’ll count you as “not working “. Are you driving a Long Range?

 

[ninefiveone]

It won't drive in jack mode.

It will and does.

 

[sorka]

It will and does.

Jack mode cancels at anything above 4 mph....unless Tesla recently broke it which I doubt as that would be a massive safety liability that could cause a serious accident.