Even if the door handles froze, you could still get in through the rear liftgate. I do worry about them though, but I have a workaround without having a blow torch
Very interested in your workaround...
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
-
Tesla's Supercharger Team was recently laid off. We discuss what this means for the company on today's TMC Podcast streaming live at 1PM PDT. You can watch on X or on YouTube where you can participate in the live chat.
Very interested in your workaround...
Johan
Ex got M3 in the divorce, waiting for EU Model Y!
Ah. Sorry. I guess I just didn't think of that as an acceptable workaround... I think I'll rather fetch the blowtorch. But being able to crawl in through the hatch is better than nothing if I don't have anything to thaw it with. Hopefully they will just work
Note to any enterprising blowtorch-wielders: A milder heat source is safer, warm water in a plastic bag, for example. Don't pour warm water onto it, that will likely cause it to freeze solid afterwards. If you must use a blowtorch, then keep the flame away from the car, only the warm air should touch it. Always move the flame around fairly quickly. You just want to warm the handle slowly and gently, it should not get hot. Some thin oil should keep it from freezing again for a while unless there's a lot of water in there.
Note to any enterprising blowtorch-wielders: A milder heat source is safer, warm water in a plastic bag, for example. Don't pour warm water onto it, that will likely cause it to freeze solid afterwards. If you must use a blowtorch, then keep the flame away from the car, only the warm air should touch it. Always move the flame around fairly quickly. You just want to warm the handle slowly and gently, it should not get hot. Some thin oil should keep it from freezing again for a while unless there's a lot of water in there.
Last edited:
William13
Active Member
ToddRLockwood
Active Member
Forgive me if this was already covered in this thread... is it possible to lock the doors while driving -- preventing handles from extending if they are pressed?
I haven't confirmed that it works as intended, but if you set the "Lock on Drive-Away" feature, the doors lock. You can also manually lock the doors from the Controls touchscreen.
One of the minor irritations is that unlocking the doors takes two presses- Controls, then Unlock Doors. This takes an extra beat when trying to let in someone when you've driven to pick them up.
all of this talk of bags and blow torches and crawling through the back and everything else for a $80K car is amazing. It looks pretty stupid I'm sure when you have your expensive high tech car and your blow torch trying to get in and somebody else walks up to their low tech car and just pulls the handles to open.
Why did Tesla feel the need to reinvent the wheel? Does having 4 regular door handles have that big of an effect on aerodynamics? What would be the range penalty for having 4 normal handles that stick out all the time? Probably less than you would lose sitting in the cold?
Why did Tesla feel the need to reinvent the wheel? Does having 4 regular door handles have that big of an effect on aerodynamics? What would be the range penalty for having 4 normal handles that stick out all the time? Probably less than you would lose sitting in the cold?
Todd Burch
14-Year Member
It has nothing to do with aerodynamics (Aston Martin door handles would account for that) and everything to do with wow factor.
Which would be fine if they always worked properly. It's a negative "wow" when you're struggling like an idiot to get into your car. I think I'll sell this thing and move on if I ever have to climb in through my trunk because of malfunctioning handles.
At this point, I haven't heard of anyone having a demonstrated problem with the handles in cold weather. People are strategizing various "what if" scenarios. The more substantive concern is with the frameless door windows not being able to retract/rise, but this is an issue not unique to Tesla, and one that will be solved with the smartphone preheat functionality.
CapitalistOppressor
Active Member
There's no defense for the handles on the Model S. That said, I've routinely had problems with doors, windows and door handles freezing shut in cold weather. That's why I always took an ice scraper with me when I left the car overnight. But even so, I've spent 15 minutes or more chiseling my way into a car and getting it ready to drive in the morning.
Ideally, the solution would be to pre-heat the car 15-20 minutes before you plan on driving so the big stuff is melted before you try to get in.
Can I point out an easier "emergency entry" solution? Press and hold the top of the FOB. That will roll down the windows. Reach in and open the door.
If anyone is having trouble with the handles working 100% of the time, contact service. Probably have them replaced. If the problems continue, keep pressing.
(I've had two of mine replaced; since then I don't recall having any problems, though I now mostly have auto-presenting handles instead of needing to press on them)
(I've had two of mine replaced; since then I don't recall having any problems, though I now mostly have auto-presenting handles instead of needing to press on them)
It's a perhaps-over-engineered solution for aerodynamics (compared to Aston Martin) but "nothing to do with" is an overstatement. IMO, anyway.
anticitizen13.7
Not posting at TMC after 9/17/2018
I tend to agree that this is one feature that appears to be more form than function, but without knowing the aerodynamics involved, it's impossible to say for sure. One thing I have thought about is the power locks used in virtually all cars today. They don't seem to break very often. One of my old Honda Accords had power locks that worked for more than 10 years and were still working when I finally sold the car.
Of course, had the power locks busted, I could still manually unlock the door w' key and open it. A handle that can't be pulled is significantly more inconvenient.
ModelS1079
Member
But they are SO cool.
They remind me - forgive the 32-year slip back in time - of the Nakamichi autoreverse tape deck that, to allow for autoreverse of the tape at the end of a side, flipped open the tape holder, swiveled the tape 180 degrees, and retracted back into the tape deck. Sweet.
I'd keep the handles as they are. They remain Signature Tesla. The perfect welcoming, the stunning entry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf4eR3ZkvoY
They remind me - forgive the 32-year slip back in time - of the Nakamichi autoreverse tape deck that, to allow for autoreverse of the tape at the end of a side, flipped open the tape holder, swiveled the tape 180 degrees, and retracted back into the tape deck. Sweet.
I'd keep the handles as they are. They remain Signature Tesla. The perfect welcoming, the stunning entry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf4eR3ZkvoY
Last edited:
Similar threads
