Bay Area Service

[unixphone]

Hello,
I am kind of new at the roadster and plan to drive this car few times a week.
It sounds like there are two things I should consider:

1.) install the OVMS v3 (does not look easy)
2.) relocate the 12V battery to the trunk (or I should buy a jack lift and do it myself and keep the car original?)
3.) install 220v at the garage to make the battery healthier

Can someone recommend me a shop to accomplish 1 and 2? Anything else I should consider to make this car last?

 

[slcasner]

For 1, are you concerned about the software installation and configuration procedure or the hardware installation in the car? I think the software installation wizard is quite good, especially for an open-source project. And the hardware installation is simply a matter of plugging and velcro-ing so long as you are willing to temporarily let the antenna cable run exposed across the passenger dashboard to a spot at the base of the windshield. A cleaner antenna cable installation can come later.

For 2, most owners have just left the battery in the original location under the headlight.

The difficulty of 3 can vary substantially depending upon the distance between your main panel and garage, construction details, etc.

 

[unixphone]

thanks for the prompt reply.
For 1. I am concern on the hardware.... is there a step by step for dummy or a video?
For 2, I just need a lift jack. take the tire out and replace it right?
For 3. I read we have tax credit 30% off up to 1k. Since I plan to get model y next year. I am thinking install the $500 Tesla wall connector. Will that work with 2010 roadster as well?

Anything else I should look into? I assume same as my old model 3. I try to keep the car charge 24/7 until 80% full?

 

[slcasner]

The OVMS User Guide includes sections for each supported vehicle type. The section for the Tesla Roadster includes instructions for installing the module in the vehicle. As I said, if you are willing to start with a temporary placement of the antenna without hiding the cable, then it is really easy. The only difficulty comes in routing the cable under or inside the dress surfaces of the interior. These instructions cover two suggested locations: near the rear passenger headrest and at the bottom or top of the windshield.

Various kinds of auto jacks will work to lift the Roadster. I just use the one from my wife's RAV4. Lifting the front is easier than the rear because it is light and the required lift point on the bottom of the car is easy to reach. See the owners manual for the location. My Roadster is a 2008 (1.5) so it does not have a 12V battery and therefore I have not done that particular operation, but from what I read here it looks like replacement of the battery is straightforward.

The Tesla Wall Connector will work for the Roadster so long as you have Henry Sharp's (@hcsharp) CAN SR adapter since the Roadster's native connector is different. The Roadster's standard mode charge goes to about 80%; there is no more specific adjustment.

 

[unixphone]

I see.
I notice there are $90 and $150. And $299 one from medlock and son.

Since i dont plan to put a sim card in it, i should get the $90 one or i should get $299 from medlock and son.

$90.00 (Free Shipping) OVMS v3 Base Module (Wifi/Bluetooth) (OVMS v3 Base Module) at m.FastTech.com
$150.00 (Free Shipping) OVMS v3 Kit w/ SIM5360 3G Modem Module (US Edition/NO SIM Card Included) (OVMS v3 w/ SIM5360, US Edition) at m.FastTech.com

OVMS v3 | Medlock & Sons

 

[slcasner]

FastTech indicates free shipping but it's very slow, like 2-4 weeks.

How do you plan to use OVMS? For me the biggest value is to monitor charging remotely when I'm on a road trip, and that requires the modem and sim card. I am using the Hologram card (that used to come with the OVMS, but maybe not any more). The sim card was free and includes a small amount of free usage per month. My usage stays within that, so I'm not paying anything. (It was necessary to put $5 into the account in case the threshold is exceeded.)

The $299 price at Medlock includes an additional board installed to access the TPMS system in the 2.x cars. See several threads in this forum about TPMS problems that have required service from Tesla to fix. This additional feature lets you restore sensor addresses in the TPMS antennas yourself.

 

[unixphone]

Thanks man.
I did some digging and you are right. Sounds like the TPMS function will come in handy. $299 one it is then

anything else i should look into?

