2nd Catastrophic HV Failure – Corrosion

[Jack]

2nd catastrophic HV failure on my 2012 S due to corrosion. 1st failure was 2016 – Tesla “remanufactured” the existing HV rather than replacing. 2nd failure was in April, with car out of warranty – again due to corrosion. Tech said it is likely to repeat. Tesla has turned hostile after many years of excellent service and wants $16K to $21K to repair, despite recurrence. HV exhibited little or no depletion and car in excellent condition otherwise.

Has anyone experienced an HV failure due to corrosion? Does anyone have advice on how to proceed?

 

[2101Guy]

Same issue as yours?

Tesla Model S Battery removal before repair

We got a Tesla Model S 85 2014 that needs repairs, got a torn out lower arm from the lower frame that will need to be replaced, for doing the repairs we will need to bring down the high voltage battery here are some pics! View of the lower frame with battery out. High voltage wire from junction bloc

www.linkedin.com

 

[ucmndd]

What exactly are they saying is corroding?

Your car is out of warranty now, the prior pack replacement really isn't relevant to the situation. I think your choices are basically replace the battery (either new or remanufactured) or scrap the car.

Or talk to the Electrified Garage in NH and see what they say.

 

[Jack]

What exactly are they saying is corroding?

Your car is out of warranty now, the prior pack replacement really isn't relevant to the situation. I think your choices are basically replace the battery (either new or remanufactured) or scrap the car.

Or talk to the Electrified Garage in NH and see what they say.

This is from the SC:
The battery was originally remanufactured as part of a bulletin where it was inspected for corrosion, and if the corrosion on the enclosure was beyond a certain size, remanufacture would be required. The corrosion was found to be excessive so the battery was sent out to remanufacture per the bulletin. At remanufacturing, the battery is pressure tested before and after remanufacture. This ensures an adequate seal of the pack to the same specifications of a new battery.

Seems to me the prior replacement was relevant, as it was a manufacturer's defect that is now repeating, just after warranty expires. Will check out Electrified Garage, thank you for that.

 

[Jack]

Same issue as yours?

Tesla Model S Battery removal before repair

We got a Tesla Model S 85 2014 that needs repairs, got a torn out lower arm from the lower frame that will need to be replaced, for doing the repairs we will need to bring down the high voltage battery here are some pics! View of the lower frame with battery out. High voltage wire from junction bloc

www.linkedin.com

The HV itself is corroded - for the 2nd time - see above

 

[2101Guy]

The "tech has said it is likely to repeat" is of concern. That translates to "we dont know how to prevent this issue from happening/we have no real fix"

 

[Lloyd]

In ocean going boats where there is salt water corrosion like what you are showing we coat the area with a Di-electric grease to help prevent that. The cars should be protected! Perhaps we will see a return of "undercoating"! Remember that option when you bought a new car?

Anyway a good coating of a protective grease should prevent that IMO.

 

[Jack]

The "tech has said it is likely to repeat" is of concern. That translates to "we dont know how to prevent this issue from happening/we have no real fix"

That is precisely why i think the previous corrosion is an issue and why i think this is a potentially systemic problem. That is the message i took away as well.

 

[SoCal Buzz]

That is precisely why i think the previous corrosion is an issue and why i think this is a potentially systemic problem. That is the message i took away as well.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Very discouraging how Tesla service and customer support has degraded over the years. My 2013 battery pack was sent back to the factory because it failed some type of leak test after 4 years. I got it back in ~ 4 months, and did not experience any other issues (far as I know).

When you say the HV itself is corroded, which part of it and where exactly?

My only thought is try and escalate within Tesla, asking for support and help from management given they did repair the battery in 2016.

 

[Jack]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Very discouraging how Tesla service and customer support has degraded over the years. My 2013 battery pack was sent back to the factory because it failed some type of leak test after 4 years. I got it back in ~ 4 months, and did not experience any other issues (far as I know).

