Uncommanded Entry Into "Jack Mode" When Parked

[Jocko1525]

I experienced the subject issue after parking in a spot that had a slight incline up. I parked over a low curb which had PLENTY of clearance under the front spoiler (which was verified after initially parking).

After an hour, when starting the vehicle to depart, I noticed a vehicle alert indicating it had entered "Jack Mode". The front end suspension had dropped down resulting in the spoiler resting on the curb! Recognizing this was an error potentially likely caused by bad or inaccurate sensor, I accessed the screen in an attempt to disengage the Jack Mode. The vehicle would NOT allow me to deselect it. This forced me to back out of the parking spot with the front spoiler scraping the curb and then suddenly dropping down after clearing the curb.

I then moved the vehicle (it remained in Jack Mode) to another, more level spot away from the curb and parked. This time, I was able to deselect the Jack Mode and the vehicle suspension raised to Standard height. Needless to say, the bottom of the spoiler was badly scraped.

Since the vehicle is less than a month old, I scheduled a service appointment to address the issue (along with a driver's mirror misalignment and software issues related to Easy Entry and random display changing problems). The service center personnel indicated they were aware of other reports regarding spontaneous entry into Jack Mode but that Tesla's position is that the functional design is based on safety (i.e. maintaining level vehicle position) and that it is the driver's responsibility to manually set the suspension to HIGH or VERY HIGH ANYTIME a vehicle is parked over a curb IN ANTICIPATION of the vehicle possibly spontaneously lowering the front suspension causing the front spoiler to rest on a curb. This is blatantly unacceptable as drivers should NOT be required to manually raise the suspension every time they park over a curb.

The service center technician agreed to my request to submit an "internal" firmware change request which will allow the driver to override the Jack Mode under such conditions. I have little confidence that the request will actually be submitted and, even if it is, will be ignored. Since it only occurs when the vehicle is parked, it does not impact safety. It will, however, prevent unnecessary vehicle damage. As with any issue, manufacturers (Tesla) will only take action if a a significant number of owners report the issue. Hopefully, other owners will take the time to submit forum entries if/when a similar issue occurs to them.

 

[cgrubbe]

I had a similar situation this week, parked in a spot with a slight incline and it went into jack mode. Wasn't over a curb so no harm done, but it was odd that it randomly happened. I was able to take it out of jack mode before I moved it.
It's odd behavior, but seems like there are quite a few reports of it here and elsewhere.

 

[animorph]

Might go along with random Exit Mode activations while driving. Some badly behaved software writing where it shouldn't.

 

[hacer]

...it is the driver's responsibility to manually set the suspension to HIGH or VERY HIGH ANYTIME a vehicle is parked over a curb IN ANTICIPATION of the vehicle possibly spontaneously lowering the front suspension causing the front spoiler to rest on a curb. This is blatantly unacceptable as drivers should NOT be required to manually raise the suspension every time they park over a curb.

The height setting being high or very high would be meaningless if you anticipate it settling - the end point would still be the lower position once settled making the suggestion pointless. My guess is that you misunderstood them. I think they mean to say that it's your responsibility to NOT hang the vehicle over a crub in anticipation of the car settling.

I experienced the subject issue after parking in a spot that had a slight incline up. I parked over a low curb which had PLENTY of clearance under the front spoiler (which was verified after initially parking) ... This forced me to back out of the parking spot with the front spoiler scraping the curb and then suddenly dropping down after clearing the curb.

The full range of adjustment of the air suspension is only 2.09 inches (from very high to lowered). If you started in Standard-Height, then the change to the lowest is only 0.79 inches. So it's hard to imaging both "plenty of clearance" before and then "suddenly dropping down after clearing the curb". You probably only had some clearance before, not "plenty". There is an exception: if your air suspension is broken and all pressure is lost it can go lower. If the service center discovers a leak they should also replace your spoiler. Since you check your clearance as a matter of routine if you observe that you're hanging over the curb you should back out a bit to avoid any future problems.

I then moved the vehicle (it remained in Jack Mode) to another, more level spot away from the curb and parked. This time, I was able to deselect the Jack Mode and the vehicle suspension raised to Standard height. Needless to say, the bottom of the spoiler was badly scraped.

As soon as the car was no longer hanging on the curb, you can disable the jack mode.

