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.

 

[emailforbrett]

Hard numbers would be great because my Plaid has zero difference in feel between any setting. It rocks like a boat in a hurricane over every little speedbump no matter which mode.

 

[callllvin]

We need the numbers. Please, would you go out right now and write them down? It only takes a minute. Thanks!

I just use "comfort" or "sport" generally. Need more than that?

 

[SteveSchweer]

I just use "comfort" or "sport" generally. Need more than that?

Please go to the first post of the ”Adaptive Suspension Damping- Real or Ruse?” Thread. It will tell you which ones and how to record them. If you can really feel a difference, its very important to know the numbers that quantify the ride. Thanks for your help!

 

[umair239]

SteveSchweer said:
"My tech mentioned that Tesla changed the internal communication protocols at about the time my car was built."

We have ascertained that both you and I had 2022 MS's delivered in December 2021. Only a small set of MS owners appear to have this issue. I am wondering if only those with this issue had had similar manufacturing dates. My question to the forum would be: If you have a very poor suspension in your 2022 MS, was it manufactured in November-December 2021? I know I am grasping at straws, but if we can pinpoint manufacturing dates it might result in a clue and perhaps a solution.

I just found out this thread and let me say I'm pleasantly surprised to know that I'm not crazy. Mine is a September 2021 Plaid and I switched from a 2020 Raven S and the difference in ride quality has been insane from the moment I got in the Plaid. The ride is stiffer, changes in suspension does not do jack and not to mention the new perforated seats are so much more stiffer than the marshmallow seats in the previous variants. I love the car and have been driving it for a year now. This issue has been bothering me for a while but today my wife sat in my brother's Model 3 passenger seat and told me it reminded her of my old car and the seats were much more comfortable. This made me think of the poor ride quality in the Plaid too. So I decided to look up on tmc and here I am.
So there are more of us who have been experiencing this issue.

 

[glide]

I just found out this thread and let me say I'm pleasantly surprised to know that I'm not crazy. Mine is a September 2021 Plaid and I switched from a 2020 Raven S and the difference in ride quality has been insane from the moment I got in the Plaid. The ride is stiffer, changes in suspension does not do jack and not to mention the new perforated seats are so much more stiffer than the marshmallow seats in the previous variants. I love the car and have been driving it for a year now. This issue has been bothering me for a while but today my wife sat in my brother's Model 3 passenger seat and told me it reminded her of my old car and the seats were much more comfortable. This made me think of the poor ride quality in the Plaid too. So I decided to look up on tmc and here I am.
So there are more of us who have been experiencing this issue.

Welcome to the thread.

It’s been open since Feb and Tesla has done nothing about the issue. So frustrating. Especially on their “flagship” vehicle.

 

[umair239]

Welcome to the thread.

It’s been open since Feb and Tesla has done nothing about the issue. So frustrating. Especially on their “flagship” vehicle.

Yeah, this is infuriating. I am chalking it up to Tesla wanting the ride to be stiffer for the car to do what it does. Honestly, it has been almost a year and this is my first Tesla that I do not want to sell immediately and that's only because of what the car is capable of at any and all speeds. It doesn't excuse Tesla of anything but I also doubt anything will come out of this all which is just sad.


On another note, I have been driving the tires at 38psi for the last month and that has helped significantly. However, it is well below the recommended pressure and should not be the solution here

 

[skshimer]

2020 LR MS with air suspension. Definite difference in sport vs soft mode, especially noticeable when driving on two lane backroads in terms of handling. i also use the soft mode when traveling through the backroads of Maine in the winter and spring with all the frost heaves.

Maybe it is just that the Plaid is designed to be a high sport sedan like my old BMW 5M. It too had a very stiff ride But handled great for a big car.

 

[glide]

2020 LR MS with air suspension. Definite difference in sport vs soft mode, especially noticeable when driving on two lane backroads in terms of handling. i also use the soft mode when traveling through the backroads of Maine in the winter and spring with all the frost heaves.

Maybe it is just that the Plaid is designed to be a high sport sedan like my old BMW 5M. It too had a very stiff ride But handled great for a big car.

Again, it’s not a question of the suspension being overly stiff. It’s that there is no perceptible difference when changing modes.

 

[smrtasp84]

I run mine in sport or advanced where I have the settings dialed all the way to firm. That's the only way I can really tell the difference. However, I have an issue right now waiting on parts that has disabled my adaptive ride control with speed limited to 90. Shortly after it was delivered back in July I took it on a 600 mile drive and just did the same drive last weekend but this time with the ride control issue. Pretty significant difference in feel and overall control, especially on some highways where trucks have created a lot of unevenness on the roads. I wouldn't drive it like this again for sure. So while it may be a bit subtle in terms of how tight the ride gets between comfort and sport, the overall control that is provided in sport is pretty significant compared to not having adaptive ride control on at all.

 

[cassiri]

Yeah, this is infuriating. I am chalking it up to Tesla wanting the ride to be stiffer for the car to do what it does. Honestly, it has been almost a year and this is my first Tesla that I do not want to sell immediately and that's only because of what the car is capable of at any and all speeds. It doesn't excuse Tesla of anything but I also doubt anything will come out of this all which is just sad.


On another note, I have been driving the tires at 38psi for the last month and that has helped significantly. However, it is well below the recommended pressure and should not be the solution here

38psi may cause problems. Read the threads about tire failure. It is another major issue Tesla service is ignoring.

