Suspension clonking/knocking

[vitesse]

I've mentioned this before - a knocking noise from under the car when on right lock over mild undulations in the road, like turning right at a T-junction, or even doing three point turns over rough ground.

Tesla had the car in to fix this a couple of months ago and the work report mentioned tightening things and shims but it didn't fix it and now it's back in. The two possibilities being considered now are a wheel bearing or lower control arm - it's the latter that is odds-on favourite.

I've got a P85D as a loaner (wow! ) - bad news is that it's locked in 'Chill' mode (ohhh ) I think that's Insane (or not, if you get my drift ) It's not supposed to be in Chill but the SC checked the car and it was apparently locked because of a technical issue, so I was just unlucky.

The car went in yesterday and it went into the workshop this afternoon according to the progress update messages, so maybe I'll get it back tomorrow.

In the mean time, the person my wife normally gives a lift to work returned the favour yesterday, in her not very new Vauxhall Corsa, which has a broken heater... LOL

 

[vitesse]

Lower control arm confirmed - I hope I get the car back today. Driving a nobbled P85D is a bit dispiriting, even for a 70D owner like me

 

[Mr Miserable]

Take the P85D to a SC to get fixed... what? Oh..

 

[vitesse]

Update for anyone interested - clonking fixed but only after replacing each control arm in turn (on both sides, top and bottom) - they basically replaced most of the front suspension. All under warranty and all handled with friendly efficiency by the West Drayton service team.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

Excellent, especially the warranty bit.

Wouldn't surprise me if they couldn't actually pinpoint the component (or even side) so just replaced all usual suspects and got it all done with little or no extra labour - at their cost. I use to do this in my younger days when I did a bit of DIY car stuff. If I had half the suspension apart, I would, within reason, replace/upgrade other bits whilst it was easily accessible - but those cars were already 15+ years old so the other bits were often not far behind wear wise.

 

[vitesse]

I was told they replaced one arm, test drove it and the knocking was still there and so they then replaced another and so on until the knocking was no longer detected.

 

[VanillaAir_UK]

oh. So cost cutting on the parts not the labour came back to bite them. Hopefully they replaced enough parts that any wear in that area will have been eliminated.

 

[gangzoom]

Am pretty sure the lower control arms on our X is going to go soon, getting similar to what you describe on full lock.

Only just had upper control arms replaced, really is the most unreliable car I have ever owned. Oh well.

 

[gangzoom]

oh. So cost cutting on the parts not the labour came back to bite them. Hopefully they replaced enough parts that any wear in that area will have been eliminated.

It's not cost cutting, it's the fact Tesla haven't got a clue about how to build a car properly and it shows.

 

[vitesse]

I'm told by those who apparently know these things that the suspension design is quite advanced (read ambitious and not cheap). And it's a big'ol heavy car, too, with lots of go. I wonder if the front suspension issues are particularly prevalent with AWD cars?