12V battery must be replaced soon

[RSS-X]

My Model X has about 11,600 miles, and is 15 months old. I have a wall charger, and when I went to unplug the cable this morning, I noticed that the charge port light was red. Never saw that before. I thought that maybe the cable wasn't plugged in all the way, but I didn't pay much attention. I removed the cable, and when I got into the car, I noticed a warning: 12V battery must be replaced soon. Software updates will not complete until serviced. The car drove normally, and when I returned home, I charged the battery for a few minutes to see if that would make a difference (I usually charge at night). It didn't.

I opened the Tesla APP, entered the required information, uploaded a picture of the error message, and expected to be able to get a mobile service appointment in the next few days. The appointment has to be at a Service Center, and the first appointment is January 19, 2021 - one month from today! I really don't feel comfortable driving for a month knowing that the 12V battery is on the verge of failing.

Any suggestions on how to get my service appointment expedited?

 

[Les236]

I haven't had this issue yet after 2 1/2 years and 42,000 miles, but I know it is coming. I would call the Telsa support line, 877-798-3752. They may be able to help expedite. Because I am on trips a lot, I have one of the portable jumper packs similar to the attached photo which can be had from Costco, Amazon, Walmart, etc. in my car at all times, and of course I can also use it to assist any stranded ICE vehicles out there.

 

[RSS-X]

I haven't had this issue yet after 2 1/2 years and 42,000 miles, but I know it is coming. I would call the Telsa support line, 877-798-3752. They may be able to help expedite. Because I am on trips a lot, I have one of the portable jumper packs similar to the attached photo which can be had from Costco, Amazon, Walmart, etc. in my car at all times, and of course I can also use it to assist any stranded ICE vehicles out there.

Thanks for the suggestion. I called the support line, and while the person who answered was polite, they really didn't have any solution for me. He did say that typically the battery lasts about two weeks after you first get the notice. Too bad my appointment is one month away.

Subsequently I received a reply from my local service center. They are out of stock on the 12 volt batteries. As soon as they receive one, they will schedule mobile service. It would have been helpful if they gave me an ETA for the battery delivery.

 

[RSS-X]

Some progress to report, but certainly not good enough. The local service advisor messaged me, and set up a tentative mobile service appointment for January 6, 2021, assuming that they receive a replacement battery. The guy on the Tesla Support Line (thanks Les236) told me that the battery typically lasts two weeks after the warning message is first displayed. That gives me a drop dead date of January 1, 2021. Am I supposed to drive the car as I normally do for the next three weeks, and wonder when the battery is actually going to fail? I asked for a loaner car, but I'm not optimistic. I'm really disappointed.

 

[sacfan]

I haven't had this issue yet after 2 1/2 years and 42,000 miles, but I know it is coming. I would call the Telsa support line, 877-798-3752. They may be able to help expedite. Because I am on trips a lot, I have one of the portable jumper packs similar to the attached photo which can be had from Costco, Amazon, Walmart, etc. in my car at all times, and of course I can also use it to assist any stranded ICE vehicles out there.

I’m quite familiar with jumping batteries on ICE cars using the car battery size packs that I used to keep in my vehicle. I have used a friend’s small, truly portable battery packs like the one shown the last couple of times.

Is the process exactly the same on our Teslas as on an ICE? Obviously lifting the hood on the ICE is easier than removing the cover in the frunk to access the battery, but once you can see the Tesla battery is the process the same?

What “size”/amperage,etc portable battery pack is recommended for a Tesla? With an ICE the size of the battery pack needed is determined by the size of the vehicle and its engine (and battery).

 

[jboy210]

I’m quite familiar with jumping batteries on ICE cars using the car battery size packs that I used to keep in my vehicle. I have used a friend’s small, truly portable battery packs like the one shown the last couple of times.

Is the process exactly the same on our Teslas as on an ICE? Obviously lifting the hood on the ICE is easier than removing the cover in the frunk to access the battery, but once you can see the Tesla battery is the process the same?

What “size”/amperage,etc portable battery pack is recommended for a Tesla? With an ICE the size of the battery pack needed is determined by the size of the vehicle and its engine (and battery).

You don't need to remove the frunk liner to jump the car. Only to get access to the battery to replace it. There are jumper lugs. See this video.

