Yellow bands of death can disable some touchscreen controls

[TrevTremaine]

As mentioned in the original post (which I guess might have been a little too long): I have had nothing but fantastic customer service from Tesla in the past. I have contacted them regarding the yellow screen several times. I continue to have nothing but the highest regard for the people at my SC.

What I heard from my SC was that a permanent fix is still being explored by engineering. The SC gave me no ETA for a repair. This is a worrisome situation since Tesla is selling brand new cars right now. Are they selling those cars with a known defect? If not, are they withholding a permanent fix for existing customers? I feel these are important questions.

Part of the reason I originally posted this information was to refute some of the rumors such as a software fix, which obviously would not work since the yellow is reflective and therefore both blocks the light from the screen and reflects sunlight hitting it.

Another reason for this post was to show that this yellowing can worsen into more than a cosmetic issue.

I am a staunch Tesla supporter and want them to succeed. I've driven electric since 2013 and will never go back. In my opinion, excellent customer service is just as important as manufacturing an excellent car. Relegating customers to stare at their yellowing screens for months or years on end, is not, in my opinion, the kind of customer service that will encourage future sales or glowing recommendations

Well, when I had my S in last week, I was told that the "fix" was going to be some kind of liquid put on the screen (but the final fix wasn't firm and still under investigation). The service tech said it would be an owner's cost to replace the screen. All I can say is I hope this isn't true. I have doubts that some liquid applied with actually hold up. I suspect that part of the problem is that with the cashflow issues, and this would not be a cheap repair.

Let's see where this goes, but I'm certainly not pleased either.

 

[michidragon]

So a new screen is apparently available, but we can't have them unless we pay $1350 including a nice profit for Tesla. But there's... Plastic tape to make the border smaller! Promises of someday-fixes with UV Lights! Lotions and potions and liquids! Software fixes for hardware (materials) problems! - Someday! Someday in the undetermined future!

In other words: BS.

Get used to your yellow. Unless you want to pay Tesla for a non-deteriorating screen (while in warranty, which they mark up and make a profit on) - get used to your yellow.

The apologists and fanboys can continue to handwave away that its "not really a defect", "to be expected", "not Tesla's responsibility", "not a big deal", "customers are being unreasonable", "please understand that they're having money problems", etc etc etc.

I'll call it what it is: Tesla engaging in bad-faith and being customer-antagonistic. I fully believe the new screens don't yellow; but to save money all Tesla has had to do is say "No." to current owners. (Note: It helps to be a youtube influencer, if you are, you may get your screen replaced.)

At this point everyone has a choice: Shell out for the new screen that absolutely by no question should be in warranty (except the fanboys who are going to tell me that the yellowing that started 90 days after getting my Model S is 'normal wear and tear and to be expected and unreasonable to ask for tesla to cover') -- or get used to the yellow. Because vinyl tape, firmware color filters, UV lights and now, to top it all off, a "liquid they put on the screen", is all just BS.

People are mad, but obviously not mad enough for it to matter. Wonder what the next "coming someday!" fix will be. Perhaps installation of a new bezel that will reduce the screen size to 14 inches! Get on it, Tesla!

Meanwhile let me pay y'all five thousand dollars for a "HW3 Retrofit" that's definitely, definitely, no doubt, it's stupid to even question it, really really going to happen someday, someday, someday...

If it looks like a duck and f*s like a duck, it's a freaking duck.

 

[Ken7]

Unfortunately we don’t seem to have any solid proof that newly developed, non-yellowing, screens exist.

My SC insisted that once these new screens came in, they’d replace it at no charge.

What to believe?

 

[Kevin Bohacz]

I asked about this on my 2017 90D and was told that you can pay (out of pocket) for an immediate replacement screen or wait for the software fix. This was last week. Truly feels like they can't get a good replacement screen that won't have the problem reoccur.

I suspect nothing except a replacement screen will be a permanent fix. Screens that can handle higher temps are available, and have been available in one form or another for decades. They are designed for tougher environmental applications: rugged notebook computers, outdoor signage, commercial, military, aerospace, and etc. etc. These displays are just more expensive than your average notebook computer display which is not designed for the 130F to 172F temps of a parked car in sunlight. So if temperature is the problem then it can be fixed. If sunlight UV is the problem then slap a UV filter over the screen.

