Trunk Latch Problem

[superhooper]

@Brass Guy - thank you for the info. I'm in the middle of a long road trip and my trunk just stuck shut today. Same issue. Service Center where I'm stopped can't get a new part in for 4-5 days, and I need autopilot for the rest of the trip. Do you know if I would be able to access that latch cable with the trunk stuck shut, or do I have to have it open to remove the panels?

No, nothing fell from it.
In the mean time though, if you're up for it, you could remedy a few of your annoyances.
If you remove the body panels on the trunk lid to gain access to the latch, unplug it. When I did that, the car stopped showing the open trunk error. (I actually removed my latch expecting to be doing the labor when the part came in.)

With it unplugged, the car "thinks" the trunk is closed.
You stop getting the annoying audio alarms and you regain use of that side of the Information Cluster.
Remote heat/cool and autopilot should all work again.
This will also allow the car to lock.
If you have automatic walk-away-locking you may not be aware, but your car will not lock the doors if either trunk is open.

This worked on my 2013. I found out by accident when I removed the latch. They may have changed the wiring and part. If you try this, let us know if it works on a newer vehicle.

I never bothered taping my trunk shut; it stays shut when driving - except it bounces over significant bumps. I'd be afraid tape would attract unwanted attention.

I have often had to call the service center to find out when parts arrived. Supposedly some communications issue, but I never receive notification when a part comes in.

 

[Brass Guy]

I don't think you'll be able to remove any of them with it shut.

Is AP not working with the trunk stuck closed? That doesn't make sense to me.

I seem to remember a TMC post describing the service center had to cut into a stuck hatch to open it.

 

[alpax]

@Brass Guy - thank you for the info. I'm in the middle of a long road trip and my trunk just stuck shut today. Same issue. Service Center where I'm stopped can't get a new part in for 4-5 days, and I need autopilot for the rest of the trip. Do you know if I would be able to access that latch cable with the trunk stuck shut, or do I have to have it open to remove the panels?

You need to open it to remove the panels: access to the latch connector is from the bottom end of the trunk door.
Have you tried manual unlock? The cable with some kind of a handle at the end is behind a small cover near the light.
And I agree with @Brass Guy - I don't think AP is linked to the trunk in any way.

 

[alpax]

You need to open it to remove the panels: access to the latch connector is from the bottom end of the trunk door.

Here's how it looks:

 

[alpax]

I seem to remember a TMC post describing the service center had to cut into a stuck hatch to open it.

SAWZALL?
Rear Hatch Latching Problem (Model S)

 

[talhas3]

SAWZALL?
Rear Hatch Latching Problem (Model S)

When I had that problem the AP wouldn’t work. It’s because the system sees one of the doors to be open so it disables autopilot for that reason.

 

[Brass Guy]

Wow, so if the trunk is stuck shut the car senses it as open? Ouch.

 

[talhas3]

Wow, so if the trunk is stuck shut the car senses it as open? Ouch.

In my case it wasn’t closing properly so it was detecting it as still open.

Another time the front truck wouldn’t open. I don’t remember how that affected Autopilot.

 

[hingisfan]

Mine would not latch closed, 2014 S, non power lift gate..... Just got it working by holding in the trunk button above the license plate for 10 or 15 seconds, then rapid taps of the same button. I could hear the actuator pop back to the home position, and now works again!

 

[alpax]

When I had that problem the AP wouldn’t work. It’s because the system sees one of the doors to be open so it disables autopilot for that reason.

Well, I believe AP is not the main problem in this situation. More important is that when the system sees the trunk as open, it does not lock the doors, which means you cannot even leave the car anywhere.

 

[alpax]

Mine would not latch closed, 2014 S, non power lift gate..... Just got it working by holding in the trunk button above the license plate for 10 or 15 seconds, then rapid taps of the same button. I could hear the actuator pop back to the home position, and now works again!

Wow! This is interesting! I didn't think about trying something like this. But I guess you might be just lucky, that these actions accidentally helped.

 

[rbh42]

Mine would not latch closed, 2014 S, non power lift gate..... Just got it working by holding in the trunk button above the license plate for 10 or 15 seconds, then rapid taps of the same button. I could hear the actuator pop back to the home position, and now works again!

Thanks! This worked for me as well.

 

[childcarepro]

@hingisfan this worked for me as well!!! Happened to my 2015 MS without power lift gate this week.

Thanks for posting!

 

[MikeBur]

Mine would not latch closed, 2014 S, non power lift gate..... Just got it working by holding in the trunk button above the license plate for 10 or 15 seconds, then rapid taps of the same button. I could hear the actuator pop back to the home position, and now works again!

@beeeerock note, from your post in other trunk thread. Maybe/hopefully works for you?

Also folk, you can lock the car. Open car door to exit, select padlock/lock icon on center console and close the door after leaving.

 

[Brass Guy]

I really hope this is a solution, since this has happened so many times to my car. Thinking back, most of the times it happened I was packing the car pretty tight and was testing if the trunk would close; so maybe the latch got into some odd mode this procedure would reset.
I just thought the latch was simpler. It seems to have worked for a number of people here though.

 

[beeeerock]

@beeeerock note, from your post in other trunk thread. Maybe/hopefully works for you?

Also folk, you can lock the car. Open car door to exit, select padlock/lock icon on center console and close the door after leaving.

@MikeBur thanks for this! I haven't tried this but may give it a go. In my case the hatch is down tightly, so there is no security issue with it until fixed.

I did work out the on screen icon to lock the car... I'm very surprised Tesla didn't mention this, or make it known.

And I've managed to get rid of the beep-beep alarm by beginning to move in D or R and then opening/closing the door quickly. If stopped, the car just goes to park again, but when moving slightly, gives a door alarm and then resets both when it's closed again.

 

[sbanks]

This afternoon I went to close by 2014 MS85 w/power lift gate and I had the same issue. It wouldn’t latch. I tried the “hold the lift gate button down” trick sure enough it’s back to working as it should.

Thanks for the tip, I love this forum.

 

[wodnik7]

Hello,

same happened to me today on a trip too. Holding the trunk button and pushing it once again helped too!

thank you!

 

[fabionomaz]

Mine would not latch closed, 2014 S, non power lift gate..... Just got it working by holding in the trunk button above the license plate for 10 or 15 seconds, then rapid taps of the same button. I could hear the actuator pop back to the home position, and now works again!

Thank you!!! Probably saved me from being charged $250+ by service center since they just replace and don't seem to try and fix. Huuuuge help, so glad to have a closing truck and AP after days of dealing with it.

 

[cwellsatl]

Mine would not latch closed, 2014 S, non power lift gate..... Just got it working by holding in the trunk button above the license plate for 10 or 15 seconds, then rapid taps of the same button. I could hear the actuator pop back to the home position, and now works again!

Thanks you saved me days of being pissed off about this. It worked perfectly on my 2016 Model S! I owe you a beer or dinner!