Tesla Model X Falcon Wing doors and dissected eyebrow

[VladB]

I am seriously upset. I didn't want to create this topic, but it seems like I have to to push Tesla to take a look into this problem and eventually fix the Falcon Wing Doors and Trunk behavior. If safety is really the first thing as Elon says, it has to be addressed.

The problem appears at the following:

When I get back home and park Model X in the closed garage, after I get it out it no longer opens Falcon Wing Door to fully, even though there are no obstacles around. To open door fully I need to press open button one more time. Just to press, not press and hold.

Using the option to open doors fully in this location is not a practical solution since it then tries to open doors fully inside the garage scratching walls and hits all objects around.

I called Tesla Service and they send a Mobile Service technician to take a look at the problem. Service guys has acknowledged that the car switches into some sort of Home Mode in which the car doesn't open doors fully until it reaches the driving speed higher than 7mph.

Unfortunately, one day my wife was taking care about the baby all night (teething) and didn't get enough sleep(awareness was significantly reduced), she opened the door and while holding baby didn't notice that door has not opened fully, she has hit the door edge by here left eyebrow resulting in a significant eyebrow dissection. Everybody is ok now, but the problem is still not addressed.

But really... is this something that people has not experienced before? This behavior is one of the most annoying behaviors I experience with Model X.

I will post Youtube link video later with the behavior I described.

 

[jeffro01]

Wait, I'm confused... If you state there are "no obstacles around" then how can you be against telling it to open fully at this location? Either there are obstacles or there aren't...

I don't see what the problem here is... Am I missing something?

Jeff

 

[jajabor]

People, not sure how this is a problem. It doesn't open in my garage fully either but that's okay for me. It's better to be safe than sorry. Now, if it had opened fully and hit something in the garage, then people would scream, too. Sorry to hear about your wife but I don't think it's Tesla's fault in anyway. Whether it's a Tesla or Honda, you always have to be careful. Otherwise, accidents happen.

 

[rush6410]

Sounds like you have the setting Controls > Vehicle >Falcon Door Height set to low. It will never fully open if set. It is better to set to fully open then set low open by your location.

 

[HugoBoss]

I find that when I'm in my garage if the X is not straight with the wall, like on an angle the sensors have issues. It's got the wall once and it was because it was on an angle.

 

[dgatwood]

Unfortunately, one day my wife was taking care about the baby all night (teething) and didn't get enough sleep(awareness was significantly reduced), she opened the door and while holding baby didn't notice that door has not opened fully, she has hit the door edge by here left eyebrow resulting in a significant eyebrow dissection. Everybody is ok now, but the problem is still not addressed.

But really... is this something that people has not experienced before? This behavior is one of the most annoying behaviors I experience with Model X.

I have experienced this repeatedly, and Tesla keeps telling me that there is nothing wrong. They're either lying or incompetent. The door sensors simply do not work reliably. Lately, mine has stopped opening more than 75% of the time, even in empty parking lots with nothing for 20+ feet overhead.

And this occurs even in places where "always fully open in this location" is set.

I'm amazed there hasn't been a lawsuit over this, because yeah, I've hit my head several times when the door failed to open for no obvious reason, and given how many other people I've seen complaining about it, I can't imagine that this misbehavior is rare.

 

[PrGrPa]

I'm amazed there hasn't been a lawsuit over this, because yeah, I've hit my head several times when the door failed to open for no obvious reason

I’ve done the same thing on occasion with the boot (trunk) lid on my model S when someone else has set its maximum open height lower than I’m used to. I’ve found that checking the lid is open sufficiently before leaning over has eliminated this problem...when I remember to check. I’ve found similar experiences with other doors too. Irritating.

 

[Racerx22b]

I have experienced this repeatedly, and Tesla keeps telling me that there is nothing wrong. They're either lying or incompetent. The door sensors simply do not work reliably. Lately, mine has stopped opening more than 75% of the time, even in empty parking lots with nothing for 20+ feet overhead.

And this occurs even in places where "always fully open in this location" is set.

I'm amazed there hasn't been a lawsuit over this, because yeah, I've hit my head several times when the door failed to open for no obvious reason, and given how many other people I've seen complaining about it, I can't imagine that this misbehavior is rare.

This is exactly the behavior my MX exhibits and its basically the exact same wording I provided the service center when dropping off for service only to be told everything is working as intended. I list this issue every time I drop off my MX for service hoping that one of these times some tech will figure it out. It's going in on Monday at 10am at the Palm Beach service center with this issue listed again. Fingers crossed they figure it out. It is annoying and potentially hazardous.

 

[Gwgan]

Using the option to open doors fully in this location is not a practical solution since it then tries to open doors fully inside the garage scratching walls and hits all objects around.

That sounds like a you problem. Tesla offers a solution but you do not use it even if for reasons not fully under your control.

The door sensors simply do not work reliably. Lately, mine has stopped opening more than 75% of the time, even in empty parking lots with nothing for 20+ feet overhead.

That sounds like a separate issue from the OP where the sensors seem to be fine. If you can catch your car misbehaving in a little movie on your phone maybe the SC would believe you.