I do not see how software can fix this kind of yellow band of death because it is reflective. The yellow will reflect ambient light such as sunlight overpowering the glow of the display behind the reflection. The reflective nature of the yellow band will also reflect back light from the screen i.e. filtering any light coming from the screen. So in engineering terms there is a double whammy working against any software fix.

I only have 12,000 miles on my car, keep it in a garage, and the screen looks this bad. My SC said it's the worst screen they have seen and yet it is not being immediately replaced. I am being told to wait and wait and wait. I've had this problem for six months. That's 1/3 of the time I have owned the car.

I do not believe Tesla is putting defective screens into new cars as they roll off the assembly line. That would be an ethical morass that could turn into a legal nightmare (lemon laws, bad press, and etc.). I've got to believe Tesla is smarter than that. So I suspect they have screens that will permanently fix or greatly mitigate the problem going into new cars. I think all of us with this problem would sure like one of those new screens for our cars under warrantee

 

[mknox]

However, apparently there are Model S screens that are functioning properly. Whether some of those are new iterations of the screen and others simply screens that for what ever reason are defect-free, we don’t know.

I drove my 2013 Model S for 5 years / 100,000 miles with absolutely no issues with the screen. This was long before "Cabin Overheat Protection" was added, so it saw all kinds of extreme temperatures over the years and no yellowing or any other problems.

My 2018 Model X screen yellowed in the first 6 month of ownership and was replaced by Tesla.

So yes, this seems to be a somewhat more current issue.

 

[Dan Baldwin]

Why cant Tesla be more transparent and issue some kind of policy statement regarding this clearly defined problem that affects many of its customers. Tell us there is a fix or tell us there is no current fix but work is being done, or tell us a fix is impossible or , tell us that the company doesn't care ..... just tell us something Tesla ! This isn't the first Tesla problem where the only source of information is from highly varying anecdotal reports from SC experiences. Would it cost Tesla money to actually tell their customers what the hell is going on ? Would it be bad publicity or hurt sales ? I'm just trying to understand.

 

[ElectricWeasel]

A couple of points:
1. Automotive glass blocks UV radiation so a car sitting outside does not expose the screen to UV. There are older camera lenses that yellow over time that allegedly are cleared up by exposure to UV light.

2. Our 2013 S85 never had a yellowing problem over the course of 45K+ miles over 3 years, while our 2016 P100DL+ developed the yellow band within 6 months of new. Not so yellow as to interfere with screen operation but annoying none the less.

 

[Kevin Bohacz]

Why cant Tesla be more transparent and issue some kind of policy statement regarding this clearly defined problem that affects many of its customers.

From your lips to god's ears

 

[Kevin Bohacz]

Automotive glass blocks UV radiation so a car sitting outside does not expose the screen to UV. There are older camera lenses that yellow over time that allegedly are cleared up by exposure to UV light.

Thank you, I was wondering if all the windows blocked UV in some way (metallized glass or something).

UV lights are used to "cure" (as in harden) certain types of glue used in displays and other applications. But I have yet to find any scholarly or engineering articles that show UV light remediating yellowing in a display. So I have my doubts about UV used as anything but a temporary fix (if that). The glue dries chemically. To return it to its original liquid state would seem to require a chemical reaction that would likely be destructive to the display.

Were I in Tesla's engineering department I would say keep it simple (KISS) and replace the display. Were I in Tesla's management loop, I would say your first loss is your best loss, and replace the display before the media and word of mouth turn this into a PR mess that costs far more in the long term than a 100% display replacement policy.

 

[whitex]

That would be quite shady of tesla, to wait until the car is out of warranty.
Although I’m sure they’d still be responsible for repairs since the issue was brought to them when the car was still under warranty.

They would be no more responsible later than they are now, but car being out of warranty limits options to go after them (no lemon law for example), plus they might hope people just won't care after few years, or just sell the out of warranty car and the new owner will have no basis for a claim.

 

[whitex]

If we’re going to take things to logical extremes to try and make a point, I’ll ask my original question again. Is the light switch in your bedroom “disabled” or “broken” when it’s dark and you can’t see it? Of course not.

If the edge of my iPhone had a yellow border, The space bar wouldn’t be broken or disabled.