When you say the HV itself is corroded, which part of it and where exactly?

My only thought is try and escalate within Tesla, asking for support and help from management given they did repair the battery in 2016.

Thanks for your comment and empathy with my situation. From what i see, it's likely you have the same issue. I'm certainly not an expert, but was also told water was getting into the HV and they gave me a loaner and it took about 4-5 months to get my battery back. I recall that it was the top of the pack and a seal corroded - but i'm not sure. All was fine, until it wasn't and Tesla has been a nightmare. I got a 'car may not restart' error, called roadside - they said bring it in - i did, and was greeted with 'we can't get to it for a week' without even saying hello or asking what the problem was. I strongly suggest you get yours checked out while still under warranty. I talked to someone named Russell at corporate who read me policy and was as offensive as could be. Message = FU. Also, they are not honoring my 8th service that i paid for since, from the Dedham SC: "The 8 year maintenance plan expired on 3/31. The appointment was created on 4/10 so it will not be honored, but the service has not yet been performed so we can remove it from the service." If you do experience the problem, as I expect many will - is there anything we can do? Per 2101Guy's comment above - it seems there is no fix and this is a major issue at $16K-21K every four years - not what i signed up for. I have the first production S in the PRM and it has been a great experience until now - Matt B was a supurb SC manager. It's shocking to see what they are doing now.

 

[Jack]

This is from the SC:
The battery was originally remanufactured as part of a bulletin where it was inspected for corrosion, and if the corrosion on the enclosure was beyond a certain size, remanufacture would be required. The corrosion was found to be excessive so the battery was sent out to remanufacture per the bulletin. At remanufacturing, the battery is pressure tested before and after remanufacture. This ensures an adequate seal of the pack to the same specifications of a new battery.

Seems to me the prior replacement was relevant, as it was a manufacturer's defect that is now repeating, just after warranty expires. Will check out Electrified Garage, thank you for that.

I contacted Electrified Garage as you suggested - greeted like the old Tesla - seems they are former SC employees who left in frustration as service levels deteriorated. Unfortunately, they are a long ride for me up in NH - and the vast majority of the quote was for the remanufactured HV - they suggested that they might take a look and see if they can repair, but suggested that is unlikely - will hear back from they tomorrow. Do you have experience with them - seems like a longer ride for you?

 

[SoCal Buzz]

Thanks for your comment and empathy with my situation. From what i see, it's likely you have the same issue. I'm certainly not an expert, but was also told water was getting into the HV and they gave me a loaner and it took about 4-5 months to get my battery back. I recall that it was the top of the pack and a seal corroded - but i'm not sure. All was fine, until it wasn't and Tesla has been a nightmare. I got a 'car may not restart' error, called roadside - they said bring it in - i did, and was greeted with 'we can't get to it for a week' without even saying hello or asking what the problem was. I strongly suggest you get yours checked out while still under warranty. I talked to someone named Russell at corporate who read me policy and was as offensive as could be. Message = FU. Also, they are not honoring my 8th service that i paid for since, from the Dedham SC: "The 8 year maintenance plan expired on 3/31. The appointment was created on 4/10 so it will not be honored, but the service has not yet been performed so we can remove it from the service." If you do experience the problem, as I expect many will - is there anything we can do? Per 2101Guy's comment above - it seems there is no fix and this is a major issue at $16K-21K every four years - not what i signed up for. I have the first production S in the PRM and it has been a great experience until now - Matt B was a supurb SC manager. It's shocking to see what they are doing now.

I sold my '13 and upgraded in '18, managing to avoid the MCU and other service fiascos. I also made decision at the time to start leasing because of the evolving tech. and concern with Tesla price drops affecting value. Anyway, it sounds like your internal leak caused a short, and Tesla really provides no option other than battery replacement. I've heard they offer remanufactured at a lower price. So much for supporting early adopters and driving brand loyalty. I'm no longer loyal to Tesla, but am stuck on the best EV / tech / performance option on the market for now.