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Automatic Model 3 trunk open/close

34K views 85 replies 29 participants last post by  Klaus-rf 
#1 ·
So I saw this pop up on Reddit. I wish Tesla had just added this to the car. Bless the Chinese for making this happen. Although at $600 to a Chinese seller, I don't want to be a Guinea pig. Lol

Very awesome if this works well. Looks like it doesn't work from the console for closing. But other features do. I'm sure it's intercepting the latch signal and activating the lift hardware.

 
#2 ·
This is my wife's single biggest complaint about the car. I'll be your guinea pig. Are they doing this in the states? Sign me up!
 
#5 ·
Here is the instructions they sent me. It is not final version and they are supposed to send me another updated instructions soon. I have not purchased it myself and I was curious what would happen with future firmware upgrades or if there is an electrical issue that has no connection to the add on piece for the auto trunk. If Tesla would wash their hands from any warranty work if I had this installed.
 

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#12 ·
Fairly involved install and lots of wires to tap including to my surprise CAN network. It's more than I would want to modify at least for a car still under warranty. The foot sensor is what really makes this worth it. Very slick they use the Tesla controls.
I don't really have issues opening or closing the stock trunk though. It's the frunk that I completely avoid because it can't be closed with a handle. I still want a self-closing frunk. Hopefully they offer it (ands the wiring should be simpler).
 
#9 ·
No I have not ordered it. I am waiting on the installation video that is supposed to be available within the day.

I am also concerned in the amount of work that will go into the installation process. I am wanting to know how much wire is still visible after the installation. Where are the modules stored / mounted ? I do not like rattles and extra noise that might come with taking a car apart or having parts that move around. So I am very curious on a visual install with more detail.
 
#11 ·
The instructions don't actually seem that bad. They are long because they provide 2-3 options on running wires to where you need them. From what I see, there are only 3 line taps. The rest of the system is replacement parts (locking mechanism, shocks), and they use premade connectors for putting it all together. Seems like a fairly well-made kit. I'm interested in seeing the results!
 
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#13 ·
I chatted with them earlier and the replacement shocks are a couple of mm shorter so the opening would also be a tad shorter. I am sure not by much though. I think the video instructions is going to help understand placement of parts since the modules still need to be placed / mounted somewhere also. I am not a fan of implementing this especially at that price point when no one in the US can showcase this solution or talk about it's process. Even though it has a 20A fuze I am still concerned with tapping the car's electrical system especially the CAN network with no one else feedback and if there would be any negative results because of it.
 
#14 ·
I also wish Tesla had included automatic closing rear trunk and frunk, which is standard on cars in this price range. However, it's precisely because it's standard (and they can't charge more for it) on all other cars that they didn't include it. When you subtract out the regulatory credits that they sold in this most recent quarter, true automotive gross margins (from selling the cars and services, ie. the core business operations) were a paltry 10% (compare that to Porsche where their margins are easily 50%+ on base models). You can see this as us getting a great deal, in that we are getting these cars pretty much at their cost. So if they were to add in automatic closing rear tailgate and frunk, they stand to make even less of a profit.
 
#15 ·
It's not an easy retrofit, especially if you want it to look OEM. I wonder how the car will take to it being tapped into the front battery like that, we all know the dashcam situation drain but perhaps this isn't an issue. Personally I'd tap into the VCF controller as it's easier and provides constant 12V power.

In any case, if you're desperate and have $600 burning a hole in your pocket this looks like a fun project. If @Tesla Offer wants to send me one to review and a i can find a guinea pig I'll install it
 
#16 ·
I thought you all might enjoy seeing an installed version of the newly available Tesla Model 3 electric lift gate setup with soft close feature. This kit is available from Teslaoffers.com in Hong Kong and may soon be available from RPMTesla.comin CA. including installations for Southern California. I installed this yesterday doing the majority of the work myself with some help from Mark at RPM Tesla on some of the trickier hard parts. As I state in the video, this is not what I would call a beginners project. As a result of my installation yesterday and my feedback to the manufacturer, they are making a few mods that will make it easier in the future. Nonetheless, I would happily pay someone $300 to have them do it if I had to do it again. There is a fair amount of disassembly and reassembly of the vehicle required.