Imagine a bar covering not the bottom of your iPhone, but the "qwerty" row of your on-screen keyboard making you not able to see the screen. Would you argue the iPhone functionality is not partially disabled? Btw, Tesla has the most buttons along the bottom edge, so the spacebar example doesn't work.

 

[Droschke]

So yes, this seems to be a somewhat more current issue.

Our 2013 S85 never had a yellowing problem over the course of 45K+ miles over 3 years, while our 2016 P100DL+ developed the yellow band within 6 months of new. Not so yellow as to interfere with screen operation but annoying none the less.

Adding the same as well. I've 43K on my S85 built on Feb. 2015. I do not have this issue and my screen looks as pristine as day one.

 

[PhilDavid]

Adding the same as well. I've 43K on my S85 built on Feb. 2015. I do not have this issue and my screen looks as pristine as day one.

So did they have screens that don't yellow before switching to a different defective display that yellows?

Do we know conclusively if the displays they are shipping now don't have the yellow border defect?

 

[ucmndd]

So did they have screens that don't yellow before switching to a different defective display that yellows?

Yes, but they had another unfortunate problem where they developed bubbles under the glass and leaked sticky goo all over the console. Not sure which is worse...

Do we know conclusively if the displays they are shipping now don't have the yellow border defect?

I don’t think anybody knows for certain. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re still building cars with the same part.

 

[PhilDavid]

Yes, but they had another unfortunate problem where they developed bubbles under the glass and leaked sticky goo all over the console. Not sure which is worse...


I don’t think anybody knows for certain. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re still building cars with the same part.

Well the only good thing about the sticky goo leaking is that they can't tell with a straight face that the leaky goo can be fixed with a software update

 

[Kevin Bohacz]

Well the only good thing about the sticky goo leaking is that they can't tell with a straight face that the leaky goo can be fixed with a software update

Don't forget the UV lights, magic wands, and Dumbledore elixir rumored fixes. What will they think of next?

Just to be 100% sure, I have been searching and searching, but have yet to find any scholarly or engineering articles that show UV light remediating yellowing in a display. Has anyone found anything from a reliable source on this?

UV lights are used to "cure" (as in harden) certain types of glue used in displays and other applications, but I have found nothing about them CURING yellow discolorations of said glue.

 

[Decibelle]

Don't forget the UV lights, magic wands, and Dumbledore elixir rumored fixes. What will they think of next?

Just to be 100% sure, I have been searching and searching, but have yet to find any scholarly or engineering articles that show UV light remediating yellowing in a display. Has anyone found anything from a reliable source on this?

UV lights are used to "cure" (as in harden) certain types of glue used in displays and other applications, but I have found nothing about them CURING yellow discolorations of said glue.

Maybe they have hired a dentist to take care of the yellow “stains”.....they do use UV light to whiten teeth.

 

[Ken7]

Maybe they have hired a dentist to take care of the yellow “stains”.....they do use UV light to whiten teeth.

I’ll try some whitening toothpaste along with my electric toothbrush. I’ll report back later.

 

[Kevin Bohacz]

Okay, I have now exhausted all possible sources of information regarding repairing discolored screens. There is plenty of information and discussions about computer screens in notebooks and tablets discoloring along the edges due to glue. The solution was invariably replacement of the screen under warrantee. I could find no company that even attempted to fix a discolored display in the field.

I was unable to find any engineering or scholarly documents discussing the use of UV light to fix a screen discolored due to glue. So in my opinion that is a rumor. Software fixes won’t work due to the reflective nature of the discoloration. So in my opinion that too is a rumor. So replacement seems to be the only real world solution.

Does anyone have any engineering information to the contrary?

 

[sdoorex]

I have a 2013 S P85 and have had a double whammy with my MCU. My original screen developed the bubbling issue, likely due to heat because I park outside at work and never enabled COP since I assumed Tesla would use heat resistant components in a car and I never have children or animals in my car. They replaced it last spring and within a couple months my replacement screen developed the yellow banding. I have been waiting for a replacement or even an ETA, yet to receive anything buy "indefinite", since September.

I'm currently on an ESA which will likely expire in a few months when I cross 100k so here's hoping that they honor my service ticket when a fix is available even if I'm out of warranty. They did not want to cover the screen replacement due to bubbling on the ESA however they determined that a "fault" was occurring with my MCU that was causing a myriad of other issues and ended up replacing the whole unit.