Motion Sickness - New Shocks?

[ccwsf]

2020 MY LR with MPP Lift Kit. 35K miles. Recently passengers have started to complain about motion sickness. Nothing wrong but I suspect that the shocks have worn thus it sways more. It is a heavier than normal car and with it higher than normal it wouldn't surprise me that the torque on the shocks are higher.

Is the solution just new shocks? Should I get a new MPP coilover? Do I need strut or any other type of suspension work?

 

[Altes]

switch to chill mode, they are not used to the acceleration

 

[Pianewman]

ccwsf: MPP Lift Kit only, or combined with strut upgrade?

I've got 37k miles (47k on the car) on MPP coilovers, from July 2021. Still very stable at all speeds, I like them very much.

Motion sickness? My back seat rarely gets used, so I'm no help there.

 

[AtomMoose]

Could it be that the hatch seal compression drifted over time? The infamous low frequency buffeting issue that can occur when the hatch stops aren't just right can cause feelings of uneasiness.

 

[TesLEEZ]

The Lift kit is just a body lift, the suspension shouldn't really be affected. Perhaps you should make the upgrade to the OEM 2023 Tesla comfort struts and rear springs.

 

[WheresMyKeys]

If you're not in Chill mode I'd give that a go when passengers are on board and see if it helps. I've come to enjoy chill mode myself, to the point where I think chill should've been standard / default and standard should've been sport. Just my humble opinion.

 

[nate704]

The Lift kit is just a body lift, the suspension shouldn't really be affected. Perhaps you should make the upgrade to the OEM 2023 Tesla comfort struts and rear springs.

It has everything to do with that aftermarket lift kit.
Physics.
Higher (lifted) car wobbles (sways) more.

 

[GtiMart]

Many people attribute motion sickness to the regen. Not the fact that the car regens itself but that if the driver isn't "stable" in their application of the accelerator pedal they might make the car accel/decel/accel all the time. Try to keep your foot more stable if you can (or try TACC/AP to see if it helps). This effect would obviously be compounded if you have a softer suspension and/or are lifted.

 

[ccwsf]

switch to chill mode, they are not used to the acceleration

No it's always been in chill mode with passengers. This is something new.

 

[ccwsf]

It has everything to do with that aftermarket lift kit.
Physics.
Higher (lifted) car wobbles (sways) more.

I get that. But I've had the lift kit for 3 years now. This is a new thing. I'm figuring the lift kit causes faster wear in the shocks (much as the regen/heaviness causes faster tire wear).

 

[ccwsf]

Many people attribute motion sickness to the regen. Not the fact that the car regens itself but that if the driver isn't "stable" in their application of the accelerator pedal they might make the car accel/decel/accel all the time. Try to keep your foot more stable if you can (or try TACC/AP to see if it helps). This effect would obviously be compounded if you have a softer suspension and/or are lifted.

Understood. This is a relatively new problem. I'm thinking the shocks have just "worn out"...

 

[Pianewman]

ccwsf: How many miles with the lift kit? How many miles over challenging terrain?

 

[ccwsf]

ccwsf: MPP Lift Kit only, or combined with strut upgrade?

I've got 37k miles (47k on the car) on MPP coilovers, from July 2021. Still very stable at all speeds, I like them very much.

Motion sickness? My back seat rarely gets used, so I'm no help there.

No I didn't get the strut upgrade. Did you get one? What's the purpose/value of the strut upgrade?

 

[Chewy13]

I get that. But I've had the lift kit for 3 years now. This is a new thing. I'm figuring the lift kit causes faster wear in the shocks (much as the regen/heaviness causes faster tire wear).

So same passengers that have already ridden in the back, and now they're getting motion sickness? Just trying to figure out the constants, and the variables.
If the shocks are blown, then the back will get bouncy (in any car, not just a Tesla).
The best is when this happens in a cab.. or if they're constantly on the gas/brakes.. makes for a great cab ride.

You should be able to tell if the shocks are toast if you enlist the help of a friend. Either your friend drives your car, and you drive behind - and watch for the wheels to chatter over even the slightest bumps/pot holes (or vice versa, you drive - friend watches). After a bump or pot hole, the shock should dampen the chattering, and it should stop instantly. If the wheel visibly continues to bounce - then the shock isn't doing it's job.

 

[ccwsf]

ccwsf: How many miles with the lift kit? How many miles over challenging terrain?

Probably 25K with the lift kit. I live in the city so so lots of hills (and start and stops) as well as potholes/construction zones. So I think it's considered pretty challenging terrain.

 

[ccwsf]

Could it be that the hatch seal compression drifted over time? The infamous low frequency buffeting issue that can occur when the hatch stops aren't just right can cause feelings of uneasiness.

I suppose it could be an issue. Is it simply just adjusting the stops and seeing the difference?

 

[ccwsf]

The Lift kit is just a body lift, the suspension shouldn't really be affected. Perhaps you should make the upgrade to the OEM 2023 Tesla comfort struts and rear springs.

Tesla won't let me do that. I may get the Tein Enduro Pro Plus shocks.

 

[ccwsf]

So same passengers that have already ridden in the back, and now they're getting motion sickness? Just trying to figure out the constants, and the variables.
If the shocks are blown, then the back will get bouncy (in any car, not just a Tesla).
The best is when this happens in a cab.. or if they're constantly on the gas/brakes.. makes for a great cab ride.

You should be able to tell if the shocks are toast if you enlist the help of a friend. Either your friend drives your car, and you drive behind - and watch for the wheels to chatter over even the slightest bumps/pot holes (or vice versa, you drive - friend watches). After a bump or pot hole, the shock should dampen the chattering, and it should stop instantly. If the wheel visibly continues to bounce - then the shock isn't doing it's job.

Ok. Thanks. Are shocks either working or not (aka digital)? Or do their performance degrade over time?

Seems simple enough just to swap the shocks and see whether it solves the problem.

 

[fholbert]

2020 MY LR with MPP Lift Kit. 35K miles. Recently passengers have started to complain about motion sickness. Nothing wrong but I suspect that the shocks have worn thus it sways more. It is a heavier than normal car and with it higher than normal it wouldn't surprise me that the torque on the shocks are higher.

Is the solution just new shocks? Should I get a new MPP coilover? Do I need strut or any other type of suspension work?

I hear the same from my pilot friends, their wife’s won’t fly with them. We go to lunch in their plane, they fly rough, make very abrupt turns and altitude corrections. I’ve been a pilot for 52 years and I’m getting queazy. I tell them to fly with two fingers, but they don’t get it.

Pretty sure it’s the way you drive. Try driving smoother.

 

[Chewy13]

Ok. Thanks. Are shocks either working or not (aka digital)? Or do their performance degrade over time?

Seems simple enough just to swap the shocks and see whether it solves the problem.

They’re filled with oil. When the seals go, they’ll fail slowly as the oil leaks out.