12V Access: Model S 2021 Refresh

[AcesAreWld]

Nice set up Aces.

It is a shame though that you need to purchase that expensive "small" portable battery pack and haul it around when the potential of something much better is already in the car..

Too bad Tesla does not include decent AC, offer it as a option, or that some third party hasn't come up with an elegant solution for probably less than you paid for for the portable unit!

Agreed. Maybe in a future version of the car (does not help us though) considering competition is heating up and others (Ford, Rivian) have built in high-amperage 110v outlets (some have 240V outlets too!) and others (Ionic, Ford, etc) have reverse-charging capability. I really wanted 1500W available for some heavy-duty drone battery charging (custom charger I made for a DJI Inspire 2) but for now, this is what I've got!

 

[4SUPER9]

I tapped into negative at an existing vehicle ground location (shown in photo) and for 12V+ I tapped into the car's 12V jump point my soldering a flat metal connector to the end of my wire and then using the OEM protective cap to hold it in place on the jump post. It's not my favorite part of the install, but it seems to be working reliably with no loss of connection. I labeled some of the parts and traced the path in the attached photo...View attachment 881758

This is helpful, and kind of what I assumed. I tapped into a purple wire somewhere up there (sorry, I cannot be more specific right now), using a posi-tap, and ran that to a fuse block, but want to make this cleaner and less invasive so as not to upset my service center (they are not particularly friendly there anymore). I wish we had a better way of connecting to that post, rather than just wrapping a wire around it, etc.

 

[vcor]

Agreed. Maybe in a future version of the car (does not help us though) considering competition is heating up and others (Ford, Rivian) have built in high-amperage 110v outlets (some have 240V outlets too!) and others (Ionic, Ford, etc) have reverse-charging capability. I really wanted 1500W available for some heavy-duty drone battery charging (custom charger I made for a DJI Inspire 2) but for now, this is what I've got!

Cybertruck is expected to have outlets, which makes sense in the truck segment. V2G (reverse charging) is still unknown, although it would seem to risk battery longevity if used a lot and is likely why Tesla has not offered it (and the fact they have PowerWalls). Still, would be nice to have.

 

[n2mb_racing]

Interesting.

Hey — I used my XT60 this past weekend to charge up my 300wh battery pack / inverter / backup / charger pack. It pulled up to about 120 watts from the XT60 while the car was parked and sentry mode was on (car never fully went to sleep since Sentry was on). No complaints from the car, all was good, charged it from about 60% to 100%.

View attachment 881750

Because I like doing dumb / dangerous things, I tried running a big 12V inverter off the jump post to test how much power can be pulled. Using a hair dryer as dummy load, I quickly stepped from 222 watts up to 1400 watts. I didn't stay at 1400 watts for more than a few seconds. The battery voltage dropped pretty quickly and cut off the 12V power completely while I was maintaining about 350 watts in less than a minute. I'm guessing the BMS in the 12V (16V) li-ion kicked in. Anyway, the car complained, but then reset itself quickly and charged back up.

TL;DR 350 watts is probably too much.

 

[AcesAreWld]

Because I like doing dumb / dangerous things, I tried running a big 12V inverter off the jump post to test how much power can be pulled. Using a hair dryer as dummy load, I quickly stepped from 222 watts up to 1400 watts. I didn't stay at 1400 watts for more than a few seconds. The battery voltage dropped pretty quickly and cut off the 12V power completely while I was maintaining about 350 watts in less than a minute. I'm guessing the BMS in the 12V (16V) li-ion kicked in. Anyway, the car complained, but then reset itself quickly and charged back up.

TL;DR 350 watts is probably too much.

I think the "12V" (we know its like 16V) battery itself is only like ~100 watt-hours (don't quote me on that, but it's not much... about the same as a small motorcycle battery).
So pulling 1400 watts is good to know that the C-rating will allow it, and then at some point the car's HV pack has to step in and act as the alternator in an ICE car and start recharging the small 12V battery. I'm not sure when the car starts to complain and what the cutoff is in terms of watts but I didn't see anything when I was pulling about 100-120 watts from the 12V battery. I also let it go while doing other things and was not in the car watching the screens for error message - but I didn't see anything in there.

 

[Visionary]

Just did mine using the mirror wires - green / black. Scary to remove the mirror and the panels, but came out great. Followed actually a model Y video on youtube. As other's noted the mirror keeps power to the radar until the car sleeps, varies from 20-40 minutes. The r8 will also turn off by itself in a hour if no speed is detected.

 

[2022S-LR]

This is helpful, and kind of what I assumed. I tapped into a purple wire somewhere up there (sorry, I cannot be more specific right now), using a posi-tap, and ran that to a fuse block, but want to make this cleaner and less invasive so as not to upset my service center (they are not particularly friendly there anymore). I wish we had a better way of connecting to that post, rather than just wrapping a wire around it, etc.

