2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds conducts a Long Term Test of the 2013 Tesla Model S and reports on a shimmy it has developed.

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jasond52

I wonder if its related to the tire problems you've experienced?

csubowtie

I wonder if had something to do with the EV nature of the vehicle. Possibly an alternator cycling on/off, or some kind of battery cooling pump/fan that was cycling on/off. This car has electric assist steering right? Does that mean it electrically produces hydraulic pressure to run the steering? Maybe that pump would be cycling on/off?

dunning15

Jason doesn't SOUND like a female name....hmmmmm....

duck87

Ten seconds would suggest that it's not an unbalanced rotating component, although it's possible that you're hitting almost the right natural frequency of some component to make it vibrate like that. My guess would be a component that cycles on and off as CSUbowtie suggests. Have you cycled the AC, heat, fans, etc? Let us know what you find out!

fordson1

If he said he felt it through the seat only, I would agree, but he says it's felt through the wheel, too, so I would doubt it's an alternator or battery cooling pump. I would also doubt the EPS pump, since it sounds like it's happening on straight roads where you would not think there would be a demand for assist. Is it happening in response to suspension compression/rebound that might be causing some subtle changes in camber or toe? Or is this really something that is happening regularly like he says...like every 9.23 seconds or whatever?

actualsize

Update: We have not posted it yet, but we had to replace a tire because it was later discovered that a pothole strike caused a pinch that induced a subtle sidewall bubble in the left-rear tire. This may have been the cause. We had to replace the tire and are monitoring the situation. So far it seems to be gone, but we're not ready to call it yet.

fordson1

OK, so it's been around 5k miles since you replaced the rear tires when they ate themselves (can't really tell...JKav does not give odometer readings when he posts about cars), so does this mean you were OK with just replacing the one rear tire? I assume that with 21" wheels and short sidewalls, heavy wheel/tire [non-permissible content removed]'y, lots of unsprung weight, etc. you guys made sure the wheel was not bent - ? Good thing you guys are saving all this money using the Superchargers...

actualsize

Yeah, they were pretty new at the time. Jay will have details the post after next. Just wanted to put that out there.

jim_in_nj_

If the tire replacement eliminates the shimmy, then that's it. If the shimmy remains, it's possible that it's something normal like a battery-coolant pump cycling on and off. In order to save electricity items that would normally run constantly in a regular car will cycle on and off in an electric car. To use this example, but in many cars the coolant is constantly circulating because the mechanical coolant pump causes just a miniscule drag on the engine power. In an electric car, every watt-hour counts and these items are often put on a cycle unless a sensor indicates that it needs to run more often.