 

[sacfan]

You don't need to remove the frunk liner to jump the car. Only to get access to the battery to replace it. There are jumper lugs. See this video.

Wow, great to know. Thanks so much!

Is there a problem jumping other cars (ICE) from our Teslas or can I assume the process and precautions are the same as with two ICE cars?

 

[DCGOO]

Some progress to report, but certainly not good enough. The local service advisor messaged me, and set up a tentative mobile service appointment for January 6, 2021, assuming that they receive a replacement battery. The guy on the Tesla Support Line (thanks Les236) told me that the battery typically lasts two weeks after the warning message is first displayed. That gives me a drop dead date of January 1, 2021. Am I supposed to drive the car as I normally do for the next three weeks, and wonder when the battery is actually going to fail? I asked for a loaner car, but I'm not optimistic. I'm really disappointed.

Operate the vehicle according to their suggestions (normally), If it fails before the battery is replaced, then you can use Emergency Road Service, even if it is in your driveway. You did everything you could, and followed their instructions. I specifically would NOT try to use any alternative means to bring the battery along. If it dies, it dies. But I bet you'll be fine. The two-week time frame for living with the error is just an estimate. It could be much longer (or shorter). As long as you use the car according to the suggestions made by SC staff, that is all you can do.

 

[ShawnA]

Hi @sacfan,

You ask if it is OK to jump ICE cars from the Tesla - The answer is a resounding NO!
The Tesla X battery is very small and will not support cranking an ICE engine...

The Model X may be jumped from an ICE car as the Model X required current is low...

I had the Replace 12 Volt battery message in November 2020.
It was replaced by mobile service - The mobile service advice in setting up the appointment
was to use the car as usual - BUT if I smelled a sulfur smell - DO NOT USE the car.
That indicates a worse than usual failure...

Good Luck,

Shawn

 

[Stin121]

I just left my my SC this morning for the same issue. They confirmed the appointment yesterday, but upon arrival this morning, they stated they didn’t have a battery. Couldn’t they have canceled the appointment before I drove there?

I was told there were 300+ in AZ, and they will try and get one soon.

I am most frustrated with the fact that they just replaced mine in Aug.

I scheduled a mobile service for early Jan.

 

[RSS-X]

Stin121, sorry to hear that this is your second battery failure. Were you able to get any feedback after the first replacement as to the cause of the failure? I wonder how common this problem is. Latest word from the Mt Kisco, NY SC is that a shipment of batteries is due in on January 5, 2021. My mobile service is scheduled for January 6, 2021. While driving today the GPS didn't know where the car was a few times. Then, the system decided to re-boot, and I'm driving along with blank screens! I don't know if that's related to the 12volt battery issue or not, but it's not the usual fun feeling driving the X with this problem.

Very disappointed that replacements aren't available for immediate service.

 

[Stin121]

Stin121, sorry to hear that this is your second battery failure. Were you able to get any feedback after the first replacement as to the cause of the failure? I wonder how common this problem is. Latest word from the Mt Kisco, NY SC is that a shipment of batteries is due in on January 5, 2021. My mobile service is scheduled for January 6, 2021. While driving today the GPS didn't know where the car was a few times. Then, the system decided to re-boot, and I'm driving along with blank screens! I don't know if that's related to the 12volt battery issue or not, but it's not the usual fun feeling driving the X with this problem.

Very disappointed that replacements aren't available for immediate service.

I purchased used in April, so I wasn’t shocked about a replacement in August. I did have the MCU upgraded in June, that might be the issue? I asked today if they ran diagnostics. They stated that they did, and found nothing wrong. I was told that maybe the battery that was installed in August wasn’t fully charged when they installed it. I was under the assumption the car charge the battery in order to keep it full, but she didn’t want to give me an answer to my question. My mobile service is scheduled January 7, so hopefully they have one in stock by then.