 

[HugoBoss]

Sensors might have to be replaced on the doors. We had some issues before and Tesla replaced sensors. I have a Oct 2017 delivered X

 

[hiroshiy]

@VladB , how do you go into you parking slot from the road? If Model X passes through a location where the ceiling is lower than before, the car remembers the height automatically for while. This is very useful for metro area like Tokyo where most building parkings are underground.

Maybe your car is detecting the lowest ceiling you have passed between the road and your parking spot. This feature unfortunately can't be disabled I think.

 

[VladB]

jeffro01 There are obstacles in the garage and there are no obstacles in front of the garage where I take car out first to put my son in it. If I get back home from any place and park car in front of the garage, doors open fully, but after it was parked inside the garage and taken out, doors do not open fully.

jajabor, I am talking about door not open fully when car is not in the garage, but was in it before.

rush6410 No, it is not the settings.

dgatwood It seems like not exactly my case. In my case car switches into some Home Mode as Tesla Service guy said. It happens only at home.

Gwgan It sounds like you didn't fully understand what I said. Which is understandable. Conditions kinda tricky and my english is not perfect.

HugoBoss No, sensors are fine. It normally detects objects. What I am describing is a software defined behavior.

hiroshiy Let me record and publish the video.

 

[VladB]

Here is the video:

1. I arrive and park in front of the garage.
2. Open passenger side falcon wing door. It opens fully as expected.
3. Get into garage. Switch into the parking. Get out of the garage.
4. Press open button. It doesn't open fully.
5. Press open one more time. It opens fully as I would expect.

ps. There are not tree branches hanging on top of the car. They were trimmed then I thought it was related awhile ago.

 

[Gwgan]

Video demonstrates the problem. Thanks. Is there some way to reset the car out of Home Mode? Back out then pull foreward a bit perhaps?
Can you apply the “always full open here” setting in the driveway? I would expect that even if inside was near enough to still be considered “here” that the sensors would override.

 

[VladB]

Gwfan, Unfortunately no. At least mobile service technician said so and as he said it is the programmed behavior. To exit home mode normally, driving speed should exceed 7mph.

 

[Vitold]

People, not sure how this is a problem. It doesn't open in my garage fully either but that's okay for me. It's better to be safe than sorry. Now, if it had opened flly and hit something in the garage, then people would scream, too. Sorry to hear about your wife but I don't think it's Tesla's fault in anyway. Whether it's a Tesla or Honda, you always have to be careful. Otherwise, accidents happen.

When something occurs that is out of normal Tesla UI should inform a user about it with a light or sound.

 

[VladB]

Vitold, in my particular case there is no clear explanation why this behavior even exist. To incur more medical bills?

 

[childcarepro]

@VladB and @hiroshiy,

I think between the two of you and VladB's mobile service technician, you may have figured out something a LOT of us have been experiencing (it's been driving me mildly bonkers too). I think the MX's sensors tell it whether or not it's inside a garage at the home location, hence the full opening before entering the garage but only partial opening both while inside the garage AND after you exit the garage, until you go over 7 mph to reset the memory of being inside the garage. I do wish it would simply use the sensors to recognize when you've exited the garage!!!

Also greatly helpful would be options to
1. Fully open FWDs and trunk separately, as in MY garage, I can open FWDs fully but not the trunk
2. Single tap for low open, double tap for full open

@VladB, sorry to hear about your wife's injury, glad it wasn't serious.

 

[rush6410]

jeffro01 There are obstacles in the garage and there are no obstacles in front of the garage where I take car out first to put my son in it. If I get back home from any place and park car in front of the garage, doors open fully, but after it was parked inside the garage and taken out, doors do not open fully.

jajabor, I am talking about door not open fully when car is not in the garage, but was in it before.

rush6410 No, it is not the settings.

dgatwood It seems like not exactly my case. In my case car switches into some Home Mode as Tesla Service guy said. It happens only at home.

Gwgan It sounds like you didn't fully understand what I said. Which is understandable. Conditions kinda tricky and my english is not perfect.

HugoBoss No, sensors are fine. It normally detects objects. What I am describing is a software defined behavior.

hiroshiy Let me record and publish the video.

I just tested with your scenario and I get the same behavior.

• FWD set to full height in settings
• In garage, do not set to fully open at this location
• FWDs open fully when stopped just outside of garage
• Pull into garage
• FWDs open in low position as indicated on the controls display. Can override with a second command.
• Reverse out to just outside of garage
• FWDs still set to half height as indicated on the controls display. Can override with a second command.
• I reverse completely out of my driveway, about 200 ft.
• FWDs still set to half height as indicated on the controls display.
• I drive away and achieve a speed greater that 7mph.
• When I return to the house, FWDs open to full height as indicated by the controls display.

So, your observations as indicated by the video is normal behavior.

I set to full height at this location in the garage. The doors have never hit any objects, scratched or punctured walls.

If your FWDs have not damaged the car or the garage before, you should trust them being set to fully open. If not, then you need to live with the behavior you do not desire. Sounds like your settings can lead to personal injury.

 

[VladB]

Rush6410, it tried different settings and their combinations. I’ve been in touch with Tesla service. There is no solution in my specific case except fixing the software. If I set open doors fully in this location, falcon wing door starts hitting the garage door opener on one side and the garage door on the other side if garage door is opened.