Rattle noise coming from front Air Suspension (2017-18)

[Dragetreneren]

Hi,

Update from my side. My car was with the SC for 4 days again last week. They replaced the front struts this time. When I got my car back the sound was almost completely gone. Sounds like when I first got it on delivery day.
The engineer said that the issue is not resolved but that they could now confirm that the issue in my case is indeed coming from the struts and that we have to wait for a new version of them to come out before it can be completely fixed.
For the moment i am happy my car is silent again. let's see how long it takes for the sound to come back...

When was your TMS delivered? Is it dual motor?

Did they give an indication of when the new version of the struts will be available?
Do you care to post the part number of the new struts and probably service invoice work description?

Thank you!

 

[Vic18t]

I hope the new struts come before my September delivery.

 

[Bebop]

Hi,

Update from my side. My car was with the SC for 4 days again last week. They replaced the front struts this time. When I got my car back the sound was almost completely gone. Sounds like when I first got it on delivery day.
The engineer said that the issue is not resolved but that they could now confirm that the issue in my case is indeed coming from the struts and that we have to wait for a new version of them to come out before it can be completely fixed.
For the moment i am happy my car is silent again. let's see how long it takes for the sound to come back...

That seems to be the problem are the struts. Someone else got them replaced and they said the noise is practically gone.

 

[badboy1980]

That seems to be the problem are the struts. Someone else got them replaced and they said the noise is practically gone.

Lets hope this is the answer to all my woes!

 

[Mark_T]

Lets hope this is the answer to all my woes!

... at best it will be a temporary answer until the new struts start making the same noise...

 

[badboy1980]

... at best it will be a temporary answer until the new struts start making the same noise...

I hope not..

 

[daktari]

It would be nice if @Jeroenhermans could post the part number on the new struts. They changed mine almost a year ago with no effect.

 

[Mark_T]

This isn't the first time that changing the struts has significantly reduced the problem only for it to reappear.

Until there is a confirmed fix, replacing the struts with the same item isn't really a certain solution, if it was then they would have been doing that long ago...

Not all cars have the rattle so there may be some struts that are 'good' or just take longer to exhibit the problem.

 

[Daniellane]

From what I have been told by Tesla, they believe that the noise Is coming from a part manufactured by an outside vendor. (Bilstein)
Tesla engineers have been working with Bilstein on a solution for some time now.
Until the offending part(s) is/are re-designed/fixed, there is literally nothing Tesla can do on their own to permanently fix this issue until the manufacturer of the offending part(s) supplies improved replacement part(s).

 

[MP3Mike]

I thought that Firestone made the struts that have the "chuckle".

 

[Daniellane]

I was told Bilstein

 

[Mark_T]

I thought that Firestone made the struts that have the "chuckle".

They used to use Firestone, and those did not have the problem.

It is the Bilstein struts that they switched to that have the problem.

 

[daktari]

Well my struts have a Firestone logo on them. I do not know if they have changed supplier since 2017.

Can anyone with a 2018 ap2.5 car take a picture of their struts?

 

[Mark_T]

The original problem was localized to Air suspension post-september 2017 construction when the struts switched from Firestone to Bilstein...

There are many other reasons for a rattle from the front of the car, but I suspect that if you have Firestone struts then the 'fix' that everyone is waiting for is not the answer to your problem.

 

[daktari]

The original problem was localized to Air suspension post-september 2017 construction when the struts switched from Firestone to Bilstein...

There are many other reasons for a rattle from the front of the car, but I suspect that if you have Firestone struts then the 'fix' that everyone is waiting for is not the answer to your problem.

Sorry, this is wrong. The issue on my car was one of the first to have the rattle, and my car spent 3,5 weeks at service sept 2017 to identify the issue.
Please can you document that they have changed supplier from Firestone to Bilstein? Take a pic of your front struts, suspension on very high and wheels turned.

Pre-facelift cars have different struts than facelift cars, I am not aware of any new supplier since. If so, this would indicate the struts are not the culprit.

 

[ucmndd]

Please can you document that they have changed supplier from Firestone to Bilstein? .

At the risk of muddying the waters, my Dec 2016 coil suspension struts (one of which has a noise identical to “the rattle”) are indeed Bilstein.

 

[daktari]

At the risk of muddying the waters, my Dec 2016 coil suspension struts (one of which has a noise identical to “the rattle”) are indeed Bilstein.

View attachment 327080

Great, now we know both Bilstein and Firestone are relevant. And for all I know, maybe Bilstein supplies the shocks inside the Firestone air springs? Or is that not possible?

Now we need a picture of a late 2017 and mid 2018 with air springs to see if the part number changed.

 

[CaliSol]

I’ve been following this thread for a while now and I haven’t seen an answer yet to this question: Why doesn’t this issue (whatever the cause) affect all vehicles that have the same components?

 

[Dragetreneren]

Great, now we know both Bilstein and Firestone are relevant. And for all I know, maybe Bilstein supplies the shocks inside the Firestone air springs? Or is that not possible?

Now we need a picture of a late 2017 and mid 2018 with air springs to see if the part number changed.

To be precise, air modules are by Firetone and shock absorbers are by Bilstein.

 

[Dragetreneren]

I’ve been following this thread for a while now and I haven’t seen an answer yet to this question: Why doesn’t this issue (whatever the cause) affect all vehicles that have the same components?

This can be a good question if you can validate your assertion!