There is a scratch on my new Model S!

[jetsettingrph]

Quick questions:

Did the Fob work later? (Seeing if the battery died)

Do you have energy saver mode on? (Maybe the S was powered down? We don't use the energy saver mode, some have said the car acts funny with it).

Did the scratch buff out, as others suggest you try? (Suspect not malice, more likely negligence)

When I got home the car fob worked again.

will need to see what the delivery person set up in terms of energy saving mode.
i only said it got scratched and maybe someone tried to steal car because I was in Stockton in very shady area of town. there has been multiple break in at the hospital.

I have not tried to buff area yet myself. but I found someone who is willing to help me out (thank goodness)

 

[Economite]

I think someone attempted to steal my car. when I got out of the hospital the handle didn't come out automatically. the inside of my car was completely dark and did not respond to my remote.

I think that when a door on a Tesla doesn't function right, it's always a better bet to assume malfunction, not sabotage or vandalism. Doors are to Tesla like left turns are to Zoolander.

 

[brkaus]

I’ve not had problems and I have energy saving on.

We’re you using the setting to auto present the handles? Or did you click the middle button twice?

Do you happen to recall if the app connected immediately or if it did the “waking car” thing first?

If you’re in a high crime area, might consider leaving the trunk empty and the parcel shelf off. There are a few threads here about people breaking the back triangle window and flipping down the seat to “look”.

 

[D.E.]

If you haven't rubbed out a shallow scratch before, it isn't difficult.

Rubbing compounds come in different degrees of abrasiveness. You want to use the finest, least abrasive that will do the job. Any compound removes some paint, in your case, clear coat. You should start with a polishing compound. Maguires has one, it is the stuff that is used to restore old paint. Use a soft cloth like a piece of old t-shirt. Wash the area first to remove any surface grit. Apply the compound to the cloth and rub the area in small circles. With rubbing, those scratches will disappear. The compounds are made to use with electric buffers so they are nonagressive. It'll take a little while to rub them out by hand. When the scratches are gone, wax the area with whatever wax you usually use.

As long as a scratch doesn't penetrate through the color layer, you can rub it out.

It's worth learning how to do. It isn't difficult, it is safe for your paint.

There are more aggressive compounds. If you stick with a polish, you should be good.

 

[NeverFollow]

A friendly large dog and his jangly collar just did something similar to the passenger door of my S
the other day while I was stopped and chatting with his owner. I'm cautiously optimistic it will buff out.

This reminds me an episode of the Inspector Columbo TV series, where a suspect got convicted
because the dog, of the killed dog's owner, lefts a little (almost invisible) scratch on the suspect car owner
while the suspect pretended that he never visited the house of the killed person!
Note: This dog had a broken toenail, making the scratch particularly recognizable.

 

[dsm363]

Updated the title. No evidence the car was keyed and it's sensational for no reason.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Do you @jetsettingrph have the new Passive Entry option On in your security settings?

I've noticed that the car has started acting real weird after enabling that option, when it comes to entering and even starting the car or folding mirrors. It is acting up constantly and in varying ways. I thought the only result would be that I'd have to unlock the car manually to get it, but it refuses to unlock doors and even unlock the "ignition" once I am in the car many times... (I am sitting in driver's seat and I have to unlock the car again from the fob to start it.)

Could that explain the interior darkness etc.?

 

[jetsettingrph]

When I got home the car fob worked again.

will need to see what the delivery person set up in terms of energy saving mode.
i only said it got scratched and maybe someone tried to steal car because I was in Stockton in very shady area of town. there has been multiple break in at the hospital.

I have not tried to buff area yet myself. but I found someone who is willing to help me out (thank goodness)

Thanks for your questions again. I used compound, polish, and wax on the area and the scratch smoothed out except for one spot.

 

[jetsettingrph]

If you haven't rubbed out a shallow scratch before, it isn't difficult.

Rubbing compounds come in different degrees of abrasiveness. You want to use the finest, least abrasive that will do the job. Any compound removes some paint, in your case, clear coat. You should start with a polishing compound. Maguires has one, it is the stuff that is used to restore old paint. Use a soft cloth like a piece of old t-shirt. Wash the area first to remove any surface grit. Apply the compound to the cloth and rub the area in small circles. With rubbing, those scratches will disappear. The compounds are made to use with electric buffers so they are nonagressive. It'll take a little while to rub them out by hand. When the scratches are gone, wax the area with whatever wax you usually use.