I was able to attach a fused positive wire to the jump post, but not able to reuse the red square cap so I taped it off. The connection is solid though . Drilled a small hole on the blade terminal to add an small nut bolt . I end up cutting the extra length of the bolt after tightening nut

 

[cmarshack]

I was able to attach a fused positive wire to the jump post, but not able to reuse the red square cap so I taped it off. The connection is solid though . Drilled a small hole on the blade terminal to add an small nut bolt . I end up cutting the extra length of the bolt after tightening nut

Im surprised nobody has made a nice little cap for that lug that allows for plug and play (pun intended) 12v add-ons.

 

[n2mb_racing]

I was able to attach a fused positive wire to the jump post, but not able to reuse the red square cap so I taped it off. The connection is solid though . Drilled a small hole on the blade terminal to add an small nut bolt . I end up cutting the extra length of the bolt after tightening nut

I'm a bit leary of tapping there, since I'm not sure how much charging current they provide to the battery. I did test it pulling up to 110 amps out of that port, at least for a short period. The 12V battery discharged and then shutdown. So, yeah, I wouldn't recommend pulling that much power.

I'm going to try the audio amplifier supply wires. I think they should be able to supply up to 960W, given the advertised audio system power. I probably won't plan on pulling more than 30A or 400W from there, though.

 

[alienranch]

Used the ODB-II plug (pins 16 & 5) to hardwire a Uniden DFR7 with no issues. Ended up being the quickest hardwire install I've done in years.

 

[tmichelena]

Used the ODB-II plug (pins 16 & 5) to hardwire a Uniden DFR7 with no issues. Ended up being the quickest hardwire install I've done in years.

Do you have any pics of this? Does it go to sleep?

Thanks!
Tom

 

[Nosken]

Used the ODB-II plug (pins 16 & 5) to hardwire a Uniden DFR7 with no issues. Ended up being the quickest hardwire install I've done in years.

I also used the OBD-II plug for my Uniden R7, and routed it trough the Uniden remote mute switch just below the left edge of my swivel screen.

https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-RDA-HDWKT-Detector-Hardwire-Button/dp/B07BBVC7JQ

 

[4SUPER9]

Do you have any pics of this? Does it go to sleep?

Thanks!
Tom

The problem I had when using the OBD was that it went to sleep too fast. Instantly, actually. The second I closed a door, or the trunk, the power would go off. I was tired of my detector booting up every time I closed then opened a door.

 

[vcor]

I tested a number of Teslas at various connection points and measured the time they shut off after the door closes/locked. You can pick different points to power your radar detector the way you want. Accessory Power Guide 12v/5v – TeslaTap

You might power from the diagnostic connector or phone charger, as these power off minutes after you close/lock the car. My same article shows these various connection points as well with photos and a video.

 

[tmichelena]

I tested a number of Teslas at various connection points and measured the time they shut off after the door closes/locked. You can pick different points to power your radar detector the way you want. Accessory Power Guide 12v/5v – TeslaTap

You might power from the diagnostic connector or phone charger, as these power off minutes after you close/lock the car. My same article shows these various connection points as well with photos and a video.

Incredible article. Do you sell an OBD2 to 12v accessory wire harness? I can't find it on your site.

Thanks!
Tom

 

[4SUPER9]

Accessory Power Guide 12v/5v – TeslaTap

FRICKIN' AMAZING! Well done!

 

[vcor]

Incredible article. Do you sell an OBD2 to 12v accessory wire harness? I can't find it on your site.

Thanks!
Tom

Sorry, I don't have an OBD2 to 12v cable. There are plenty of OBD2 to 12v on Amazon and eBay.

I make a few select cables that no one else makes so far (and show how to make them for the DIYer). They are low volume and I hand-make them myself. If someone else starts to make them I'd stop - it's not a profit maker.

 

[tmichelena]

Sorry, I don't have an OBD2 to 12v cable. There are plenty of OBD2 to 12v on Amazon and eBay.

I make a few select cables that no one else makes so far (and show how to make them for the DIYer). They are low volume and I hand-make them myself. If someone else starts to make them I'd stop - it's not a profit maker.

Which cables are those?

 

[everydaychris]

woohoo.
VIDEO coming soon.
Tapped into the camera power. GREEN and BLACK as well.

I have a weird thing happening though.

It turns off after ~ 30 min when the car goes into a deep sleep. However, before it would turn on when i wake the car up but now it stays off.
I'm not sure if its the battery saver on the uniden r8 or not. But I just found that weird.
Compare that to the cig outlet which immediately turns off in the X when you leave the car.

anyways, video is almost done with all the details and steps. It was so easy compared to the Y.

 

[4SUPER9]

woohoo.
VIDEO coming soon.
Tapped into the camera power. GREEN and BLACK as well.

I have a weird thing happening though.

It turns off after ~ 30 min when the car goes into a deep sleep. However, before it would turn on when i wake the car up but now it stays off.
I'm not sure if its the battery saver on the uniden r8 or not. But I just found that weird.
Compare that to the cig outlet which immediately turns off in the X when you leave the car.

anyways, video is almost done with all the details and steps. It was so easy compared to the Y.

Congrats!
Just to clarify: do you mean that it will still power on, but just not do so automatically?