P85D shock issue (air suspension)

[BozieBeMe2]

Quick update on this: I spoke to the SC last week and the fix is still in development. The shocks are outsourced to Bilstein, so Tesla is waiting on them for the new product.

And, I was told this affects all P85D and 85D with air suspension. Non-air suspensions have a different set of shocks.

If this will affect all 85D's I am hoping for it to be corrected soon. Ours is scheduled for delivery, late July

 

[pax]

I think my P85D has this issue as well; banging sound from the right rear when going over bumpy roads / speed bumps. Car was delivered in May 2015 and has 1100 miles. Thanks MarkG for the post, I was starting to think about debugging this myself but now I will just talk to the folks at the SC about the redesigned shock. Still happy I got the air suspension, I find that I use it all the time to avoid hitting concrete curbs and bottoming out on parking lot ramps. Hope this problem gets fixed, it is annoying.

 

[wk057]

Just saw this thread. I may ask about this. My first annual service is coming up (mileage) very soon. I haven't experienced the sound, however.

 

[3mp_kwh]

Just a little thread art-

​

Still happy I got the air suspension, I find that I use it all the time to avoid hitting concrete curbs and bottoming out on parking lot ramps.

Please don't take offense, but if you're serious, I think this is a pretty silly reason to go with....

air suspension.

In my opinion, this should not be a factor in your decision.

I wholeheartedly agree. You don't need the air suspension to avoid most urban bumps. P85D is set to standard (air) height, in coil trim, up front. There, it behaves like most other fixed-height cars.

 

[Andyw2100]

​
I wholeheartedly agree. You don't need the air suspension to avoid most urban bumps. P85D is set to standard (air) height, in coil trim, up front. There, it behaves like most other fixed-height cars.

Since you quoted me twice in your "thread art" post, I thought I should re-post the message and context you took my snippets from, since a casual reader could easily misinterpret what I wrote.

chriSharek was talking about this issue being the reason he was going to order a car with coils instead of air suspension. I was commenting on that. (Please see below.)

Thanks everyone! You just sold me on COILS!

Please don't take offense, but if you're serious, I think this is a pretty silly reason to go with coils.

Tesla discovered an issue that is currently impacting a few Ds with air suspension, and is fixing it. The problem may apply to all Ds, but so far a relatively few number of people have experienced the issue, at least as far as we can tell.

In my opinion, this should not be a factor in your decision.

 

[Sparkey]

I have an MS85 (about 4 weeks/1500 miles old). I have noticed this knocking from my offside front wheel area and it has been getting more and more noticeable of late.
In a way i am pleased to see that i am not alone (no offence intended) but this does need fixing as it spoils what is otherwise a sublime experience!

I have contacted Tesla, just waiting for a call back.

Love the car though, i never tire of mashing the floor and feeling that accleration................... Even with JUST a humble 85.....

- - - Updated - - -

P.S. I don't have air suspension so i'm wondering if mine is a different problem to the rest of this thread.

The symptons are the same though, albeit from the front of the car rather than the rear.

Any ideas anybody?

 

[AT3]

I've had the same issue for a little while now. I even had someone sit in the back and try to pinpoint the noise. Good to know that the solution might have been discovered, thanks!

 

[Andyw2100]

I have an MS85 (about 4 weeks/1500 miles old). I have noticed this knocking from my offside front wheel area and it has been getting more and more noticeable of late.
In a way i am pleased to see that i am not alone (no offence intended) but this does need fixing as it spoils what is otherwise a sublime experience!

I have contacted Tesla, just waiting for a call back.

Love the car though, i never tire of mashing the floor and feeling that accleration................... Even with JUST a humble 85.....

- - - Updated - - -

P.S. I don't have air suspension so i'm wondering if mine is a different problem to the rest of this thread.

The symptons are the same though, albeit from the front of the car rather than the rear.

Any ideas anybody?

It really sounds like your issue must be something else. The issue being discussed in this thread is supposedly going to be resolved by a redesign of the air shock.