In the trunk you need to remove the deck lid cover, the piece along the bottom, both tail lights, the trim piece under the rear deck and moving the carpeting down out of the way.
You will need to open the drivers side footwell panel and unsnap some of the side channel covers to run wiring. Current installation requires you to do this to both sides of the vehicle.
The harder part is getting two cables with connectors from the lower trunk area up to the closing deck lid. I have tested it with the Tesla App, Remote S and Status and it worked well to open and close the trunk. It also works from the trunk handle and closing via the button. If you have any questions feel free to ask. The video is not the greatest but I rarely use video so I am a NOOB.
 
#18 ·
Thx for sharing. There was some discussion about this on here a week or two ago (I see your one-off thread was just merged with that one)
with links to the demo video done in HK on HK-delivered Model 3s.

Assuming yours intercepts the trunk latch release actuator signal and hence opens via the app? How do you initiate an auto-close?
 
#19 ·
Thx for sharing. There was some discussion about this on here a week or two ago (I see your one-off thread was just merged with that one)
with links to the demo video done in HK on HK-delivered Model 3s.

Assuming yours intercepts the trunk latch release actuator signal and hence opens via the app? How do you initiate an auto-close?
Looks like same button, so just recognizes that it's already open.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I spent a good deal of time reviewing and providing feedback to TeslaOffers on the installation manual and the videos. As a result, I have seen clips of yet to be published videos that would help make the installation easier. I and they also learned the hard way that leaving the connectors on the cables that go from the control module to the upper trunk lid via the corrugated rubber tube was a mistake. I finally got both cables with connectors through but it was two hours of tedious and difficult work with a few swear words thrown in for good measure. They suggested cutting off the connectors and then reattaching them which would have made it a lot easier but I did't have everything I would need to do that with me and set out to get a wire pull through the tube and then to pull the wires. There are numerous thing you have to do to attempt doing this.

On everything but the car monitor the same button used for open works to close the trunk. Inside the car, Tesla disables the button when the trunk is open.

Where to place the module and more importantly where to place the closing mechanism motor is the bigger challenge. I can't say I found the perfect way yet. The motor has a couple of mount holes but I haven't found anything I could mount them on. The module is small and light but finding a flat surface is difficult. Finally, you will have a lot of cable left for everything but power so tidying this up can be challenge too. I think I did ok on that part.
 
#21 ·
Unless you have some experience taking your 3 apart and getting it back together again, I would not suggest this for a first time project. It can be done but plan on spending a day doing it. I think someone with experience can probably get it down to 3 hours.
 
#23 ·
A word of caution to those planning on doing this yourself. The trunk lid cover that must be removed has white and blue snaps. Unlike many of the other snaps Tesla uses, these can be difficult to free and often get left in the tail gate instead of staying with the cover. It is not unusual to damage one or two so it may be a good idea to go by Tesla and see if they have any in stock you can purchase. The white ones appear to be larger. If you are anal like me you would prefer to reassemble with working snaps that aren't damaged and holding like they should. Take pictures of everything you will be removing before hand as you may be surprised when you go to put it back together that you can't recall exactly how a particular piece was supposed to go. Anyone with questions feel free to ask.
 
#25 ·
I'll be happy to do that. They appear to be well made components, even the wiring wrap matches the Tesla original on their own cables. By the way, in the quiescent state it only draws 0.3ma. On start to engage motors to open or close there is a transient that draws about 16A before it drops to a lower level. This is the way most electric motors operate. They fuse it with a 20A fuse. They are going to test it on the switched 12V that is rated at 15A and see if it trips the electronic breaker. The electronics use very little power, it is the lift strut motors that use the majority of the power. I have tested whether it remembers speed and height settings after power is removed and it does.
 
#28 ·
I have to admit, it was a bit scary the first time worrying about whether i would inflict serious damage on my $60K car. I have now taken it apart and put it back together at least 5 times now and what used to take me hours I can now do in less than 15 minutes. I would imagine I could do a complete install in less than 3 hours now. It took me all day + the first time. The hardest part still would be running the wiring from the lower trunk to the trunk lid. Without connectors on the wires it should be easier but it still won't be easy. All the rest of the wiring is pretty easy, especially with the new type of T connectors they are now using.

