12V Battery Requires service

[jlucero]

got this message this morning. few questions...my car has 45K miles, and is about 3.5 years old.

1. how much does this cost at a tesla service center to replace?
2. is it under the 4 year, 50K warranty coverage?
3. are these "easy" to change yourself?
4. usually how long will car last without dying once you get this message?

thanks!

 

[ewoodrick]

12V batteries are a service item on EVERY car. They do have individual warranties, but don't necessarily mean much after a few years. They are easy to change and can be done by many auto stores. Just let them know that the battery + connector may be energized when disconnected and not to let it accidentally ground.

Get some other opinions though.

 

[jlucero]

does anyone know what the Tesla Service Center charges to replace the 12V battery?

 

[Tim-in-CA]

I thought that Tesla was covering these. I'd say to call the SC to ask, but they have installed a barrier automated call system that actively prevents the ability to speak to a real person. All options end up telling you to go to tesla.com/service … you should at least schedule a SC appt in the app or via tesla.com … I think nose cone Teslas are easier to replace than updated Teslas. Your vehicle will NOT work if the 12V battery is dead. You shouldn't delay in getting this looked at.

 

[Ostrichsak]

It has been my personal first-hand experience that Tesla will replace a 12v battery under warranty on cars that still are covered under factory warranty.

 

[jlucero]

ok thanks guys. i made an appt today with the app. the reason i was wondering the opposite to this was that i was chatting with tesla support today and they said it wasnt covered under warranty. but lets see what the service center says.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Good luck, let us know the outcome.

 

[jlucero]

rats, turned out my warranty expired 2 weeks ago, thats why i was told it wasnt covered for me. for those of you with an active warranty, appears this is covered under warranty! the cost is $280 for me

 

[ElectricLove]

So, I swap mine to Lithium and this issue doesn’t come up as often, they last way longer in the Tesla (like 4x as long)! Check out www.ohmmu.com if interested in upgrading to Lithium, I don’t think anyone else makes one that is a direct fit.

 

[blee321]

I just got this message as well. Scheduled a mobile service apt. Was told it would be covered under the warranty program.

 

[zwede]

rats, turned out my warranty expired 2 weeks ago, thats why i was told it wasnt covered for me. for those of you with an active warranty, appears this is covered under warranty! the cost is $280 for me

Wow, they've raised prices a lot then. Mine died in January this year and was $150. I replaced it myself but they said they'd do it for $45 so $195 total. I took the old battery to Autozone and got a store credit for the core charge even though I didn't buy it from there. So ended up costing $140.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Wow, they've raised prices a lot then. Mine died in January this year and was $150. I replaced it myself but they said they'd do it for $45 so $195 total. I took the old battery to Autozone and got a store credit for the core charge even though I didn't buy it from there. So ended up costing $140.

You may have been misquoted because I had two 12v batteries replaced under warranty earlier this year (Feb/March) and the price would have been $250 installed in both cases if not for the warranty.

 

[outdoors]

I am closing in on Winter and 100k on the S. My 12v is still original. Should I go with the proactive approach and replace now rather than wait for a warning? I guess what I am saying. How much time before the warning = no juice to get going? Or can it just end like a light switch.

 

[zwede]

You may have been misquoted because I had two 12v batteries replaced under warranty earlier this year (Feb/March) and the price would have been $250 installed in both cases if not for the warranty.

$45 did sound low considering how difficult it is to do on the pre-face lift cars. I had a good hour of fun getting it done. Saving $100-$130 by doing it myself makes me feel better about it.

 

[azjohn]

So, I swap mine to Lithium and this issue doesn’t come up as often, they last way longer in the Tesla (like 4x as long)! Check out www.ohmmu.com if interested in upgrading to Lithium, I don’t think anyone else makes one that is a direct fit.

Mountain Pass also makes one for M3

 

[smilepak]

got this message this morning. few questions...my car has 45K miles, and is about 3.5 years old.

1. how much does this cost at a tesla service center to replace?
2. is it under the 4 year, 50K warranty coverage?
3. are these "easy" to change yourself?
4. usually how long will car last without dying once you get this message?

thanks!

Call mobile service. They will come to your house to replace it. Mine was free and I was out of the 50k warranty by about 10k miles or so

 

[Webby]

rats, turned out my warranty expired 2 weeks ago, thats why i was told it wasnt covered for me. for those of you with an active warranty, appears this is covered under warranty! the cost is $280 for me

@jlucero regarding the your warranty expiration, FYI you can still buy the extended service agreement for your car if you want continued coverage on your car (not that you'd want it for a simple 12V battery, but if you're going to buy the ESA anyway you might as well have the 12V be covered). Here's the language from Tesla:
"What is the eligible purchase period for Tesla Extended Service Agreements, and what do they cover?
You may purchase the Extended Service Agreement no later than 30 days or 1,000 miles past the expiration of your New Vehicle Limited Warranty."
- Extended Service Agreement

FWIW, I'm regretting my decision to forgo the ESA, considering the growing issue of eMMC failures in MCU1 cars like mine (I have a 2016 75D refresh AP1 with 58k miles), and screen yellowing issues on a range of models.