As long as a scratch doesn't penetrate through the color layer, you can rub it out.

It's worth learning how to do. It isn't difficult, it is safe for your paint.

There are more aggressive compounds. If you stick with a polish, you should be good.

thanks! i tried this and it worked

 

[jetsettingrph]

thanks to those who have offerred helpful advice. didn't know some tesla owners can be such snarky a-holes with comments. i serioudly thought this was a owner forum where members support each other.

 

[Sawyer8888]

I was clearing my car today and noticed my car got keyed!!

Don't be afraid to ask your Tesla Service Center to help you out with those scratches.

I agree with others in that it is possible that the scratches may have been unintentional. Perhaps you backed into a hedge and just don't remember. It is possible some young punk who was attempting their first keying was trying to avoid detection, so it was done quickly in an inconspicuous spot.

After a week of ownership I discovered similar scratches on my rear bumper (not on the aluminum). I have no idea how it happened. I brought it into service for a broken AC at the end of that first week. With a sad face, I pointed out the scratches to the service manager, kind of hoping he would offer to help make it all better. Well, he did offer to take care of those scratches as well as a large rock chip in the front bumper. Perhaps my early AC failure had something to do with the manager's generosity. Tesla Service is awesome. Can't say that enough. Good thing too since I have to see them so often.

Those initial scratches made my decision to plunk down $6K for a full wrap of Xpel a little easier to justify. I suppose I could also repaint the whole car after 5 or 10 years for nearly the same price. Xpel does a decent job. However it can't protect against all rock chips on the bumper, A-pillars and hood as I have come to find out.

As far as some of the condescending comments - they are not limited to this forum. It's just easier to throw mud when using the internet to remain mostly anonymous. Don't take it personally. Try to take something positive from the comment if anything, and then try to ignore the rest. Then try to avoid throwing fuel on the fire by using inflammatory language in response. Easier said than done.

 

[dsm363]

What makes you certain it was keyed? It's low on the bumper and a very light scratch in the clear coat it looks like. A very odd place and pattern for someone who intentionally keyed your car. As to your snarky a-hole comment, you might want to reconsider how you respond to others as well. If there was a post you found over the line, report it.

 

[brkaus]

Do you @jetsettingrph have the new Passive Entry option On in your security settings?

I've noticed that the car has started acting real weird after enabling that option, when it comes to entering and even starting the car or folding mirrors. It is acting up constantly and in varying ways. I thought the only result would be that I'd have to unlock the car manually to get it, but it refuses to unlock doors and even unlock the "ignition" once I am in the car many times... (I am sitting in driver's seat and I have to unlock the car again from the fob to start it.)

Here is what I think I have figured out with the Passive Entry option. Not sure if all points are correct.

Passive Entry -
- On - It will detect the key in proximity to the car and put the car in "unlocked state" when close to car.
- Off - Key proximity will NOT be detected.
It takes a double click on the center remote button to unlock the doors and start the car.
If the car is unlocked for a set amount of time (I haven't figure out how much yet), it will require another double click to start the car

Auto-Present Handles -
- On - The "unlocked state" described above will present the door handle(s)
- Off - When the car is passively unlocked, it takes a press on the FRONT door handles (driver or passenger) to present the door handles.


I haven't tested how this is related to "dead battery mode" where you put the key on the windshield.

Really wish they added the "?" button next to these options for more details.

Also wish they had an option to disable auto-present handles at home location. It would stop the handle dance every time I walked through the garage. The car would still be locked if it was in the driveway instead of the garage (it would unlock as I walked by, but that doesn't hurt anything).

 

[NeverFollow]

What makes you certain it was keyed?
It's low on the bumper and a very light scratch in the clear coat it looks like.
A very odd place and pattern for someone who intentionally keyed your car.

May be it was a "kiss-love" to your car from "Jaw" the steel-toothed villain
James Bond Character 7ft 2in (2.18m) actor Richard Kiel.

KISS A KIA: People putting lips on car to win it

The Saddest Facebook Live Video Is 20 People Kissing a Car

 

[Kant.Ing]

Hope an almighty OTA can fix everything!

 

[TaoJones]

Curious to learn which larger-capacity SD cards the OP chooses in order to retain 18-24 hours of video footage. Especially since not all cards are created equal or close to it.

I say cards plural because by having 2 or 3 (one in the camera, one in the car, one at home or in the laptop), it's easy to swap them if there's something you want to extract from the past day but don't have time at the moment. Also easier sometimes to manage those files via laptop.