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Trouble getting your doors open? A tip ...

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cinergi

Active Member
Sep 17, 2010
2,176
42
MA
My local service manager told me the following after I mentioned how I sometimes had issues opening my doors. And it makes a lot of sense based on my experiences with the car.

If you pull on the handle before it's fully-extended (plus perhaps a bit of extra "stabilization" time), what you end up doing is causing the sensor to set a higher threshold for the pull-force required -- which means if you pull that much harder, it'll open. So, for now, *be patient* with the door handle extension and THEN reach for it and open the door. So far, this is working well for me.
 
My local service manager told me the following after I mentioned how I sometimes had issues opening my doors. And it makes a lot of sense based on my experiences with the car.

If you pull on the handle before it's fully-extended (plus perhaps a bit of extra "stabilization" time), what you end up doing is causing the sensor to set a higher threshold for the pull-force required -- which means if you pull that much harder, it'll open. So, for now, *be patient* with the door handle extension and THEN reach for it and open the door. So far, this is working well for me.

I think the door handles are groovy and demo as a cool gee-whiz feature, but . . . watching one of your videos, and now reading this, I wonder: Are they a pain? Have you or do you expect to get tired of them? Basically it takes longer to get into the car because one needs to touch them and wait for extension, right? I'm not dissing Telsa--just wondering what it's like in daily use.

Maybe I should ask you in a few months. ;-)
 
I think the door handles are groovy and demo as a cool gee-whiz feature, but . . . watching one of your videos, and now reading this, I wonder: Are they a pain? Have you or do you expect to get tired of them? Basically it takes longer to get into the car because one needs to touch them and wait for extension, right? I'm not dissing Telsa--just wondering what it's like in daily use.

Maybe I should ask you in a few months. ;-)

Heh, yeah ask me in a few months :smile:
Having never owned a car that lets me just walk up to it and get in, this is actually better than anything I've personally owned. Someone who has owned a keyless entry might be a little annoyed. I've gotten used to it, but I do feel like they need some (minor) work. And they definitely need to get the software that will let them auto-extend upon approaching the car worked out 'cuz that'll pretty much solve any lingering feeling of inefficiency.
 
I think the door handles would have to be extended as long as the car is stationary and hidden only when the car is running. So would solve all the discomfort with door handles, and it would be interesting to tell people of Tesla to do so.
 
I think the door handles are groovy and demo as a cool gee-whiz feature, but . . . watching one of your videos, and now reading this, I wonder: Are they a pain? Have you or do you expect to get tired of them? Basically it takes longer to get into the car because one needs to touch them and wait for extension, right? I'm not dissing Telsa--just wondering what it's like in daily use.

I wonder about this too. My wife is always yanking on the passenger door handle before I even get a chance to unlock it (and complains vigorously). Now I'll have to "train" her to stand there patiently and wait for the handle to extend and "stabilize". I can hardly wait!
 
Heh, yeah ask me in a few months :smile:
Having never owned a car that lets me just walk up to it and get in, this is actually better than anything I've personally owned. Someone who has owned a keyless entry might be a little annoyed. I've gotten used to it, but I do feel like they need some (minor) work. And they definitely need to get the software that will let them auto-extend upon approaching the car worked out 'cuz that'll pretty much solve any lingering feeling of inefficiency.

Interesting...I have manual (gasp!) door handles, but my other half has remote-controlled ones. Never seen a car with totally keyless entry, but now I'm thinking...while I'm used to the remote-key entry from the Murano, honestly most of the time I'm taking my car, i.e., take out key, unless, pull on handle. The S may not be any slower after all. Okay, I'll rethink, but check back with you in a few. ;-)
 
If I have to wait after the handles pop out, I might as well unlock the doors from the keyfob while I'm walking to the car. That way I just grab the handles and get in. Otherwise it's walk up to the door, press the handle, wait for it to extend, pause, yank. Kind of defeats the purpose of the tech package until they get the auto-extending when you approach working.
 
Since I have to have my key out to lock the house door anyway, I just use the keyfob to unlock the car (so I can easily unplug the car) and get right into the car since the handles will be extended. It really hasn't been that bad so far.
 
With the Prius you just walk up to it, wait for the beep and the interior lights to come on, and open it. The beep is instant when it's warm outside and maybe one or two seconds when it's cold. No muss, no fuss. If you pull before the beep nothing happens. However, when locking the car, there is a wait time of about five seconds, or maybe a little longer, before you can unlock it again. This is seldom an inconvenience.
 
If I have to wait after the handles pop out, I might as well unlock the doors from the keyfob while I'm walking to the car. That way I just grab the handles and get in. Otherwise it's walk up to the door, press the handle, wait for it to extend, pause, yank. Kind of defeats the purpose of the tech package until they get the auto-extending when you approach working.

Exactly! Where is the auto extending feature to solve this? Doesn't look like tesla has plans for this at all anymore,
 
I wonder about this too. My wife is always yanking on the passenger door handle before I even get a chance to unlock it (and complains vigorously). Now I'll have to "train" her to stand there patiently and wait for the handle to extend and "stabilize". I can hardly wait!
This isn't new to the Tesla handles. When I was a single-digit child, I made a habit of timing my initial attempt at door opening at exactly the same time as the unlock mechanism was triggered by the driver. Sometimes it made the door jam a little.

It wasn't really a conscious thing, it just happened a lot - like blinking for photographs.
 
I wonder about this too. My wife is always yanking on the passenger door handle before I even get a chance to unlock it (and complains vigorously). Now I'll have to "train" her to stand there patiently and wait for the handle to extend and "stabilize". I can hardly wait!

Just tell her that this system, when used properly, is much gentler on her manicure than any other alternative .