 

[RobinF]

I too have been annoyed by this. I received the P85D in January and noticed on day one the soft rattle sound in the rear suspension every time I drive over concrete seems, etc., at low speeds (when things are quiet). Reported this to the SC and in the early months they heard it too but scratched their head as to a cause. HQ was consulted and it turned out to be this thread's Bilstein issue. They waited for replacement shocks to come in and replaced them in early May. Did not fix the issue. Apparently they did not get the fully re-engineered version. Still waiting. Five months now. Since it's noticeable at low speed I'm pretty disappointed this was not caught in the factory test drive but they were really rushing during Christmas week when my car was built.

 

[Ldub22]

I have a March build and haven't encountered this issue yet. My car needed the front motor replaced on day one of ownership but since then has been trouble free!

 

[hbouw]

I have a March build and haven't encountered this issue yet. My car needed the front motor replaced on day one of ownership but since then has been trouble free!

Took delivery of mine in March also. 3,500 miles so far and still 100% issue free. Keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[alandron]

Noticed this issue on my 85D at 500 miles. Dropped it off at service center this morning. And drive to work with a loaner. They contacted me and told me almost the exact same stuff as OP described. They said an engineer from the headquarter inspected the issue and concluded its a design problem, nothing functionally is wrong, and its completely safe to drive with it. They will order a redesigned shock which fixes this issue from the factory and install for me. Then I ask did I do anything inappropriate to trigger the noise, and they said no, in fact, all the MS in that range of VIN# has this issue, and I am actually the first person at their service center (Los Angeles Centinela service center) reporting this issue and order the part. Now my 85D is on its way to my office driving by service center's driver.

Now I have a peace in mind loved my 85D so far, even with this noise, love it even more with the quality of customer serivice

 

[thecloud]

Me too (P85, air suspension, ~5500 miles.) It's a knocking or clunk-clunk sound from the right rear wheel area, when going over a bump or uneven patch in the road. It did not do this when I first got the car, and has been getting more noticeable over the last few months. It's time for my tires to be rotated so I need to make an appointment anyway.

 

[MarcG]

Me too (P85, air suspension, ~5500 miles.) It's a knocking or clunk-clunk sound from the right rear wheel area, when going over a bump or uneven patch in the road. It did not do this when I first got the car, and has been getting more noticeable over the last few months. It's time for my tires to be rotated so I need to make an appointment anyway.

Please keep us posted as to what the SC finds to be the issue with yours. From what I've been told by my SC, this Bilstein shock design issue only affects D models (85D and P85D, not sure about 70D) so seeing that yours is a RWD P85, it should have a different shock design. Not to diminish the importance of your knocking issue at all, but it may be unrelated to the flawed Bilstein shocks for the D's - would be great if you can confirm this with Tesla. Thanks!

 

[thecloud]

Please keep us posted as to what the SC finds to be the issue with yours. From what I've been told by my SC, this Bilstein shock design issue only affects D models (85D and P85D, not sure about 70D) so seeing that yours is a RWD P85, it should have a different shock design. Not to diminish the importance of your knocking issue at all, but it may be unrelated to the flawed Bilstein shocks for the D's - would be great if you can confirm this with Tesla. Thanks!

Will do. Maybe my car is new enough to have some components shared with D models, or maybe not. The noise is more of a "clack-clack" than a clunk, and the sound definitely seems to be in the right rear wheel area just as others here are describing.

 

[cwerdna]

I'm not sure if they will proactively fix ALL P85Ds (can you say "recall"?) but I was told I'd be getting replacement shocks with the new design when they're available in a couple/few weeks.

Recalls are generally for safety defects or non-compliance w/FMVSS. Suspension noises (by themselves) are neither. Automakers sometimes have service campaigns or extend warranties for certain issues that are NOT safety or FMVSS related.

 

[Law&Disorder]

I have this as well. "Clunk" or "thunk" from rear wheel well when going over large bumps. Glad to hear I'm not imagining it and that a fix is in the works.

 

[NOLA_Mike]

Apparently it's a widespread issue that will require a new shock to be design and built to address the problem. I'm told that it's safe to drive on it, but it will take a few weeks to get the new part.

"...a few weeks..."

Foolish me, I forgot what a few weeks was in Tesla Time[SUP]TM[/SUP]

 

[AMN]

We've had the same issue for months now. I miss our P85+... it was a tank.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Drove down I-5 from the Bay Area to LA yesterday; caught a few road repair areas and some sketchy, pot-hole filled strips of pavement. Yet to experience this problem. Hope it stays that way.