What's hiding under the Frunk?

[ToddRLockwood]

If you've been to a Tesla Store, then you've probably seen the rolling chassis or "skateboard" on display with its various gadgets up in the nose. Actually, there's a little more to it than what you saw. Here's a walk-through, beginning at the top of the image...

1. At the very top, the grey ribbed area is part of the battery pack, a taller part than the rest of it, containing the brains of the battery.

2. Just below that, centered, is the air conditioning compressor.

3. Below that is the power steering unit, with the steering rack behind it. Note the steering shaft angling off to the right.

4. Next are two coolant pumps on the far left and far right. I believe both are used for the battery pack.

5. Below the pumps, from left to right, are the suspension compressor, water heating/cooling unit, and the ABS system.

 

[MichaelS]

Wow. That's a lot of stuff under there. Thanks for posting the picture.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

...and what is the little thingy in the far right side of the picture, outside of the hex tubing?

I wanted to take my frunk out but now I don't need to, thanks :wink:

 

[ToddRLockwood]

...and what is the little thingy in the far right side of the picture, outside of the hex tubing?

There's actually one of those on each side. TPMS receiver perhaps? Airbag triggers?

 

[Majerus]

That looks worse then I figured, which brings up a question where would a motor for awd go?

 

[ToddRLockwood]

That looks worse then I figured, which brings up a question where would a motor for awd go?

Apparently, they've figured out how to do it on the Model X.

 

[Vger]

That looks worse then I figured, which brings up a question where would a motor for awd go?

I think that neatly explains why Elon keeps saying "not anytime soon" about AWD for Model S. It looks like they would have quite a bit of reengineering and repackaging to make it work. And of course one might lose most of the usable space in the front.

The Model X has a much taller nose, so it should be much easier to package all that and the front motor.

 

[Majerus]

Apparently, they've figured out how to do it on the Model X.

I agree with what Vger said the Model X allows more of a nose to hide the huge motor and inverter that is being used on model x. If that same solution was retrofitted into an S you would loose all the frunk, and very well may have to recertify with NHSTA which I am sure is not cheep.

MODEL X front drive assembly

 

[vfx]

Remember the X does not have as large a Frunk. Notably it looses the whole back section that the net covers. These things could be moved up into that space.

 

[aronth5]

That looks worse then I figured, which brings up a question where would a motor for awd go?

The Model X AWD mostly fits in the open space in the back of the Model S frunk. Model X with AWD is the picture to the right.

 

[vfx]

We were told during the Model X test ride that the prototype was NOT AWD.

Your frunk may vary.

 

[Geoff]

Thanks for posting the picture! Very cool to see the insides of the car!!

 

[andystj]

While it is a lot of stuff, it looks like service under there would be very straight-forward. Do you have any feel for the ease-of-service of the rack for instance?

Andy

 

[ToddRLockwood]

While it is a lot of stuff, it looks like service under there would be very straight-forward. Do you have any feel for the ease-of-service of the rack for instance?

Andy

Andy, I agree with you. Everything looks to be very easy to get at, including the steering rack. I also had one of my door handles replaced. The door handle assembly is quite elegant. It can be removed from the door in one piece and is designed so that water entering around the handle can't get near any of the electrical parts. Very cool.

 

[spatterso911]

Andy, I agree with you. Everything looks to be very easy to get at, including the steering rack. I also had one of my door handles replaced. The door handle assembly is quite elegant. It can be removed from the door in one piece and is designed so that water entering around the handle can't get near any of the electrical parts. Very cool.

How easy was it to get into the door? I'm working on a project and I want access to the inside of the door...

 

[DEinspanjer]

Andy, I agree with you. Everything looks to be very easy to get at, including the steering rack. I also had one of my door handles replaced. The door handle assembly is quite elegant. It can be removed from the door in one piece and is designed so that water entering around the handle can't get near any of the electrical parts. Very cool.

Todd, How much of the disassembly did you see? We just discovered a series of four vertical scratches on the driver side window glass that seem to match up with the shape of the door handle. I'm wondering if maybe there are possible contact points between the back side of the handle and the window when it is rolled down.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

How easy was it to get into the door? I'm working on a project and I want access to the inside of the door...

Getting into the door looked fairly straight-forward. The interior fascia comes off in one piece. I didn't watch the exact method and tools used. I suggest paying for a ranger visit (if you don't already have the service plan) and have him show you how it's done. Would be well worth the education.

- - - Updated - - -

Todd, How much of the disassembly did you see? We just discovered a series of four vertical scratches on the driver side window glass that seem to match up with the shape of the door handle. I'm wondering if maybe there are possible contact points between the back side of the handle and the window when it is rolled down.

I didn't watch that closely. Behind the interior fascia, there is a thin plastic dust/moisture cover that is sealed in place which covers a 10-inch hole giving access to the window regulator/motor & door handle unit. He used a blade to gently separate the soft black sealant from the sheet metal, so that the dust/moisture cover could be removed without damaging it. When he was finished, he used a pocket torch to soften up the sealant to the point where it would readily stick again. He made it look easy, but he's probably done it a hundred times.

Your window problem certainly sounds like a warranty issue. I suggest taking your car to the service center or having a ranger come by.

 

[TEG]

Great thread!
Thanks Todd

 

[vcor]

How easy was it to get into the door? I'm working on a project and I want access to the inside of the door...

I've pulled the passenger side door apart to look at replacing the speaker (a work in progress) about a month ago. I'll document it when I complete the project. The trick with the door is there are three hidden bolts that MUST be removed first. In the upper grip area (where you pull the door closed), there is a rubber part on the bottom. It is not glued in place. Pull it out to expose one screw that needs to be removed. Next, behind the door handle, there is a smaller black plastic cover. Snap the cover out by prying from the front of the car. It exposes two more bolts that need to be removed. After this, pry the snaps from the bottom and sides (they are really hard), with a plastic tool. If you've worked on other cars it's fairly simple. If you're new to car disassembly, be really careful and be sure to use non-metal tools so you don't scratch up parts. Once the door panel is loose, you'll find a ton of wires that connect to the various items on the door panel. I didn't need to disconnect them, as I only needed to look at the speaker (the 6.5" is a 2 ohm custom Tesla design). Next time I pull it off, I'll take pictures too.

What project are you considering?

 

[ZestyChicken]

They should put a transparent panel so you can look at the motor.