Interesting point. A modified install with a drain loop and a hole at the bottom of the loop (cable cover) might help avoid the problem.
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What to do when Power Frunk Completely Fails to Open?
- Thread starter JustAnotherY
- Start date
Interesting point. A modified install with a drain loop and a hole at the bottom of the loop (cable cover) might help avoid the problem.
Agreed, the cable is acting like a drain spout that water will eventually reach the motor internal parts.
It's the bad design of emergency release cable that made me decide to remove the power frunk. How can you pull it when you're pulling against the soft motor cable, there is no way because it's worm gear type motor.
It's the bad design of emergency release cable that made me decide to remove the power frunk. How can you pull it when you're pulling against the soft motor cable, there is no way because it's worm gear type motor.
That plus mount the motor as high as possible with the cable inlet being the lowest point. So if water does get in, it only puddles in the cable, not anything else.
You could also put a rubber boot over the cable to prevent water from coming in. Just like what they do on mountain bikes to prevent debris from entering the cable.
Do you still have the failed motor? What exactly does the emergency release cable connect to? Does it pull the gear away from the worm??
When your frunk suddenly opened while you were on the highway, did you pull the emergency release cable prior to that drive? I'm wondering if the latch did not have enough spring force to overcome the added friction of the motor and it required a bit of jiggling to help it.
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Please see attached picture and think of ways to unlatch when the soft close motor failed exactly at that position. Stronger spring won't even help on this situation so as the emergency release cable.
Attachments
I thought about mounting the motor higher, but since the latch side cannot move, I can't think of a location that would put the motor higher. I will open up the car in the next few days to see if there is a way. I like the rubber boot idea, although the cable might need to be cut at the end and re-terminated for the boot to slip over. Even an upside-down cone attached to the cable before the sheath inlet would do the job--it will just direct the water around the cable.
I am curious to know this too.
Luisito
Member
So, is this due to poor location (getting wet) or poor quality connectors or both?
Where is the emergency cable release and what does it connect to?
Location. I installed the Hansshow system in my Model S 3.5yrs ago and it still works great. No water issues whatsoever.
This image was taken from a random Youtube installation video. In this configuration, water would not leak into the sheath and down to the motor. If there is water incursion in the motor, it's coming from elsewhere.
Zhe Wiz
I’m Done Here
These things are crap in the northeast. Mine has failed once In 1.5 years. EVOffer replaced parts for free, but based on the design it’ll happen again. When it does I’ll be permanently removing it this time. Too bad. Very handy, use it all the time, but not worth the repeated installation/trouble.
According to the video, that is a Model Y.
What parts did you replace and what caused them to fail?
System failure is not uncommon but the lack of property designed emergency release is what made me roll-back to OEM setup.
Without the powered frunk, the frunk is now unused (Who wants to get their hands dirty?)
I'm still considering buying another power frunk kit once there's a new design especially the one that can be operated both ways, powered and manual. (Hello Hannshow???)
Without the powered frunk, the frunk is now unused (Who wants to get their hands dirty?)
I'm still considering buying another power frunk kit once there's a new design especially the one that can be operated both ways, powered and manual. (Hello Hannshow???)
Digging this thread up as I've just completed the removal of my TeslaOffer/EVOffer powered frunk on my 2020 Model 3.
What prompted this was the fact that I am now on my third latch motor after having bought the kit in July 2021, and fitted it shortly after. The first latch motor lasted until October last year, the second failed in late August this year. The first latch motor was replaced under warranty, but the second replacement I had to buy myself - at a cost of $70.
I wish I had found this thread before, because despite following all of the EVOffer instructions to the letter until I saw the photos in this thread I was at a loss to explain why my latch motors kept dying...
In addition to the latch motor failures, I have today received my second alert to tell me that my 12v battery needs replacing. Again, my car is only 3 1/2 years old. The first battery lasted until November last year (a year and.a bit after I installed both kits). The replacement 12v battery didn't even last a year. This is probably a bit of an edge case because I hardly drive my car, it was ordered before COVID lockdowns and I never went back to working in an office - consequently I have done 6300 miles since I got it in March 2020. For most people who drive their cars every day, or regularly, the car will be maintaining the 12v - but in my case because it can sit for 2 weeks or more at a time, it ends up having to wake itself up to maintain it, and this is quite likely due to the fact that both auto frunk and trunk are connected to a permanent live, so are a parasitic drain (even if small).
I also started to feel unsafe about the emergency pull cable actually working when I need it. I have been lucky that my car has detected when my 12v battery is failing, I've never actually had to use the emergency cable - but from the sounds of it there's a good chance it wouldn't even work anyway, and maybe definitely not if the latch motor failed in a way that doesn't release the hood.
Anyway, without further adieu - here are my two failed latch motors. The one on the right is the original, the other was installed for approx 10 months before failing.
It is clear as day that these latch motors are not water resistant, and are at great risk of failing if not adequately insulated - something EVOffer doesn't tell you to do.