 

[RSS-X]

The Mount Kisco, NY Service Center received their shipment of 12 volt batteries yesterday (Tuesday, January 5, 2021), and my battery was replaced by mobile service this morning. Matt, the service tech, was friendly, efficient, and professional. The replacement took about 20-30 minutes, and was done under warranty. I would have felt more comfortable if the battery would have been replaced a day or two after I received the warning. Driving for three weeks knowing that the battery is on the verge of failing isn't fun. OTOH, with an ICE car, I guess I wouldn't have even known that the battery was going to fail. I appreciate that Tesla monitors the battery health, and provides warnings when something isn't right. Thanks Matt and Tesla.

 

[tsxl]

I recently received the message to change the 12v battery message on my 2016 p90dl

Thanks to the forums and youtube, i was able to change out the 12v battery myself.

i picked up the oem battery for $200 plus change at my local service centre. I was researching the after market Lithium options but the costs are about $600 plus to get it around here.

when I pulled out the old battery, I was surprised to see that my vehicle still had the original battery, dated july 2016. I'm surprised the tiny battery lasted over 5 years in the Tesla! Since most places I read online that it lasts 2 years max in the X!

Doing it myself I spent a few hours, but it let me give the vehicle a nice cleaning and see what's underneath the "hood"

 

[mbp11]

OK, Here is my story. I have a July 2018 MX 100D that has been behaving pretty well, just had the weather stripping replaced on the FWDs and I am a lucky recipient of FSD Beta 10.5. Recently with the software update I have had difficulty contacting my car through the app and summon stopped working. I thought it was due to the FSD Beta and was going to file a complaint. The other night I was pulling sacks and supplies out of the back trunk and after I closed the rear trunk, the key fob disappeared. I thought the key fob fell off in the trunk and the door locked up, which was strange, so I tried to unlock the door through the app but could not connect. I called the Tesla help line and they could not connect either. Thought there was a software glitch so we went through troubleshooting and they finally decided to call a lockout tech at 6pm that night. It was dark. I was next sent to the upper level tech support.

I wanted to reset the software so I suggested getting into the frunk and pulling the releases, and recycling the power from the Fireman's cord. The tech agreed, so I popped the frunk from the front, opened the cover and pulled the fireman's power cord.

Big mistake.

About the time the secondary tech support came on, the car alarms started going off, and the horn was blaring, and Bach was playing and the tech support wanted to know what was going on... I desperately tried to connect the power cord but could not get it connected without a flashlight. Why would the car stay locked? Did I lose the fob elsewhere? The alarm is still blaring. I opened up all of the sacks that I took out of the car, dumped them out and there was the key fob in one of them. How did it get there?

I took it out to the car and then car then unlocked (BTW, my girlfriend lost the back up key fob during a trip to Boulder in September) but the MCU was dead, (even though the car had been plugged into the charger) and reconnected the battery disconnect with the help of a flashlight, and the horn stopped blaring. The lockout tech arrived and I told him I got into the car so we began to troubleshoot the battery. Got a jumper cable and connected from his car carefully to the hot plug in the frunk and a ground. The MCU came on for a 30 second period of time and then went out, and I was left with a 6000 pound paperweight in my driveway. We put everything away, closed the car, and left it in the driveway and scheduled a battery replacement on the Tesla App for the next afternoon when I could be home (I work in the mornings away from home).

The next morning my doorbell rang, it was the mobile ranger so we talked over the doorbell and he started work and replaced the battery without me being there! He even programed a new key for me. My car is back! But I never got an alert or warning. great service, though!

So sometimes you will get a warning that the battery is failing and sometimes you won't, you will just get strange behavior or you cannot connect to the car by the app.

 

[Xeux]

Got the 12v warning today (2020 Raven). Just ordered an Ohmmu battery. (Tesla Lithium 12v | Ohmmu | United States)

 

[DCGOO]

Got the 12v warning today (2020 Raven). Just ordered an Ohmmu battery. (Tesla Lithium 12v | Ohmmu | United States)

Why? Tesla will come to your home (or office) and replace it for free.

 

[mbp11]

They replaced my battery for free!

 

[Harvey Danger]

OK, Here is my story.

That was a hell of a story.

Having that horn going the whole time must have been a real pleasure o-O

 

[mbp11]

That was a hell of a story.

Having that horn going the whole time must have been a real pleasure o-O

No.

It was not.

Lots of explaining to do to the neighbors that I was NOT trying to break into my car. And trying to explain to second level support what I did and what was going on around the horn screeching.