- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.world
The electric car manufacturer Tesla had to issue a massive recall this month to fix faulty hood latches that can open while its cars are driving. The problem affects more than 1.8 million cars, which means it’s slightly smaller than the recall in December that applied to more than 2 million Teslas.
The problem, according to the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Part 573 safety recall report, affects model year 2021–2024 Model 3s (built between September 21, 2020, and June 2, 2024), model year 2021–2024 Model Ss (built between January 26, 2021, and July 15, 2024), model year 2021–2024 Model Xs (built between August 18, 2021, and July 15, 2024), and model year 2020–2024 Model Ys (built between January 9, 2020, and July 15, 2024).
The problem first became apparent to Tesla in March of this year after complaints about unintended hood opening from Chinese customers. By April, it had identified the problem as deformation of the hood latch switch, “which could prevent the customer from being notified about an open hood state.”
Although the problem is with the hood latch, as with many Tesla safety recalls, the problem can be fixed with an over-the-air software patch. The new software is able to detect if the hood is open and, if so, will display a warning to the driver to alert them to stop their vehicle and secure the hood.
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By April, it had identified the problem as deformation of the hood latch switch, “which could prevent the customer from being notified about an open hood state.”
I think there was a scandal before with the logic of that thing being not good at all and it becoming dangerous if you’ve put sufficiently heavy pressure to prevent it from closing a few times.
Fkn lol. How the fuck are these cars selling?
the problem can be fixed with an over-the-air software patch
I was about to make a bad joke about Tesla trying to fix a mechanical issue with a software patch but apparently that Elon beat me to the punchline.
The comments read like a lot of people don’t quite understand the issue.
The bonnet (hood if you insist) latch may not warn a driver if it isn’t secured correctly. If it is secured correctly then it is fine. So it isn’t going to suddenly open.
If the latch isn’t shut correctly and then the sensor doesn’t report this then the bonnet may open unexpectedly.
If they can use a software update to correct the reporting then that’s it fixed.
There’s no issue with the actual latching mechanism. It’s just the sensor for reporting the latching state.
It may be that it currently works on a two value system. i.e a value for correctly latched and a value for not latched. If that’s the case and isn’t just not providing the second valve correctly then a simple software change to only use the latched value would fix this. As any other value or the absence of a value will report it at unlatched.
You missed the part where the latch is deforming, causing it to not close or alert the driver. The software fix is yet another attempt to dodge the fact that they do not have enough repair capacity or financial reserves for a major fleet recall.
Read it again. It’s deformation of the hood latch switch. Not the hood latch.
Thanks for further confirming my point that you’re not reading it correctly
It’s a soft close latch, the frunk pulls the lid into the latching mechanism. The mechanism isn’t doing it’s job and needs to be replaced either with a properly adjusted soft close mechanism that grabs the lid, or with a non soft close standard latch that is very obvious to the user when it has not been properly closed.
Nope it’s the latch switch. So something that is switched when the latch is closed. Not the latch itself.
It’s a bit ambiguous, but I read it as saying it isn’t the mechanism that’s at fault, it’s user error that’s not currently being properly detected.
I don’t think it’s ‘user error’ exactly. Maybe when this has occurred, something in the frunk has obstructed the closing of the hood so it almost latched, but the deformed switch is detecting it as closed. I think they might be adjusting the switch sensitivity in software (maybe it uses a Hall effect sensor and a magnet?) so that this almost-closed condition will be reported as just being open.
While that may “solve” the issue, it’s still due to a faulty physical component. A software update is just a bandaid over the real problem.
The comments read like a lot of people don’t quite understand the issue…There’s no issue with the actual latching mechanism.
…“Although the problem is with the hood latch” <— literally from the article. Care to re-read?
It’s just the sensor for reporting the latching state.
You skipped over the part where a) the latch is deforming, and as a result of that deformation b) the sensor can’t detect that it’s not closed, and so c) Tesla is pushing an update that lets people know their deformed latch isn’t closed properly.
But yes, we all misread the article. Not you. Definitely not you.
And what is the next word after the bit you have quoted?
Is it by any chance switch.
The full quote is deformation of the hood latch switch. Not the hood latch.
Thanks for further confirming my point that you’re not reading it correctly.
