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Can't get in car. Neither app, nor key card working.
- Thread starter Echo5Giraffe
- Start date
I don't see anywhere I can message support other than requesting roadside assistance due to being locked out without keys (I have my keys!), and it says they will tow my car 1.5 hours away and it's not covered.
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That would be my guess too. Something the OP could try on his/her own.
I've read that the UI supposedly starts issuing warnings when the low voltage battery is getting weak, but I have no first hand experience.
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ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Yeah it would be some weird sudden failure edge case, but not altogether unheard of.
OP, your choices are try to jump the car yourself or engage roadside assistance. This is not a “locked out” sort of problem… choose “drivability concern” -> “won’t power on / start”.
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ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Is your car still under warranty? If so, tell them you want THEM to call a tow truck as part of the roadside assistance you pay for. That may or may not get you anywhere. 
If you’re not under warranty, their answer is correct. You need to jump the LV system, either yourself or with help, but it’s on you.
If you’re not under warranty, their answer is correct. You need to jump the LV system, either yourself or with help, but it’s on you.
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Would either of these count towards this issue?Is your car still under warranty? If so, tell them you want THEM to call a tow truck as part of the roadside assistance you pay for. That may or may not get you anywhere.
If you’re not under warranty, their answer is correct. You need to jump the LV system, either yourself or with help, but it’s on you.
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Tam
Well-Known Member
I've owned 3 different Tesla S, 3, X for 12 years and the "supposedly" warnings are generally true except 3 times for me.
There were times that there were advanced warnings.
However, in 3 separate times over 12 years, the 12V just died with no warnings. Fortunately, it happened in my garage so I wouldn't be stranded in strange places.
I had a mix of both towings and mobile service. I think the warranty language doesn't specify that it covers 12V but in all my cases, they covered all the expenses which was nice. If Tesla starts to enforce the warranty language, maybe 12V won't be covered anymore.
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Midnightsun
Active Member
I am pretty confident that your 12v battery is done. Car is not covered under warranty any more or maybe I should say the 12v battery is not covered. You can easily get into the car by following the procedure to jump it by connecting 12v to the terminals behind the tow plug on the front bumper.
The battery gets its charge from the main battery via a DC to DC charger and is not working so the 12v is most likely toast. You have 2 options, replace on your own with a group 51R from where ever, heck, even Walmart has them. If you have a service centre close by, pick up a Tesla one. Or, wait for Tesla to come out and swap it for you but that will be several days at best.
Good luck with whatever route you choose.
The battery gets its charge from the main battery via a DC to DC charger and is not working so the 12v is most likely toast. You have 2 options, replace on your own with a group 51R from where ever, heck, even Walmart has them. If you have a service centre close by, pick up a Tesla one. Or, wait for Tesla to come out and swap it for you but that will be several days at best.
Good luck with whatever route you choose.
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Not BS at all. It's called troubleshooting. They have confirmed car is asleep and it needs a jump.
I believe most of the time the simple jump will get you mobile to go get a new battery. The dead battery isn't usually totally expired but needs a external shunt to reconnect the big battery and then the car will operate.
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Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
If you cannot open the frunk using a samll 9V battery, to disconnect and reconnect the negative of the 12V battery to reset the car,
please review the following steps:
PART 1:
Does you App still work? Like can you activate the horn?
If so, go to the Climate control on your App, and try to lower the windows a little bit.
All the windows should have then a one inch crack.
If so, try finding a little piece of wood or a plastic tube, and bent it a little bit at one end.
Try then to reach inside the car, the open button of any door.
This should allow you to open any door.
If you are able to open a door, go to your screen and try using the soft reboot using the Service menu and Close button.
If the screen is not responding, try pressing the brake pedal and the two scroll buttons on the steering wheel.
If your screen is running, try then to activate the Service Mode
- by going to Software and then
- pressing the Software word in the middle of the screen for five seconds,
- and enter the password 'service'
If the Service Mode can start, look for any messages using the sub-menu on the left.
Part 2:
Try to open the frunk using the screen. If not working, try using a small 9V battery
using the wires located inside the front tow hook.
If you cannot open the frunk or the trunk using the screen, or using a small battery, you need to perform a hard reboot.
Do do so, you need:
- to raise the bottom booster of the rear seat (there is a little plastic knob near the right and the left)
- on the RIGHT side, there is a plug with small wires.
- Try to pull down the handle on to of the plug to disconnect the connector
Note: Do not touch the LEFT plug with the big orange wires.
After waiting a little bit, like 10 to 20 seconds, then plug back again the plug located under the rear left seat.
After disconnecting and reconnecting the small plug, the screen should starts again to run.
Check then for any messages using the Service Mode.
Do not close any doors.
Part 3:
Try to check if you can open the Frunk using the screen, if not try using a small 9V battery.
When the frunk is open, check for the 12V battery voltage if you have a voltmeter.
Put a piece of cardboard on top of the lock mechanism of the frunt, so you don't close it accidently.
It is possible that the internal DC/DC converter ill be able to recharge the battery,
however you might not be able to drive the car.
The next step will be to replace the battery. You can get one at the Service Center for about $70.
Part 4:
If you need to have your car to be tow to a garage, do the following:
- Try to see if you can go to the TOWING MODE under the Service menu.
- This will allow to unlock the parking brake, in case you need to move the car.
- Otherwise, the towing company will try to drag your car with the rear wheels locked.
- If the towing company don't use a dolly under the rear wheels, this can damage your suspension.
I hope you will be able to perform the PART 1 and then the Part 2 and Part 3.
I imagine anyway that this are what a mechanic will do.
I hope you will not have to do the PART 4.
Please continue posting for any additional questions, or to inform for any new status.
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I'm looking at this from an IT troubleshooting standpoint. Your symptoms indicate that the car has no Bluetooth function. I'm unclear how the state of charge is communicated, but I assume cell signal.
If Bluetooth is not operational, then a question is Why? It could be the Bluetooth module in the car has failed, but it seems much more likely that it simply doesn't have enough power to operate due to a dying or dead low-voltage battery. Don't confuse it with the high voltage battery at 70% state of charge.
The easiest thing to try is to get to the 12v battery (or 16v if newer) and check it, or simply replace it and hope. There are videos around youtube showing how to get into a Tesla with a dead 12v. And a 12v car battery is just a 12v car battery. Just get a matching sized replacement like any other car with a dead 12v.
If Bluetooth is not operational, then a question is Why? It could be the Bluetooth module in the car has failed, but it seems much more likely that it simply doesn't have enough power to operate due to a dying or dead low-voltage battery. Don't confuse it with the high voltage battery at 70% state of charge.
The easiest thing to try is to get to the 12v battery (or 16v if newer) and check it, or simply replace it and hope. There are videos around youtube showing how to get into a Tesla with a dead 12v. And a 12v car battery is just a 12v car battery. Just get a matching sized replacement like any other car with a dead 12v.
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Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
The car certainly went into a 'Load Shedding' mode, where only a minimum of functions are still running,
like the Sleep mode on a computer. You need then to perform a soft or a hard reboot to restart the car.
If you can open the frunk using a small 9V battery,
you will be able to disconnect and reconnect the negative of the 12V battery to reset the car.
But if you cannot open the frunk using a 9V battery, I have been in this situation,
because by security opening the frunk is only possible because the 12V battery is low and need to be replaced.
In this case you need to find another solution, as explain above (See posting #17)
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