Car shutting down - PULL OVER SAFELY on the freeway 3 days after delivery

[3ledomalset]

I just had a similar issue. was on the expressway going at 45 MPH and got the message "UNDRIVABLE - PULL OVER SAFELY" but i was not able to turn on the flashers or give the signal. I was in the left lane and I had to go to the 5th lane. Very scary experience especially i had 3 and 7 years old in the back seat. I got to the 5th lane and car just would not move the guy in the back almost hit me. Call roadside assistant they told me to just reboot the car and you will be fine. I told them i need them to come to tow the car. will find out the real issue tomorrow when they open the service center.

 

[David3]

I just had a similar issue. was on the expressway going at 45 MPH and got the message "UNDRIVABLE - PULL OVER SAFELY" but i was not able to turn on the flashers or give the signal. I was in the left lane and I had to go to the 5th lane. Very scary experience especially i had 3 and 7 years old in the back seat. I got to the 5th lane and car just would not move the guy in the back almost hit me. Call roadside assistant they told me to just reboot the car and you will be fine. I told them i need them to come to tow the car. will find out the real issue tomorrow when they open the service center.

Glad you made it out safely too. Thankfully my flashers still worked both times but I just ordered some LED flares in case something like this happens again.. They still haven't diagnosed my issue yet either and will report back when I find out.
I noticed I wasn't able to put the car in neutral at least on my 2nd incident. I was trying to put it in neutral to push it out of traffic but it'll only stay in Park.

 

[xpitxbullx]

Glad you made it out safely too. Thankfully my flashers still worked both times but I just ordered some LED flares in case something like this happens again.. They still haven't diagnosed my issue yet either and will report back when I find out.
I noticed I wasn't able to put the car in neutral at least on my 2nd incident. I was trying to put it in neutral to push it out of traffic but it'll only stay in Park.

If you put it into ‘TOW MODE’ you can push it off the road. It can safely do that. What would be bad for the car is if you try to coast in neutral.

My car was incapacitated on the 5th floor of a parking garage. I thought if I put it into tow mode or neutral, I could push it to the down ramp and coast to the bottom where the flatbed could reach my car. Upon reading if this was going to work, I found out it could seriously harm the car. Also, if you roll the car in tow mode (not sure about neutral) over 5 mph, the car will brake, come to a halt and switch to ‘PARK’. Carwash neutral or tow mode is about as far as you can do it safely.

The car is either delivering power to the motor or generating power for the battery. Generating power in neutral with nowhere for the power to go can blow circuits.

The only other option to coast off of a freeway is to enter driving options and switch brake regeneration to LOW. The car will still slow down but not as fast and that might be what gets you out of the danger of highway traffic. Better think fast and have faster fingers to do this.

 

[David3]

If you put it into ‘TOW MODE’ you can push it off the road. It can safely do that. What would be bad for the car is if you try to coast in neutral.

My car was incapacitated on the 5th floor of a parking garage. I thought if I put it into tow mode or neutral, I could push it to the down ramp and coast to the bottom where the flatbed could reach my car. Upon reading if this was going to work, I found out it could seriously harm the car. Also, if you roll the car in tow mode (not sure about neutral) over 5 mph, the car will brake, come to a halt and switch to ‘PARK’. Carwash neutral or tow mode is about as far as you can do it safely.

The car is either delivering power to the motor or generating power for the battery. Generating power in neutral with nowhere for the power to go can blow circuits.

The only other option to coast off of a freeway is to enter driving options and switch brake regeneration to LOW. The car will still slow down but not as fast and that might be what gets you out of the danger of highway traffic. Better think fast and have faster fingers to do this.

Thanks for the info on tow mode. For some reason Tesla roadside assistance just told me to try and shift it to neutral using the gear selector and never mentioned tow mode. So far all 3 tow trucks that towed my car all used dolly so tow mode weren't ever used.

 

[Compton]

On the 3rd after taking delivery the car shut down on the freeway. The car completely lost power within a few seconds, luckily I was able to make it mostly to the shoulder of the freeway/bridge. I got the following errors: "Cannot maintain vehicle power - Car may stop driving or shut down", "Power reduced - Exit and re-enter car - may restore operation", "Car needs service - Car my not restart", "Unable to drive - PULL OVER SAFELY", "Car Shutting down - PULL OVER SAFELY".
I called Tesla Roadside Assistance and was told the bridge is a restricted road and can only be towed by CHP/Caltran. When I called CHP they said Caltran Can't tow Tesla because they are specialized vehicle, and CHP had to contact a towing company to tow me off the bridge. When I asked Tesla Roadside if I can just tow straight to service center and get it reimbursed they said they weren't sure so I had the car towed to a nearby plaza and call Tesla again to tow from there to the service center. It took a few hours just waiting for CHP and the tow trucks.
I finally got the car back today after a week and was told it was a defective contactor/pyro fuse.. hopefully this is pretty rare and doesn't affect a batch of cars..