 

[blueice89]

Did anyone figure this out ? December took ownership of a 9/21 plaid and experience and feel all the road

 

[blueice89]

Did anyone figure this out ? December took ownership of a 9/21 plaid and experience and feel all the road

 

[Ed Hart]

All I can contribute is that the oscillation is gone. Software update, I suppose, but I can't tell any difference in the settings.

 

[pvdoug]

This was a pretty lively debate.The OP [Steve] believes that all MS have serious suspension issues that he has fully delineated. And he spent a huge amount of energy trying to resolve the issue. My personal belief is that only owners of MS cars manufactured around December 2021 have this issue [like mine]. And I say that because I believe that if every MS suspension was as bad as mine is, Tesla would sell very few of those vehicles.
Some posters suggested that you can get a smoother ride by reducing your tire PSI to 36. And that is correct. Sadly, that has been shown to promote tire destruction. Keep the pressure at 42 PSI.

 

[DBV1]

This was a pretty lively debate.The OP [Steve] believes that all MS have serious suspension issues that he has fully delineated. And he spent a huge amount of energy trying to resolve the issue. My personal belief is that only owners of MS cars manufactured around December 2021 have this issue [like mine]. And I say that because I believe that if every MS suspension was as bad as mine is, Tesla would sell very few of those vehicles.
Some posters suggested that you can get a smoother ride by reducing your tire PSI to 36. And that is correct. Sadly, that has been shown to promote tire destruction. Keep the pressure at 42 PSI.

Are you saying newer cars don’t have this issue? Mine was mfg in Nov 2021 and seems like it does still.

 

[Beandoc]

I can definitely feel a difference between Auto or the softer setting vs Sport and especially when I keep the car in Low suspension height..

 

[pvdoug]

Are you saying newer cars don’t have this issue? Mine was mfg in Nov 2021 and seems like it does still.

From what I have read, most complaining of poor suspensions have a MS with a build date of @ early Dec/2021.

 

[SteveSchweer]

This was a pretty lively debate.The OP [Steve] believes that all MS have serious suspension issues that he has fully delineated. And he spent a huge amount of energy trying to resolve the issue. My personal belief is that only owners of MS cars manufactured around December 2021 have this issue [like mine]. And I say that because I believe that if every MS suspension was as bad as mine is, Tesla would sell very few of those vehicles.
Some posters suggested that you can get a smoother ride by reducing your tire PSI to 36. And that is correct. Sadly, that has been shown to promote tire destruction. Keep the pressure at 42 PSI.

Hi guys! Sorry… I’ve been a little distracted for the last few months. But, in that time, I’ve refined my thinking and produced a new video detailing the problem. First, I have to comment on Doug’s feeling that only early MS refresh cars are affected. This is a SOFTWARE issue. Early cars use the same software as later cars. They’re all the same. Also, everyone has the same “numbers“… those are the “bottom line“ of shock settings. As to the continuing sales of cars with this awful ride, there are no test rides available yet… I believe that Tesla WILL start losing sales over this issue when they are. (I took a ride in the Mercedes EQS. This is Mercedes’ answer to the MS... same type of suspension. WOW ! I would be ecstatic if my MS rode like that!) As you and Maaz demonstrated when you met to compare your cars, two people can have POLAR OPPOSITE opinions of the ride of the SAME car. Thus, the owners who really LIKE the ride and are SURE that it’s working perfectly. (I’m still mystified, though, that they say they can feel huge changes when they switch modes).
Anyway, here’s the new video… half the length and twice the info. The objective this time is to get as many copies of it as possible sent to higher-ups at Tesla. I’ve listed the addresses of a few. If you know of anyone else in a position at Tesla who could do something about this issue, by all means, list their addresses in the comments, and send them the video. If they are INUNDATED with this video, they might take it seriously.

 

[Jons1234]

Hi guys! Sorry… I’ve been a little distracted for the last few months. But, in that time, I’ve refined my thinking and produced a new video detailing the problem. First, I have to comment on Doug’s feeling that only early MS refresh cars are affected. This is a SOFTWARE issue. Early cars use the same software as later cars. They’re all the same. Also, everyone has the same “numbers“… those are the “bottom line“ of shock settings. As to the continuing sales of cars with this awful ride, there are no test rides available yet… I believe that Tesla WILL start losing sales over this issue when they are. (I took a ride in the Mercedes EQS. This is Mercedes’ answer to the MS... same type of suspension. WOW ! I would be ecstatic if my MS rode like that!) As you and Maaz demonstrated when you met to compare your cars, two people can have POLAR OPPOSITE opinions of the ride of the SAME car. Thus, the owners who really LIKE the ride and are SURE that it’s working perfectly. (I’m still mystified, though, that they say they can feel huge changes when they switch modes).
Anyway, here’s the new video… half the length and twice the info. The objective this time is to get as many copies of it as possible sent to higher-ups at Tesla. I’ve listed the addresses of a few. If you know of anyone else in a position at Tesla who could do something about this issue, by all means, list their addresses in the comments, and send them the video. If they are INUNDATED with this video, they might take it seriously.

Thanks for taking the time to research and post this video Steve. Very informative!

 

[lowtek]

I have a Plaid and the wifey has a Y Performance. The Plaid is about 10 times more comfortable in any setting. I understand they have changed the Y's suspension since she got hers, which is number 426 off the line. FWIW, she's had no issues with her car except for drivers side window motor had to be replaced.