The reason I had to take it apart so many times was that I am working with the company and Raymond to resolve a few bugs and I am now on the third release of the firmware. I am still testing it but it appears to have fixed the issue. As for the constant 12V source, I am not convinced that the post by Raymond is a good solution. It could be due to differences in our vehicles as my car was built in April 2018 and his is a newer car, I could not obtain 12V at that location and the wire gage was probably 18 or 20 and that seemed too light for a 12V power source. I found a good 12V switched power source in the trunk at the sub woofer amplifier and that is an easy connection to make. The only problem with using a 12V switched source is that when the car goes into deep sleep and cuts the 12V power, the first pull on the handle wakes the car but does not open the trunk and you have to wait a few seconds for the trunk to rematch and full power then it opens the trunk. If you are out and about and using Sentry mode this isn't an issue as that keeps the 12V power up and the trunk opens instantly. The other option at the moment is running to the battery, then it always opens, even if the car has gone to sleep. There may be another better location to tap but everyone I know is still looking for one.

I have to admit, I love having this feature. Now it is a piece of cake to open the trunk from the driver's seat when my wife approaches and needs to put something in the trunk and she can easily close it with a push of the button. Using Brian at iTela's stronger struts to spring the trunk open required a lot of force to close it.
 
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#30 ·
Not that I know of. I haven't spoken with Mark lately but I will check to see if he will be offering the service and post back.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I installed the full kit from TeslaOffer yesterday and today (including the foot kick sensor) after receiving it yesterday afternoon. In other words, I couldn't wait to install it. I had a 2010 Camaro before this and did tons of upgrades to it that involved wiring (backup camera, in-dash HUD, wiring door lock buttons). Honestly installing this kit in the Model 3, while still tons of work, was easier than any install I ever did in the Camaro. In terms of difficulty, it reminded me of a backup camera install of which I've done a few... with the added hard parts being pulling the cables through the rubber trunk boot and removing the rear bumper.

I got my 12V power for the kit from the VCLEFT power connection in the driver side footwell and it seems to work perfectly. In fact, it lessened the install work because I only needed to do a single run up the driver side for all the connections (CAN-L, CAN-H, 12V, front button) instead of another run up the passenger side.

Using info in Jon Osborne's video here at 2:58 he shows where to get the 12V (just need an M6 nut to put on the existing bolt). He wrote in the video description it is a constant 12V that drops to around 9V when the car sleeps. So no issues with activating the trunk fully via the handle on the first try even after the car goes to sleep. [Yes, the video is about getting 5V but the source is a 12V.]


The foot kick sensor wasn't working at first and I couldn't figure out why. Didn't help the confusion that there's an ACC wire that isn't used. Turns out the posi-twist and posi-lock wire taps that they supplied didn't provide a stable connection. (Btw, the wire taps they provided for the CAN connections were fine) So I just went back to basics and soldered one wire to the other for both the 12V and green wire trunk signal. The sensor works great with a single foot wave across the underside of the rear bumper (e.g. right to left). Tested it and works as expected (if your phone is on you, it opens, if not, it doesn't). Essentially it provides the exact same functionality as a single press of the trunk handle, only without physically touching anything. Pretty slick.

At first I was going to put the sensor in the middle, but 1) I might install a hitch kit one day and 2) I don't want the trunk to hit anyone in the face after they wave their foot. Having it off to the side under where the left tail light is makes it super easy to avoid the trunk opening after activating the sensor.
Bicycle Tire Wheel Crankset Bicycle tire
 
#32 ·
I may have to rerun my 12V to either VC left or just use VC Right as that would be close. I'll have to see how hard the panel is to remove with the glove box being there.
 
#68 ·
Hi barjohn, I don't think anyone actually did it but I did remember having this discussion with you on this thread so I thought I'd come back with an update. Essentially, DO NOT CONNECT ANYTHING TO VCRIGHT to get 12V power. VCRIGHT needs to shut down when car goes to sleep and anything connected will keep car awake and eventually throw 12V Battery Errors.

I learned this the hard way when I installed TeslaOffer's frunk kit last week and used VCRight for power. About 5 days later, car threw the "12V Battery needs replacement" error. Keep in mind I've been using the trunk kit using VCLeft for months with no issues. Took it to Tesla and they said that the error was due to aftermarket connections draining the battery and denied battery warranty, meaning I have to buy a new battery from them and have to wait for one to be ordered. However, I was skeptical because I actually took the 12V battery out and tested it and it showed as having normal charge. Still had the 12V error on the screen though, so the car couldn't install the Tesla firmware update I got this morning. Then I found this easy hard reset procedure (https://www.mountainpassperformance.com/tesla-model-3-hard-reset/) that effectively cleared the 12V error.

So long story short, I'll keep the trunk kit connected to VCLeft, disconnect the frunk kit from VCright, rewire it to the actual 12V positive like TeslaOffer instructed.
 
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