Am I the only one thinking that these "car shut down" posters tend to be new members with their first post?

 

[ℬête Noire]

Am I the only one thinking that these "car shut down" posters tend to be new members with their first post?

The nature of internet boards is that typically 80% or more of the people that visit them are in 'lurk mode'. Often they won't even have an account. They feel they don't have much to add so they don't bother post. A notable event like this could easily change someone's mind on that.

 

[3ledomalset]

The nature of internet boards is that typically 80% or more of the people that visit them are in 'lurk mode'. Often they won't even have an account. They feel they don't have much to add so they don't bother post. A notable event like this could easily change someone's mind on that.

This is Ture, I just created the account to post my experience yesterday.

 

[3ledomalset]

If you put it into ‘TOW MODE’ you can push it off the road. It can safely do that. What would be bad for the car is if you try to coast in neutral.

My car was incapacitated on the 5th floor of a parking garage. I thought if I put it into tow mode or neutral, I could push it to the down ramp and coast to the bottom where the flatbed could reach my car. Upon reading if this was going to work, I found out it could seriously harm the car. Also, if you roll the car in tow mode (not sure about neutral) over 5 mph, the car will brake, come to a halt and switch to ‘PARK’. Carwash neutral or tow mode is about as far as you can do it safely.

The car is either delivering power to the motor or generating power for the battery. Generating power in neutral with nowhere for the power to go can blow circuits.

The only other option to coast off of a freeway is to enter driving options and switch brake regeneration to LOW. The car will still slow down but not as fast and that might be what gets you out of the danger of highway traffic. Better think fast and have faster fingers to do this.

In my case right after I got the error message screen rebooted so, I had no way to go to change regeneration settings. The car is at the service center this morning let's hope they get back to me with some answers.

 

[xpitxbullx]

In my case right after I got the error message screen rebooted so, I had no way to go to change regeneration settings. The car is at the service center this morning let's hope they get back to me with some answers.

I hope it’s a quick and simple remedy.

 

[Fudd]

You agreed to arbitration. Unless you opted out.

Wait... you mean unless you opt out of arbitration you can't invoke the lemon law? That doesn't make sense to me. I work in contracting, and no contract can supersede state/federal laws.

 

[mongo]

Thanks for the info on tow mode. For some reason Tesla roadside assistance just told me to try and shift it to neutral using the gear selector and never mentioned tow mode. So far all 3 tow trucks that towed my car all used dolly so tow mode weren't ever used.

From the Emergency Response Guide:

PUSHING THE VEHICLE
Warning: Refer to the Owner's Manual on the touchscreen or the Roadside Assistance Guide in the glovebox for instructions on how
to transport Model 3. The following instructions are intended to be used when only moving Model 3 a very short distance to improve
traffic safety. Damage caused by transporting the vehicle is not covered by the warranty.

In situations where there is minimal risk of fire or high voltage exposure (for example, the vehicle does not accelerate after coming to a
stop at an intersection) and 12V power is present, Model 3 can be quickly pushed in order to clear the roadway. If a driver is present,
simply shift Model 3 into Neutral and then push the vehicle. If a driver is not present, Model 3 may automatically shift into Park when it
detects the driver leaving the vehicle (even if it has previously been shifted into Neutral).

To keep Model 3 in Neutral (which disengages the parking brake and allows the vehicle to be pushed) without a driver present, use the
touchscreen to activate Transport Mode:
1. Shift Model 3 into Park.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal, then on the touchscreen touch Controls > Service > Towing.
3. Hold the Transport Mode button until it turns blue. Model 3 is now free-rolling.
To cancel Transport Mode, shift Model 3 into Park.

NOTE: Transport Mode automatically cancels and the parking brake is applied if Model 3 is rolled faster than 5 mph (8 km/h), 12V
power becomes low or absent, or if Transport Mode has been continuously enabled for 20 minutes. Model 3 sounds its horn if
Transport Mode is about to cancel.

NOTE: If Model 3 cannot detect the key (an authenticated smartphone or key card), the Transport Mode button is grayed out and
Transport Mode cannot be enabled. Call Tesla Roadside Assistance.

NOTE: The touchscreen is unresponsive if Model 3 has no 12V power. Use an external 12V power to open the hood and jump start the
vehicle’s auxiliary 12V battery. Refer to the Roadside Assistance Guide in the glovebox (touch Controls > Glovebox) or call Tesla
Roadside Assistance for instructions.

 

[David3]

Service center called and said they will replace the HV control module this time, and think the 2 break downs are unrelated. Maybe I should buy the lottery lol..
The supercharging function on my Model S loaner also stopped working.. vehicle support told me to bring it back to service center.

I can't find info online about HV control module, is this also called something else or it's just pretty rare to have it replace?

