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.

 

[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.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

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.

Those settings are about where I ended up in my 2023 Model S to get the best ride. But just know, Tesla has screwed you hard with their incredibly incompetent chassis engineering. There's nothing you can do in the settings to get the car to ride at a level it should at its price point. I drive the same route multiple times a day through my neighborhood, and my Model S was so bouncy and uncomfortable over that road that even people I would take for a ride would feel compelled to comment how it's an uncomfortable ride. After my Model S broke down at midnight and I sold the car, I went back to a Jaguar, buying a 2019 XJL Supercharged V8. That car cost around the same when they still made them and its chassis is tuned for sport/luxury. It has an air suspension in the rear and springs in the front, so in essence, it's less advanced in hardware than the Model S. However, over that same road, you wouldn't even know the road had any bumps. It's just shocking that Tesla can't get themselves to hire people that know what they are doing with chassis design. Complete incompetence.

 

[sorka]

It's just shocking that Tesla can't get themselves to hire people that know what they are doing with chassis design. Complete incompetence.

Didn't they all go over to Lucid?

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Didn't they all go over to Lucid?

So Lucid hired every single good chassis engineer in the world? I don't think so. Tesla has enough of your money to pay to poach a good chassis engineer from a company that knows what its doing.

 

[Zarwin]

Those settings are about where I ended up in my 2023 Model S to get the best ride. But just know, Tesla has screwed you hard with their incredibly incompetent chassis engineering. There's nothing you can do in the settings to get the car to ride at a level it should at its price point. I drive the same route multiple times a day through my neighborhood, and my Model S was so bouncy and uncomfortable over that road that even people I would take for a ride would feel compelled to comment how it's an uncomfortable ride. After my Model S broke down at midnight and I sold the car, I went back to a Jaguar, buying a 2019 XJL Supercharged V8. That car cost around the same when they still made them and its chassis is tuned for sport/luxury. It has an air suspension in the rear and springs in the front, so in essence, it's less advanced in hardware than the Model S. However, over that same road, you wouldn't even know the road had any bumps. It's just shocking that Tesla can't get themselves to hire people that know what they are doing with chassis design. Complete incompetence.

Oddly enough I was just commenting today about a car I had long long ago that had an incredible ride of the same general size of the S. 1997 Lincoln Continental. I know that name brings images of boxy to your head but the 95-97 era cars were actually sleek, powerful, and surprisingly fun to drive compared to pre-1995. Even post 1997 they went back to a more boxy look. Front coil, rear air, same as the Jaguar you mention. Would love to have that ride in my S.

 

[Unclepaul]

Jaguars have always been able to excel at combining good handling with great ride quality.

Interesting how one car can have people both complaining, but one saying it rides to firm, and the other complaining that it rides too soft.

 

[MobileClimate]

Those settings are about where I ended up in my 2023 Model S to get the best ride. But just know, Tesla has screwed you hard with their incredibly incompetent chassis engineering. There's nothing you can do in the settings to get the car to ride at a level it should at its price point. I drive the same route multiple times a day through my neighborhood, and my Model S was so bouncy and uncomfortable over that road that even people I would take for a ride would feel compelled to comment how it's an uncomfortable ride. After my Model S broke down at midnight and I sold the car, I went back to a Jaguar, buying a 2019 XJL Supercharged V8. That car cost around the same when they still made them and its chassis is tuned for sport/luxury. It has an air suspension in the rear and springs in the front, so in essence, it's less advanced in hardware than the Model S. However, over that same road, you wouldn't even know the road had any bumps. It's just shocking that Tesla can't get themselves to hire people that know what they are doing with chassis design. Complete incompetence.

Those settings are about where I ended up in my 2023 Model S to get the best ride. But just know, Tesla has screwed you hard with their incredibly incompetent chassis engineering. There's nothing you can do in the settings to get the car to ride at a level it should at its price point. I drive the same route multiple times a day through my neighborhood, and my Model S was so bouncy and uncomfortable over that road that even people I would take for a ride would feel compelled to comment how it's an uncomfortable ride. After my Model S broke down at midnight and I sold the car, I went back to a Jaguar, buying a 2019 XJL Supercharged V8. That car cost around the same when they still made them and its chassis is tuned for sport/luxury. It has an air suspension in the rear and springs in the front, so in essence, it's less advanced in hardware than the Model S. However, over that same road, you wouldn't even know the road had any bumps. It's just shocking that Tesla can't get themselves to hire people that know what they are doing with chassis design. Complete incompetence.

the weight of model s is much heavier so that’s not a fair comparison

 

[sorka]

the weight of model s is much heavier so that’s not a fair comparison

It's not even that. It's just wrong.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

the weight of model s is much heavier so that’s not a fair comparison

Are you one of those people that also believes the lie that EV’s have more road, wind, and creaking noises because there’s no ICE engine making an excruciating loud noise to drown the other noises out??

If you think a lighter car has a more luxurious ride than a heavier car, than you know squat about cars. Ask Rolls Royce for confirmation.

Stop with the misinformation to apologize for Tesla’s poor engineering.

 

[sorka]

Are you one of those people that also believes the lie that EV’s have more road, wind, and creaking noises because there’s no ICE engine making an excruciating loud noise to drown the other noises out??

Nope, that common excuse given by Tesla is a lie for sure.

