Car is 'bricked', how to disconnect for tow?

[Gig103]

I got back from a three week vacation, during which time my MS was garaged, plugged in, and locked. It will not wake up, nor will it even unlock if I put the keyfob in the manual location on the passenger side windshield. In the app, it said "last seen 7 days ago" and at that time the charge was 154mi. There was a recent fault in the service tab, so I opened a ticket. Unfortunately now I can't get the exact text from that alert, based on how the app works, but it was along the lines of one I had in 2022 which was a faulty battery heater module.

Last time the car did restart, but this time I need to get it towed to Tesla. Since it's plugged into a wall charger (not a mobile one), and the doors and trunk are locked, I can't get to the manual release. Also, it's AWD and without the software active I can't enter Tow Mode. How is USAA roadside assistance (specified b/c it isn't Tesla R/S i'm out of warranty) supposed to tow it off? If there's a method someone here can help me with, for disconnecting from the wall, I'd appreciate that advice. Like, even if the HV system is kaput shouldn't the 12V system be working? Is there a way to jump it long enough to unlock the door and get into the trunk for the disconnect?

 

[ScottNY]

Not sure if this works for a MS, but on a MY or M3, open the doors using the connectors inside the front bumper tow hook compartment and a 9v battery. You can then get to the manual release for the charge port.

 

[cbdream99]

For older S, there are manual release cables for the frunk hidden inside the front wheel wells on both side, remove them and the pull the cables, then you will be able to open the frunk. Search for youtube for how to jump start the older model S. Tow company familiar with Tesla can put dolly on wheels if it is completely dead, may not be easy though depending on whether there is enough room in the garage.

 

[brkaus]

Look up the manual in the app (or online). There is a way to get in the frunk, but it varies slightly by model and year. From that point you can put a jumpstart or a charger on the 12v and get the electronics working.

the isolation fault likely got to the point that it turned off the main battery. The 12v will then deplete with out the regular top offs and leave you in you’re current situation.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I got back from a three week vacation, during which time my MS was garaged, plugged in, and locked. It will not wake up, nor will it even unlock if I put the keyfob in the manual location on the passenger side windshield. In the app, it said "last seen 7 days ago" and at that time the charge was 154mi. There was a recent fault in the service tab, so I opened a ticket. Unfortunately now I can't get the exact text from that alert, based on how the app works, but it was along the lines of one I had in 2022 which was a faulty battery heater module.

Last time the car did restart, but this time I need to get it towed to Tesla. Since it's plugged into a wall charger (not a mobile one), and the doors and trunk are locked, I can't get to the manual release. Also, it's AWD and without the software active I can't enter Tow Mode. How is USAA roadside assistance (specified b/c it isn't Tesla R/S i'm out of warranty) supposed to tow it off? If there's a method someone here can help me with, for disconnecting from the wall, I'd appreciate that advice. Like, even if the HV system is kaput shouldn't the 12V system be working? Is there a way to jump it long enough to unlock the door and get into the trunk for the disconnect?

I presume you have an older Model S with a nose cone, as per your signature. If so, you can open the nose cone and jump the car or open the hood as per the below thread.

How to enter Model S with flat 12v battery?

How do you enter the car when the 12v battery is flat? It won't respond to the key.. are there any mechanical ways of opening the doors?

teslamotorsclub.com

Then if your car has a manual release in the trunk, you can release the charge port.

Unlock Charge Port on Dead as a Doorknob 2014 Model S

My 2014 model S has about 60,000 miles on it so battery should be fine. Let it sit without charging in cold weather and now it is dead. Can’t open charge port even with phone app. It is an earlier model so it can’t push open either. Any thoughts? Needed to get repairs after a storm but can’t...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Gig103]

Hello, thanks for the reply. I was able to get into the nosecone but did not have success jumping. My first attempt I plugged a battery tender into the wall, and started hearing a 'clicking' sound, and that freaked me out, so I unplugged it. Here's a clip, I'm wondering if this is bad or if I could resume the effort to charge the battery?

A few other notes: I only read 2V on the posts but I'm not sure if that's valid or not. And I tried with traditional jumper cables and my ICE car and got nothing, not even the clicking sound above.

 

[Gig103]

Updating the thread... I did finally get the 12V to wake up long enough to disconnect the house power and disable 'walk away lock' so i don't have to jump it again when the tow comes tomorrow.

 

[swaltner]

2 Volts from the 12 Volt battery - Since you got a voltage reading, you were reading the voltage of the 12 Volt battery. The battery is discharged and very likely needs replacing. While you can possibly charge the battery up, with the battery getting discharged that low, it's on its last leg. Just swap the battery and be done with it.

Instead of getting a tow, just remove the 12 Volt battery and use another vehicle to drive to the service center to get it swapped. I assume they have a core charge on the battery, so you want to take the old battery in when you purchase your replacement battery. If you don't remember the last time you replaced the 12V battery, it needs replacing. My Model 3 battery is the original battery that is more than 5.5 years old. Frankly, I probably should have replaced it already even though it isn't showing external signs of wear.

Battery Tender systems, particularly the Junior model you showed, are NOT designed to recharge a dead battery. They are designed to maintain a charged battery, hence the "tender" part of the product name. A "real" battery charger puts out 10 Amps or more, while a Battery Tender Junior unit puts out only 0.5 or 0.75 Amps. That means a Battery Tender will take 20x times longer (or more) to recharge a dead battery - ie days or weeks, if at all.

 

[Tronguy]

I'm going to second @swaltner. A 12V lead-acid battery has six individual batteries, or cells, in series. Each cell is nominally 2.1V when charged up, yielding the usual 6 * 2.1 = 12.6V nominal; around 13V when being charged something less when discharged.

The problem is that each cell has the usual manufacturing variations; some have slightly more charge, some slightly less.

Now, say that the battery gets discharged All The Way Down. At some point, discharge current is flowing and the "weak sister" (or several) will end up with the polarity across the battery getting reversed, while other cells still have the cell polarity right side up. This is BAD for the cell with the reversed voltage; often, when trying to charge the battery back up, the reversed cell(s) simply don't recover, and that's a dead battery.

Even if one does manage to get it up to 12V, there's no guarantee that the battery will last. It's like this: If one has a 12V lead-acid and discharges it all the way down, one might get lucky and none of the cells got reversed in potential, or not much. If one recharges that battery, it'll come back fairly quickly.

But if one is charging and charging and charging and it's not coming up: Then it's a goner.

Fresh batteries from a store have enough charge on them so one can start an ICE (for example) or at least run the electronics in the car long enough for the traction battery -> 12V inverter to kick in and charge the battery back up. So, in this case, it's simple: Unbolt the old one, take it to the store for recycling, get a new one, bring it back, bolt it into place (ground lead last!) and go on your way.

There's one caveat. Just like on an ICE, it's possible that the battery itself wasn't the problem: The charging circuit could have been bad. Blown fuse, blown inverter, short in the 12V bus, etc. But, given that a 12V battery has a roughly 5-year lifetime, if your battery is older than that, then simply swapping batteries is what's going to do the trick.

 

[Gig103]

I feel like an update is in order! I skipped the tender and I was able to jump my MS and get the display on, disconnected from the wall, and into tow mode. The car was towed to Tesla and the diagnosis was:
Diagnosed and Replaced HV Battery, 12v Auxiliary Battery removed and replaced. verified successful firmware update, preformed successful coolant air purge and post replacement procedure

And the replacement Hv battery was as follows, I wasn't lucky enough to get a new 90kwh like some forum members.
ASY,HV BATT,85KWH,
S3,BB,DUMO,REMANUFACTURED,MDLS(1088934-02-E