 

[VT_EE]

If you put it into ‘TOW MODE’ you can push it off the road. It can safely do that. What would be bad for the car is if you try to coast in neutral.

My car was incapacitated on the 5th floor of a parking garage. I thought if I put it into tow mode or neutral, I could push it to the down ramp and coast to the bottom where the flatbed could reach my car. Upon reading if this was going to work, I found out it could seriously harm the car. Also, if you roll the car in tow mode (not sure about neutral) over 5 mph, the car will brake, come to a halt and switch to ‘PARK’. Carwash neutral or tow mode is about as far as you can do it safely.

The car is either delivering power to the motor or generating power for the battery. Generating power in neutral with nowhere for the power to go can blow circuits.

The only other option to coast off of a freeway is to enter driving options and switch brake regeneration to LOW. The car will still slow down but not as fast and that might be what gets you out of the danger of highway traffic. Better think fast and have faster fingers to do this.

Why is coasting in neutral bad? I’m a bit confused on how a switched reluctance motor works in regen. Induction and PM motors have a magnetic field in the rotor that induces stator currents when coasting. A SR motor does not have a magnetic field in the rotor. In motor-mode, a sequentially fired magnetic field in the stator drags a metal, cog-shaped rotor around, producing rotation. Without a rotor magnetic field, how does this thing work in generator mode? My understanding is the stator has a few magnets between the stator poles to assist with torque ripple when in drive.

 

[xpitxbullx]

Why is coasting in neutral bad?

While researching wether I should coast down the garage in neutral or not, I read something that said It could damage the cars electronics and if that happened, Tesla would void the warranty. I quickly looked for the info again after reading your post so I could provide a link to the info.

I looked more extensively back when it was imperative. I’m still looking. If I can find it again, I’ll provide the link.

Was the info I read back then factual? I can’t say. But it wasn’t worth the risk to find out.

If it turns out to not be true, let me know. I don’t like passing on information that turns out to be false. If I do, it’s an accident, and I apologize.

 

[DrLegoHair]

Service center called and said they will replace the HV control module this time, and think the 2 break downs are unrelated. Maybe I should buy the lottery lol..
The supercharging function on my Model S loaner also stopped working.. vehicle support told me to bring it back to service center.

I can't find info online about HV control module, is this also called something else or it's just pretty rare to have it replace?

Good luck man, I had similar issues and they could never figure it out. They replaced the entire wiring harness, the CAN, the drive unit, the dc converter, basically the whole car!

Anyway, they took great care of me and offered to buyback the car. I’m still driving a model S loaner while I wait for my new model 3 performance to arrive (which they expedited due to my situation).

I was worried about having to fight them with the lemon law but in the end they went far above and beyond what the lemon law would have gotten me. Hopefully that gives you some peace of mind that you won’t get screwed in the end!

 

[fr100]

Am I the only one thinking that these "car shut down" posters tend to be new members with their first post?

I know they could be totally legit, but I always suspect some of these posts that don't have pics as proof.

 

[ChrisH]

Good luck man, I had similar issues and they could never figure it out. They replaced the entire wiring harness, the CAN, the drive unit, the dc converter, basically the whole car!

Anyway, they took great care of me and offered to buyback the car. I’m still driving a model S loaner while I wait for my new model 3 performance to arrive (which they expedited due to my situation).

I was worried about having to fight them with the lemon law but in the end they went far above and beyond what the lemon law would have gotten me. Hopefully that gives you some peace of mind that you won’t get screwed in the end!

I was wondering what ended up happening in your situation. Glad to hear they are taking care of you. Multiple posts like this give me a little bit of pause but man I really want this car. $60,000 is just a lot to worry about breaking down.

 

[David3]

I know they could be totally legit, but I always suspect some of these posts that don't have pics as proof.

Proof for first break down:

 

[DrLegoHair]

I was wondering what ended up happening in your situation. Glad to hear they are taking care of you. Multiple posts like this give me a little bit of pause but man I really want this car. $60,000 is just a lot to worry about breaking down.

I think these posts represent less than 1% of model 3 owners. I also think the percentage gets lower as production becomes more refined. I know that I have the first and only (so far) model 3 buyback in my state. It’s a great car and I never thought twice about ordering another (more expensive!) one. If anything I’m more comfortable now, knowing the level of service I’ll receive.

 

[ChrisH]

I think these posts represent less than 1% of model 3 owners. I also think the percentage gets lower as production becomes more refined. I know that I have the first and only (so far) model 3 buyback in my state. It’s a great car and I never thought twice about ordering another (more expensive!) one. If anything I’m more comfortable now, knowing the level of service I’ll receive.

Yeah I get it for sure. Nice to see them take care of you. We have to hope a $60,000 car doesn’t leave many drivers stranded. I can only imagine what you had to go through. Meanwhile, my sub $25,000 vehicles have never left me stranded!