 

[Kohley]

So I managed to capture some CAN bus traffic while driving over a rather annoying speed bump. I believe I've captured all 4 height/position sensors, vertical z-axis acceleration, and damping currents(%?) for compression and rebound. Front springs take a compression force, the damping signals kick in and try their best to soften the blow (failing miserably). A second later the rear springs take the same hit. Repeated using two different Advance mode settings, Full soft and Full stiff. Still trying to make sense of it by comparing A to B.

I have had a new S plaid for a week. The car seems too harsh over bumps and then wallows before it settles down in comfort or auto setting. This is my opinion: The harshness is from too much high speed bump force in the shock valving. Even in lowest comfort setting it is still too much. The car is wallowy after a bump in this setting, that is from not enough low speed rebound. In sport, you get more low speed rebound, that gets rid of the wallowy feeling but it also adds bump force. It seems like the best setting is in advanced full sport, with comfort at the lowest setting. That way it seems like you get the least amount of high speed bump, so a better ride over bumps, and the most low speed rebound, so les wallowy feeling after bumps or at turn in.

My suggestion is that Tesla might be able to give more adjustability through a software upgrade. I would prefer to be able to adjust bump and rebound separately, but comfort is mostly bump and sport is mostly low speed rebound, but you do get some of both in each mode.

 

[mcirish]

I have had a new S plaid for a week. The car seems too harsh over bumps and then wallows before it settles down in comfort or auto setting. This is my opinion: The harshness is from too much high speed bump force in the shock valving. Even in lowest comfort setting it is still too much. The car is wallowy after a bump in this setting, that is from not enough low speed rebound. In sport, you get more low speed rebound, that gets rid of the wallowy feeling but it also adds bump force. It seems like the best setting is in advanced full sport, with comfort at the lowest setting. That way it seems like you get the least amount of high speed bump, so a better ride over bumps, and the most low speed rebound, so les wallowy feeling after bumps or at turn in.

My suggestion is that Tesla might be able to give more adjustability through a software upgrade. I would prefer to be able to adjust bump and rebound separately, but comfort is mostly bump and sport is mostly low speed rebound, but you do get some of both in each mode.

100% correct.

 

[sorka]

100% correct.

Trying to simplify this. My read is that the desire here is to have less compression damping but more rebound damping.

 

[Kohley]

Trying to simplify this. My read is that the desire here is to have less compression damping but more rebound damping.

That is basically correct based on my observations, I have spent a ton of time on race tracks with adjustable bump and rebound settings in various cars. Some low speed bump force in the front shocks is needed, that helps the initial response on turn in, so it doesn't feel like the front end is tipping over. High speed bump force is for bigger road imperfections, too much of it and you get harshness over bumps. The problem is that you can't dial in aa ton of low speed bump force and dial out the high speed bump force, you always get some of both, its a fine line.

Low speed rebound effects turn in as well, it keeps the outside front corner from lifting too much when turning, and the same in the back corner. I can really feel this working when in advanced I have it set at max sport. If I could I would dial in more rebound front and back, and dial out some high speed bump. Too much rebound force and the car can jack down over bumps. I actually think the car has decent wheel rates, I don't think it needs more but its not too much either.

I really think more adjustability in the shocks would help a lot, maybe Tesla will offer a software upgrade to do this, time will tell.

 

[mcirish]

That is basically correct based on my observations, I have spent a ton of time on race tracks with adjustable bump and rebound settings in various cars. Some low speed bump force in the front shocks is needed, that helps the initial response on turn in, so it doesn't feel like the front end is tipping over. High speed bump force is for bigger road imperfections, too much of it and you get harshness over bumps. The problem is that you can't dial in aa ton of low speed bump force and dial out the high speed bump force, you always get some of both, its a fine line.

Low speed rebound effects turn in as well, it keeps the outside front corner from lifting too much when turning, and the same in the back corner. I can really feel this working when in advanced I have it set at max sport. If I could I would dial in more rebound front and back, and dial out some high speed bump. Too much rebound force and the car can jack down over bumps. I actually think the car has decent wheel rates, I don't think it needs more but its not too much either.

I really think more adjustability in the shocks would help a lot, maybe Tesla will offer a software upgrade to do this, time will tell.

What do you mean by "decent wheel rates"?

 

[Kohley]

What do you mean by "decent wheel rates"?

Static spring rates, meaning just the springs alone, I know its an air suspension, it does not feel way too stiff or way too soft to me. There are many years of automotive experience baked into spring rates versus the weight of the vehicle and COG location. I think it is close enough, Tesl can't be that far off. Shocks are an entirely different animal, much trickier to get right and somewhat based on driver preference.

 

[sorka]

You'd think with their vision and accelerometers built in that they could keep damping rates low until after a bump and then quickly dampen dynamically to prevent oscillation.

 

[terranx]

You'd think with their vision and accelerometers built in that they could keep damping rates low until after a bump and then quickly dampen dynamically to prevent oscillation.

Vision would be pretty useless. I’m sure they already are using the accelerometers like most manufacturers. But like most automated features from Tesla, the final product is half baked at best

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Vision would be pretty useless. I’m sure they already are using the accelerometers like most manufacturers. But like most automated features from Tesla, the final product is half baked at best

Every day that I drive my Jaguar XJL that replace my 2023 Model S, I get more angry that I wasted 8 months of my life that I will never get back driving that Model S. It just shows that there are zero excuses for the incompetence of Tesla's chassis engineers.

 

[sorka]

Vision would be pretty useless. I’m sure they already are using the accelerometers like most manufacturers. But like most automated features from Tesla, the final product is half baked at best

Accelerometers should be enough if the implementation is clever enough.