The service center technician agreed to my request to submit an "internal" firmware change request which will allow the driver to override the Jack Mode under such conditions. ... Since it only occurs when the vehicle is parked, it does not impact safety. It will, however, prevent unnecessary vehicle damage.

Sadly, jack mode can't be disabled while the car detects that it is being supported by something (in this case the curb). It is a safety issue because it would be dangerous to disable jack mode while the car is actually on a jack. Erring on the side of safety of a person working on the vehicle should take precedence over minor damage to the vehicle.

I once had a similar experience. While parking I rode up over the curb, but didn't realize I had done so (the stereo was turned up when I parked). When I returned to the car it was in jack mode and like you, I was forced to drive back off the curb. At first I thought this was the fault of the car, but with the suspension back to normal I used a stick I found nearby to measure the clearance. The curb was actually just slightly higher than the spoiler, maybe 1/8 inch. I think due to the slope of the spoiler it goes up much easier and quieter than it comes down, also the stereo was off when I backed off the curb so I heard the scrapping. The good news is that you really can't see the scratches unless you get down and the ground to look for them.

 

[Stiction]

I always raise the suspension. call me paranoid. It's why I got the air.

(I'm an engineer

 

[Jocko1525]

The height setting being high or very high would be meaningless if you anticipate it settling - the end point would still be the lower position once settled making the suggestion pointless. My guess is that you misunderstood them. I think they mean to say that it's your responsibility to NOT hang the vehicle over a crub in anticipation of the car settling.


The full range of adjustment of the air suspension is only 2.09 inches (from very high to lowered). If you started in Standard-Height, then the change to the lowest is only 0.79 inches. So it's hard to imaging both "plenty of clearance" before and then "suddenly dropping down after clearing the curb". You probably only had some clearance before, not "plenty". There is an exception: if your air suspension is broken and all pressure is lost it can go lower. If the service center discovers a leak they should also replace your spoiler. Since you check your clearance as a matter of routine if you observe that you're hanging over the curb you should back out a bit to avoid any future problems.

As soon as the car was no longer hanging on the curb, you can disable the jack mode.


Sadly, jack mode can't be disabled while the car detects that it is being supported by something (in this case the curb). It is a safety issue because it would be dangerous to disable jack mode while the car is actually on a jack. Erring on the side of safety of a person working on the vehicle should take precedence over minor damage to the vehicle.

I once had a similar experience. While parking I rode up over the curb, but didn't realize I had done so (the stereo was turned up when I parked). When I returned to the car it was in jack mode and like you, I was forced to drive back off the curb. At first I thought this was the fault of the car, but with the suspension back to normal I used a stick I found nearby to measure the clearance. The curb was actually just slightly higher than the spoiler, maybe 1/8 inch. I think due to the slope of the spoiler it goes up much easier and quieter than it comes down, also the stereo was off when I backed off the curb so I heard the scrapping. The good news is that you really can't see the scratches unless you get down and the ground to look for them.

Good to know the spec regarding the full range of adjustment of the air suspension (2.09"). Would also be useful to know where the sensor that caused the errant "Jack Mode" to occur is located. The problem may be resolved by relocating the sensor.

For the engineers out there, a few measurements taken can explain why it appeared that "plenty" of clearance existed between the visible bottom of the front spoiler and the top of the curb. The curb height was 5". In the "Standard" height, there is ~7 5/8" clearance underneath the spoiler at the point it meets with black protective panel/fairing. A key detail is the vehicle was parked on a 10-15 deg incline. This gives the (apparently) false visual impression that more than sufficient clearance exists.

However, the protective panel/fairing slopes downward as you move aft. The distance the vehicle protruded over the curb was 19" which also coincided with the point at which the scrape damage began. At the 19" aft position, the ground clearance is only 5 1/4" on a level surface. The issue would probably not have occurred had the vehicle been parked on a level surface. With the vehicle positioned on an incline, it's apparent the curb contacted the protective panel/fairing. Having sensed the contact, the vehicle tried to adjust the suspension downward and, when unable to do so, went into "Jack Mode". This induces unintended and unavoidable damage which could have been prevented if the driver was able to override the Jack Mode and raise the suspension back to Standard Mode (or higher) before backing away from the curb.

Fortunately, since the damage only occurred on the bottom surface of the protective panel/fairing, it can be prevented by following Stiction's action to be "paranoid" and raise the suspension when parking over curbs (especially on inclined surfaces).