No, it’s quite literally not. Click the article, read the article all the way. Including the last paragraph. Where my quote is from.
Then read the recall. Then lookup the part. See what it is? Oh, it’s the entire latch assembly. Good job! Proud of you sweetie. 😘 Keep licking those musky boots!
Although the problem is with the hood latch, as with many Tesla safety recalls, the problem can be fixed with an over-the-air software patch. The new software is able to detect if the hood is open and, if so, will display a warning to the driver to alert them to stop their vehicle and secure the hood.
Patching the software isn’t a “fix”. Changing out the hood latch so it doesn’t come open door driving is a fix.
"Warning: wheels falling off imminent! Please pull over!’
You have 3 seconds to comply. 3. 2. 1. Goodbye!
Surely this was all worth the 47 billion
deleted by creator
The only thing I can think of is if the sensor is a hall effect sensor that detects something (the switch?) being depressed by the hood. The sensitivity of the hall effect sensor might be tuneable. They may be able to reduce the sensitivity so it still detects a properly closed hood, but reports an improperly closed hood as open.
It’s annoying that the report just says it’s fixed in software without explaining how.
My late-Dad used to have an old flatbed truck he kept around for hauling bulky items. It was faded metallic dark-blue with a cracked white fibreglass shell and oh, so many dings.
I borrowed it once to move furniture. Was driving on an open stretch of a 6-lane freeway (California 🤷🏻♂️) going past rolling hills. Enjoying the scenery, listening to tunes on the only FM station it could play.
Then BAM! The front hood whipped up and completely covered the windshield. Was going 65mph, but luckily not too many cars on that stretch. Tried to slow down, stupidly hoping it would flop back down, but of course, too much wind. Turned on the hazard lights, stuck my head out the window (front was completely blocked), and gradually moved to the right shoulder.
The hood was solid metal, and was amazingly not destroyed. The hinges were also super strong, and had kept the hood from hitting the windshield. Realized things could have gone a LOT worse. But the hinges had bent back a bit. I tried to pull it down again, but it wouldn’t close. I ended up hopping on top and jumping up and down like someone having an episode. It was enough to reach the little latch. Ended up using some old rope to tie the hood down to the fender, enough to hobble off the freeway and make it home on city streets.
My father took the truck back, then used a sledgehammer and a winch to bring the hood back into alignment. No big. The dents just added character. That truck lasted another 10+ years.
The Tesla recall is more about the latch sensor and it sounds like it can be fixed with an OTA update. Point is, seriously doubt a Tesla’s hood would survive an actual catastrophic flop-up event like Dad’s old beast.
giving elon another $55b bonus should fix it
Do your thing, ma-gic man! Chanted the crowd as Elon in robes entered the golden restroom with his xPhone in the right and a ceremonial vial of coke in the left hand. It was followed by a series of thunder-like farts and sniffs.
The problem first became apparent to Tesla in March of this year after complaints about unintended hood opening from Chinese customers. By April, it had identified the problem as deformation of the hood latch switch, “which could prevent the customer from being notified about an open hood state.”
Given that China is now an electric car superpower, this situation will not bode well for Tesla in that country.
I haven’t met a techie that likes the idea of Chinese made BMS either. I suspect that when Chinese made EVs come over, they’ll be a honeymoon period like what happened with Tesla before we start hearing about battery fires in people’s garages. If you or anyone you know gets a Chinese(or any really) EV, store it outside or in a detached garage/carport.
Trying to solve a hardware problem with a software solution. Where have I seen that before?
Yes, because Boeing is the only time software has attempted to solve a hardware issue…
Thought you had made an Intel reference.
Beyond any issues with the owner of the company, these cars have multiple dangerous issues.
You cannot treat a company that makes physical stuff that can endanger lives the same way you treat a software company that makes a leisure activity platform.
Iterative design for a purely software environment is way more forgiving than iterative design for physical hardware or even software that interacts with physical hardware. You can profoundly fuck up the backend for a website and take the whole thing down until you could roll back to last known good production, you won’t kill anyone, but you’ll make the line go down temporarily.
If you profoundly fuck up an iteration on an embedded vehicle system and don’t catch it because you don’t respect safety regulation or existing engineering norms you can and will kill people.
