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Tesla door handle failure - pivot gear (anyone have one I can buy?)
- Thread starter diaretical
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- Model S
robby
Member
Thanks. Any photos you have from replacing the paddle gear would be helpful. Tesla is offering to split the cost of this replacement with me, so my plan is to take them up on that and then have a hot spare that I can fix and use for future handle swaps. I'm looking into buying a supply of paddle gears directly from Tesla but haven't heard back yet.
First picture is the handle after you remove the backing, before removing any parts. Ignore my chop-job /hotglue on the microswitch there. That was my first attempt at a fix from last year. While the handle was out I replaced that microswitch and corrected my wire routing. Anyway, that motor in the middle has to come out (4 screws, lifts off). Second picture shows it with the motor removed. This was after I installed the new paddle gear, so you can see it there on the right. Right in the middle (missing in my photo, because I hadn't reinstalled it yet) will be a small C-shaped metal washer that prevents the bar from sliding out. Remove that, un-spring the two big springs, then slide the bar out. There are a bunch of little plastic bushing that go between the bar and the paddle gear. Try not to lose them. Once that bar is out you just need to stick the bushings on the paddle gear, get the springs and paddle gear all lined up, and slide the bar back in. Re-spring the springs, install the little washer, and get the motor back in.
Here it is all done up nice:
robby
Member
Thanks for the photos.
I just got an email from local Tesla service confirming they won't sell me the paddle gears.
@mmccord What would you do if your handle broke again and you didn't have a spare chr20 version of the paddle gear? Just disconnect the motor (to stop it from spinning endlessly) and use a piece of string or other latch to pull on the handle?
I 3D printed a physical handle which works well, but it doesn't exactly live up to the Model S aesthetic... Tesla Model S Door Handle Fix/Prop for Non-Retracting Handles by freerobby
I just got an email from local Tesla service confirming they won't sell me the paddle gears.
@mmccord What would you do if your handle broke again and you didn't have a spare chr20 version of the paddle gear? Just disconnect the motor (to stop it from spinning endlessly) and use a piece of string or other latch to pull on the handle?
I 3D printed a physical handle which works well, but it doesn't exactly live up to the Model S aesthetic... Tesla Model S Door Handle Fix/Prop for Non-Retracting Handles by freerobby
robby
Member
@mmccord Also, are you able to confirm whether the paddle gear mechanical design is the same in old and newer door handles? My assumption has been that the updated part fixes only the microswitch issue and not the paddle gear issue, but I haven't confirmed that. Assuming so, it's pretty frustrating that a known issue could go on this long and remain unaddressed and unrecalled.
Thanks for the photos.
I just got an email from local Tesla service confirming they won't sell me the paddle gears.
@mmccord What would you do if your handle broke again and you didn't have a spare chr20 version of the paddle gear? Just disconnect the motor (to stop it from spinning endlessly) and use a piece of string or other latch to pull on the handle?
I 3D printed a physical handle which works well, but it doesn't exactly live up to the Model S aesthetic... Tesla Model S Door Handle Fix/Prop for Non-Retracting Handles by freerobby
I keep at least one on hand now. I'm down to my last one after buying 3 and using 2, so if I use it, I'll get another one from him. In the past when one broke, I just used the interior door handle to open the door. Very annoying when it's the front-driver's side, less so when it's any other door. I do disconnect the motor because it runs incessantly otherwise.
I'm not sure if there is a newer handle design since April 2015 when my car was built. I already have the "version 2" handles that don't extend as far as the version 1. The microswitch issue is definitely not fixed in my original handles.
strider
Active Member
Hi everyone. I had the right rear door gear break a few weeks ago - same failure mode as the pictures above. My ranger said there was talk of offering the gears separately but they decided not to. So after $719 I have a new door handle but I did keep the old one. My ranger speculated that if people close the door using the handle that puts stress on the paddle gear. The door that broke is the one that is used multiple times/day for kid drop off/pick up at school. The teachers may well be closing the door w/ the handle.
Sounds like @chr20 is our only source at this point?
Sounds like @chr20 is our only source at this point?
Pretty sure it's door slamming that causes this metal fatigue fracture and eventual breakage.
Whether or not you're pushing on handles to shut the door. Pushing the handle is probably OK because the forces are mild even with a brute strength shove on the handle.... the door will quickly begin to close... as compared to the shock of a door slam - door hits its physical limit and the extended handle wants to continue traveling with its own interia and the little gear arm is what's opposing that interia. And it's a shock force.
You know what might help...? Rubber bumper-stops of sorts or a softness in the system.. something that will give a little, squashes a bit when the slam happens. Probably don't need much thickness to help with the shock a lot... If there was some squashy "give" between the pusher arm and the handle part it pushes on ... that'd help.
Or, if the pushing part of the pusher gear was rubber, like a leaf spring, instead of rigid steel... that might help. Ideally, if something were preventing the handle from being able to extend (say frozen ice coating the door)... then this rubber pusher arm would have enough give to try its motion but flex all the way so as not to snap.. then it would never break.
Alternately, the arm that it pushes against could flex, or give, like a bow. Or have some spring compression. Rather than being a solid arm. Again, allowing a full flex without breaking if the handle were frozen shut.
Ideally the electronics and switches would detect "no movement" on a push and immediately cut the motor. Instead of having to depend on flexing in the components. But the flex components would be needed to limit the slamming shock.
Or have soft close doors. More tech.
Whether or not you're pushing on handles to shut the door. Pushing the handle is probably OK because the forces are mild even with a brute strength shove on the handle.... the door will quickly begin to close... as compared to the shock of a door slam - door hits its physical limit and the extended handle wants to continue traveling with its own interia and the little gear arm is what's opposing that interia. And it's a shock force.
You know what might help...? Rubber bumper-stops of sorts or a softness in the system.. something that will give a little, squashes a bit when the slam happens. Probably don't need much thickness to help with the shock a lot... If there was some squashy "give" between the pusher arm and the handle part it pushes on ... that'd help.
Or, if the pushing part of the pusher gear was rubber, like a leaf spring, instead of rigid steel... that might help. Ideally, if something were preventing the handle from being able to extend (say frozen ice coating the door)... then this rubber pusher arm would have enough give to try its motion but flex all the way so as not to snap.. then it would never break.
Alternately, the arm that it pushes against could flex, or give, like a bow. Or have some spring compression. Rather than being a solid arm. Again, allowing a full flex without breaking if the handle were frozen shut.
Ideally the electronics and switches would detect "no movement" on a push and immediately cut the motor. Instead of having to depend on flexing in the components. But the flex components would be needed to limit the slamming shock.
Or have soft close doors. More tech.
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robby
Member
This is exactly what I was thinking above. I don't have a dual extruder printer, but I'm planning to use 3D hubs to print a few nylon/PLA prototypes next time a paddle gear snaps.
Bighorn
Top Supercharger
I've had two replaced gratis out of warranty--one in my garage and another at a supercharger. My understanding is that the old paddle gear design is no longer used in newer handles. Second hand info.
I'd sure like to see current handle design changes for cars coming off the line nowadays.
And I wonder if a new improved design can retro-fit into older cars, if indeed they've fixed the design faults of paddle gear, microswitch wiring breaks, etc.
And I wonder if a new improved design can retro-fit into older cars, if indeed they've fixed the design faults of paddle gear, microswitch wiring breaks, etc.
Lasttoy
Active Member
Likely only if the firmware matches your car. You would probably have better luck moving the paddle gear into your handle.
Lasttoy
Active Member
Robby, it's not hard, watch you tube video several times, while you remove assembly. U need 9mm, 10 mm and T35 torque driver.
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