The newer one shows less signs of rusting, but it is clear that it has been exposed and is on its way. Whatever exposure it has already had was enough to make it fail...
I couldn't get access to any PCB inside these units to see what state they were in, but after seeing this I realised I didn't really need to.
There was moisture inside both units, not obvious from the photos.
I would strongly recommend anyone who has these kits installed who hasn't already protected them from moisture - e.g. silicone, putting them in a water-tight bag, etc to check their condition.
For what it's worth after I expressed concern about the $70 replacement latch motor also failing, I was told by EVOffer that it was a "new design". I'm almost certain that was a lie, because the third one i have looks identical to the two that have failed.
As much as I enjoyed having these kits, and EVOffer have been mostly effective at communicating, I can't deal with the constant latch motor failures, the premature 12v battery expiration, and the risk of the emergency latch not working when I need it to.
What prompted this was the fact that I am now on my third latch motor after having bought the kit in July 2021, and fitted it shortly after. The first latch motor lasted until October last year, the second failed in late August this year. The first latch motor was replaced under warranty, but the second replacement I had to buy myself - at a cost of $70.
I wish I had found this thread before, because despite following all of the EVOffer instructions to the letter until I saw the photos in this thread I was at a loss to explain why my latch motors kept dying...
In addition to the latch motor failures, I have today received my second alert to tell me that my 12v battery needs replacing. Again, my car is only 3 1/2 years old. The first battery lasted until November last year (a year and.a bit after I installed both kits). The replacement 12v battery didn't even last a year. This is probably a bit of an edge case because I hardly drive my car, it was ordered before COVID lockdowns and I never went back to working in an office - consequently I have done 6300 miles since I got it in March 2020. For most people who drive their cars every day, or regularly, the car will be maintaining the 12v - but in my case because it can sit for 2 weeks or more at a time, it ends up having to wake itself up to maintain it, and this is quite likely due to the fact that both auto frunk and trunk are connected to a permanent live, so are a parasitic drain (even if small).
I also started to feel unsafe about the emergency pull cable actually working when I need it. I have been lucky that my car has detected when my 12v battery is failing, I've never actually had to use the emergency cable - but from the sounds of it there's a good chance it wouldn't even work anyway, and maybe definitely not if the latch motor failed in a way that doesn't release the hood.
Anyway, without further adieu - here are my two failed latch motors. The one on the right is the original, the other was installed for approx 10 months before failing.
It is clear as day that these latch motors are not water resistant, and are at great risk of failing if not adequately insulated - something EVOffer doesn't tell you to do.
The newer one shows less signs of rusting, but it is clear that it has been exposed and is on its way. Whatever exposure it has already had was enough to make it fail...
I couldn't get access to any PCB inside these units to see what state they were in, but after seeing this I realised I didn't really need to.
There was moisture inside both units, not obvious from the photos.
I would strongly recommend anyone who has these kits installed who hasn't already protected them from moisture - e.g. silicone, putting them in a water-tight bag, etc to check their condition.
For what it's worth after I expressed concern about the $70 replacement latch motor also failing, I was told by EVOffer that it was a "new design". I'm almost certain that was a lie, because the third one i have looks identical to the two that have failed.
As much as I enjoyed having these kits, and EVOffer have been mostly effective at communicating, I can't deal with the constant latch motor failures, the premature 12v battery expiration, and the risk of the emergency latch not working when I need it to.
It's hard to tell from the photos, but do you have any indication as to where the water is entering? Depending on the location of the install, water splash on the motor itself enough to cause this problem? There are theories that water was running down the cable sheath into the motor. It was plausible until I saw that the sheath was oriented in such way that water cannot enter and run down the cable (my earlier my post).
Edit: This video shows that the cable going straight down. If water does get into the area, it's a highway to route the water directly into the motor. Bad design.
I think it's just general moisture inside the frunk to be honest. I don't think it's necessarily actual water running down one or both of the cables that attach to the latch motor. I made a point of installing the second latch motor in a different place, but it made no difference.
I think it's basically a case - certainly in the UK anyway where it rains often - that the motor is effectively "exposed to the elements" inside of the frunk, because the plastic frunk shell doesn't actually form a watertight seal for the innards underneath. Oxidisation and rust is what is killing them in my case, I think.
I think it's basically a case - certainly in the UK anyway where it rains often - that the motor is effectively "exposed to the elements" inside of the frunk, because the plastic frunk shell doesn't actually form a watertight seal for the innards underneath. Oxidisation and rust is what is killing them in my case, I think.
Original motor worked from the middle of June 2021 until end of October 2022.
Second motor worked from the start of January 2023 (I couldn't be bothered to replace it as it was too cold) until late August.
So the second motor lasted about 8 months!
rice_bucket
Member
what i did was remove the power frunk ECU, suction motor and lock bracket. put everything to stock but leave the power struts. Now you can open and close the frunk but you would have to Manuel push down the frunk to lock it. other then that it works. you can use your screen , and your phone to open and closing it to the latch, but you will have to push down to lock it all the way
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