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Hoovie: Rented Tesla Model S..it broke
Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 7:15 pm
by kevm14
Re: Hoovie: Rented Tesla Model S..it broke
Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:11 pm
by Bob
Re: Hoovie: Rented Tesla Model S..it broke
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 7:36 am
by kevm14
It does seem to be overly mechanically complex.
That said, my STS could technically have a somewhat similar issue.
Since it has keyless proximity entry/start, the way the door handles work on this particular implementation, the handle itself is not directly connected to the latch mechanism. What they do instead is have two microswitches inside the handle. The first triggers at roughly half a pull and unlocks all doors. This is similar to newer cars which do that when you press a button or touch the handle. The second switch triggers when you pull the handle all the way, and actually pops the latch with a solenoid (like a C6 Corvette or CTS coupe), allowing the door to open. The front door handles each have small antennas to detect the fob, allowing this to happen when the handle is pulled.
Well, those microswitches can fail leaving you without a way to enter that door. I believe at least one handle on my car has been replaced via service history, and I would bet that is why.
All that said, I prefer the STS implementation to the overwrought motor thing that the Tesla is doing. Microswitches and solenoids are not high technology and should be more reliable over the long haul.
Re: Hoovie: Rented Tesla Model S..it broke
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 7:40 am
by kevm14
Looking at my Carfax...
Outside door handle replaced on 10/29/09 with 39,631. The car would have been on the road about 4-1/2 years and 40k. So, pretty early. That said, I see no other replacements in the history and it's now going on 13 years old with 131k. So the replacement (whichever one it was) seems to be holding up just fine.