 

[slcasner]

Just the CAN SR and possibly CAN JR as well if you plan on traveling to places where you need to use public charging.

[BTW, in the 1990s I worked on software that provided the functionality of an Internet telephone and ran on Unix workstations.]

 

[unixphone]

hahaha thank you for contributing the software community.

i installed a linux OS 20 years ago on my ibm computer when i was in high school. I admire the open source OS computer system and hope there will be a linux os for cell phone. Unfortunately, i changed my passion to finance instead.

 

[gregd]

I had the 12v battery replaced by Tesla Service in 2015, and it's needing replacement again. Plan is to do it myself this time, in a few days. There's lots of documentation on the process here on the forum, and lots of folks ready to assist if you get into trouble. Given the infrequent need for service, I'd leave it where it is. (I reserve the right to change that opinion, of course, depending on how this goes...)

As Steve says, installing the OVMSv3 can be trivial, depending on what you want to do with the wires. The kit from Medlock comes with the module, the pigtail that connects the module to the car's diagnostic post (under the passenger dashboard), and the cell antenna. The module uses the car's GPS for that service (don't need an additional antenna). Basically, plug everything together and you're done. The rest is tidying things up with double-stick tape, Velcro, or whatever.

Besides the tax credit (does that work for used cars?), you might check with your electric service provider to see if they have any credits for installing charging.

Oh, and welcome to Roadster ownership, and the Roadster Forum!

 

[unixphone]

It sounds like the 12V only need to change every 5 years. Thats reasonable.

the fed tax credit is for installing the e car charger. They dont check whether we have a e car or not. Not sure is it correct but i was told the $500 charger and the insulation fee both of them qualify.

 

[hcsharp]

Installing OVMS is easy IMO. Changing the 12v battery is also easy IMO. I personally would never consider moving anything to the trunk if I could help it. The 12v is in a good place already and trunk space is at a premium.

 

[gregd]

I had the 12v battery replaced by Tesla Service in 2015, and it's needing replacement again. Plan is to do it myself this time, in a few days. There's lots of documentation on the process here on the forum, and lots of folks ready to assist if you get into trouble. Given the infrequent need for service, I'd leave it where it is. (I reserve the right to change that opinion, of course, depending on how this goes...)

12v battery swap complete. Not sure I would call it "easy", rather I would call it annoying. But in the end I did not need to put the car up on jacks or a ramp, and didn't break anything in the process. No skinned knuckles, either. And unlike on my ICE, I didn't need to reset the clock and reprogram the radio when I was done.

 

[Timothy]

12v battery swap complete. Not sure I would call it "easy", rather I would call it annoying. But in the end I did not need to put the car up on jacks or a ramp, and didn't break anything in the process. No skinned knuckles, either. And unlike on my ICE, I didn't need to reset the clock and reprogram the radio when I was done.

I did the battery swap as well. Doable, but I wouldn't call it 'easy' either! Thanks to the information on the forum and suggestions and encouragement from friends who performed this task themselves.Whew!

 

[unixphone]

12v battery swap complete. Not sure I would call it "easy", rather I would call it annoying. But in the end I did not need to put the car up on jacks or a ramp, and didn't break anything in the process. No skinned knuckles, either. And unlike on my ICE, I didn't need to reset the clock and reprogram the radio when I was done.

Jack is not needed?

 

[gregd]

Jack is not needed?

Nope. Just turned the wheels to the far right lock, and reached around the wheel. The rest followed Scotty's instructions here: Replacing the 12V aux Battery It wasn't horrible, just annoying. The most annoying part wasn't the bolt at the bottom, but the peeling back of the "felt" liner. My car's liner is a stiff plastic, not felt (probably due to not having the final noise reduction updates), and I was worried about breaking it. But it held, and the access panel was wrestled out. The battery is right behind the panel, within easy one-handed reach. (I'm left-handed, which helped in this case!)