What the heck is the deal with this aspect of the Falcon Doors?

[Brandon332]

Hey guys,

It's taken way too long for me to really consider this, but to me the way the Falcon Wing Doors open right now when they detect an obstacle makes no sense. We got our MX back in July, and back then, when the doors detected an obstacle say a foot and a half away, they opened tight and slow, and opened fully. But after a couple updates, now (as I'm sure everyone is aware), when you're parked very closely to something, they open slowly but only like 2/3 of the way open. It's really annoying because the door is in the way, and seems to defeat the purpose of the doors in the first place. It also makes no sense, because the door has already cleared the obstacle, and the only way to open more is to override with the annoying noise.

To me it makes absolutely no sense, and for whatever reason nothing has every really been posted on the forums about it. What's everyone else think about this?

 

[John Green]

Limbo cool, limbo fine
Ev'rybody gets a chance
Clap your hands it's party time
Do the limbo dance

 

[outie]

Right, I've talked about this issue long time ago I think it started around v8.0 update +/-. It's really stupid as like you said after it cleared the obstacles there's more than enough space to wide open but it doesn't.

FWD not opening fully with 8.0

After all these months I just kind of got used to this annoying problem as I have no way to solve this. I reported it to Tesla and nothing was done. No one else seems to report to be annoyed by this. They are dancing around their perfect car with no issue for a year. What can I do?

I also pointed out during the presentation of the original X they have 2 cars parked real close to the X and it showcased what you and I experienced before the updates. After all these updates it doesn't do that any more.

What they showed you:

What you get:

 

[mdX-]

Same thing happened to me. One partial solution is to go to controls and set "Full open at this location". This usually works in my garage.

 

[alcibiades]

I've noticed this happening more frequently too.

I just chalk it up to "Tesla's programmers have no ****ing clue and don't give a damn."

Now that I realize it's a fleet wide "update", I'll call in to my SC and the 800#.

 

[mal_tsla]

It looks like the doors have become more conservative. They're now assuming the obstacle is tall, like many giant trucks around here instead of assuming they're cars.

To avoid contact with a tall truck near the car, the doors are now avoiding protruding much further than the detected distance, where previously they were assuming they would open "up and above" the obstacle.

More sensors or use of AP2 cameras could probably present a Best of Both solution?

 

[alcibiades]

It looks like the doors have become more conservative. They're now assuming the obstacle is tall, like many giant trucks around here instead of assuming they're cars.

To avoid contact with a tall truck near the car, the doors are now avoiding protruding much further than the detected distance, where previously they were assuming they would open "up and above" the obstacle.

More sensors or use of AP2 cameras could probably present a Best of Both solution?

Yeah, as the OP said, this update has made the doors an inconvenience. Maybe Elon is anti-selling the X now, too.

 

[mal_tsla]

Or they've had reports of the doors hitting taller obstructions and are reacting to prevent that?

It's definitely annoying but it would be more annoying to deal with damage to either the X or the truck next to it.

More likely than anti-selling?

 

[jameslew]

LOL, fwiw, I think the FWD are hard to get right. My kids have hit me twice in the head with them now in just the first weekend. Of course I think that means the kids have the problem, not the doors, but...

The subject of your post btw is hilarious. It's like clickbait formatted ;-).

 

[alcibiades]

Or they've had reports of the doors hitting taller obstructions and are reacting to prevent that?

It's definitely annoying but it would be more annoying to deal with damage to either the X or the truck next to it.

More likely than anti-selling?

1. No doubt it is either a poorly coded over-reaction to poor sensor performance, or it is a concession that the doors are hopeless.

2. When people can barely get out of the back of the car when there is no obstruction, it is more than an annoyance. It is a giant pain in the ass and a 100K ridiculous and embarrassing failure. "Ok everybody out of the car before we park!"

3. Ya, think?

 

[mal_tsla]

One can still open the door fully, albeit with that annoying loud beep. Fwiw, this problem doesn't happen that often for us (it HAS happened, tho), with the doors actually occasionally spooking me as they go up fully next to a lifted Tahoe when I wasn't sure myself that there was clearance. Possibly there's some adjustment that can be made or maybe we are just lucky.

I would personally prefer if the doors were more like the lift gate, where one can simply push it up and open manually if it stops short, free from any loud beeping drama or super slow motorized action.

 

[beths11]

I thought it was a "fix" for all the squeaky FWD. It is in the last degrees of full opening that the doors make the "groaning/squeaky" sound, so let's not open them fully.

 

[outie]

I thought it was a "fix" for all the squeaky FWD. It is in the last degrees of full opening that the doors make the "groaning/squeaky" sound, so let's not open them fully.

No, it only happens when there are adjacent cars/objects close to the FWDs.

 

[TJtv]

The best solution seems to be to park further out in the parking lot where you won't have cars in the adjacent parking spaces. Also helps to avoid door dings AND gets you a little bit of exercise!

 

[outie]

I don't think you get the point. Why did Elon specifically show the X sandwiched between the 2 cars?

He should've moved the car away from the 2 cars, open the doors wide and high, and walk out saying TA-DA!

 

[boelkers]

Took delivery of my MX yesterday and noticed this while still in the showroom. I stood 2 feet from the door to see it sense and it gets up a ways and stops. The delivery specialist told me that its because the car knows its inside so it doesn't want to open all the way. I called BS since it has all the sensors and there was no overhead obstructions. Ceiling height was at least 20ft and about 15ft to the garage door opener. That frustrates me even more to know this is a widespread software issue. I was hoping the car just needed to "learn" more.

 

[outie]

Took delivery of my MX yesterday and noticed this while still in the showroom. I stood 2 feet from the door to see it sense and it gets up a ways and stops. The delivery specialist told me that its because the car knows its inside so it doesn't want to open all the way. I called BS since it has all the sensors and there was no overhead obstructions. Ceiling height was at least 20ft and about 15ft to the garage door opener. That frustrates me even more to know this is a widespread software issue. I was hoping the car just needed to "learn" more.

Actually the specialist is right. Even in a large warehouse (like Tesla service center) the car will only open in umbrella mode. You can tell whether it's having issue opening to the full height or just in umbrella mode. If it looks like my photo above it's having issue. If it opens half way, with the upper part at 45 degree and lower part spreading wide, it's in umbrella mode. Also in umbrella mode you just need to push the FWD button once to open to full height instead of holding it to override.

 

[vandacca]

The roof sensors can't see overhead obstructions over the complete length of the car, so it appears to map obstructions as it drives into a building and then uses the lowest point (in my case the entry doorway) as a safe opening height. It uses that for both the rear hatch and FWD.

 

[boelkers]

Actually the specialist is right. Even in a large warehouse (like Tesla service center) the car will only open in umbrella mode. You can tell whether it's having issue opening to the full height or just in umbrella mode. If it looks like my photo above it's having issue. If it opens half way, with the upper part at 45 degree and lower part spreading wide, it's in umbrella mode. Also in umbrella mode you just need to push the FWD button once to open to full height instead of holding it to override.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll retest this tonight when I get home. I was not aware of umbrella mode.

 

[ryantank]

I tried parking my Model X in my extremely tight garage and opening up the falcon doors with the garage door opener hanging down towards the front part of the car. The car was already off at the time. I was curious if the doors would sense the garage door opener box hanging from the ceiling, but unfortunately it did not and the top driver-side glass was pierced and had get to get it replaced. I am guessing that this is a weak point for the X? It's not able to always "see" a single object hanging down from the ceiling vs. the actual height of the ceiling?