Help With Dead Tesla Roadster 3.0

[tdkimber]

Gents

I have been scouring the entirety of what's available online and in this forum and I cannot seem to find a thread about the exact specific issue I was having.

1. 2011 Tesla Roadster S - 3.0 upgrade is about 5 years old.
2. Computer was showing that the 12v battery needed to be replaced, it had been about 3 years or so since replacement, car would not charge but all usual items worked (door open, charge port light, voltage error on computer).
3. It took me a while (over a month) due to travel to finally tackle this myself, especially after learning through hours of conversation with Fresno, Fremont and finally Palo Alto that they cannot send someone qualified out to me to service the car. At this point, the car was saying charge was low, charge car immediately - as recently as yesterday.
4. I tried putting a trickle charger on the battery in the wheel, to no avail, eventually I decided to take out the 12v and voltmeter showed a measly 2.1 volts registering - reconditioned the battery from yesterday to today and it showed 12volts - hooked up the battery to the car and nothing (fortunately I ordered a brand new battery Sunday). I left this hooked up over night and none of the auxiliary has revived.
5. The car was driving just fine 6 or so weeks ago but no longer charging and was around half charged at that point. The battery arrived today, exact part match and fully charged. Again, I tried hooking up the battery to the terminals via cables but could not get the auxiliary to turn on even after an hour - I thought in a last ditch effort I needed to bolt the terminals (I know that DC is DC and it should have worked but I am desperate). I successfully reinstalled the new battery in the cradle and I cannot get anything to turn on.

I have read that for most people in this circumstance, after a few minutes of the new battery being installed, the auxiliary returns - doors, charge port, etc.

Please let me know if you need any more information - I am really hoping there's some truck here that I just haven't figured out yet. The car is in park, with the e-brake on and the roof on. I do have wheel dollies if I need to get the car out of the garage for a tow but I'd like to try this myself one final time.

Thank you everyone for your time.

Cheers,
Thomas

 

[tdkimber]

Also, I have tried opening my charge port like 20 times in a row - nothing.

 

[gregd]

Not quite following this, but the condition of the 12v battery will not affect the charging of the main battery pack. Getting some charge into the ESS is essential to preventing it from bricking, a very expensive ordeal.

Does the car charge at all when plugged into a charger? What errors are generated?

BTW, to get into the car, don't forget that there is a mechanical door unlock under the driver's side door.

 

[eHorses]

If you still have power to VMS, you may want to consider putting car into tow mode and inhibit the APS. Both can be done thru the service menu. If no power, than consider pulling the orange plug to the ESS in the trunk to buy you time to move the car for service. Good luck.

 

[tdkimber]

Not quite following this, but the condition of the 12v battery will not affect the charging of the main battery pack. Getting some charge into the ESS is essential to preventing it from bricking, a very expensive ordeal.

Does the car charge at all when plugged into a charger? What errors are generated?

BTW, to get into the car, don't forget that there is a mechanical door unlock under the driver's side door.

The mechanical unlock is not and has not been working, I hear the mechanism in the door but I cannot open the door. The only fault that generated was the voltage error from the 12v battery - which was preventing charging (I have verified this in other threads as well). The 12v only had 2vs when I pulled it from the car Sunday, and now with a new 12v battery, I cannot get any of the auxiliary to function. The car is entirely dead now, I was hoping someone had some additional advice before I pay to tow the car from a very small single garage.

 

[tdkimber]

If you still have power to VMS, you may want to consider putting car into tow mode and inhibit the APS. Both can be done thru the service menu. If no power, than consider pulling the orange plug to the ESS in the trunk to buy you time to move the car for service. Good luck.

The car is entirely dead now... the computer would still pop-on the relay the voltage error when I opened the charge port Sunday, but since replacing the 12v battery nothing works/no auxiliary and no computer.

 

[eHorses]

The car is entirely dead now... the computer would still pop-on the relay the voltage error when I opened the charge port Sunday, but since replacing the 12v battery nothing works/no auxiliary and no computer.

Oh boy. I would try to reach out to Carl at Home - Medlock & Sons in Seattle for help, paging @CM_007. I would try to pull the orange ESS service plug and hopefully avoid a $30k battery problem.

 

[tdkimber]

Oh boy. I would try to reach out to Carl at Home - Medlock & Sons in Seattle for help, paging @CM_007. I would try to pull the orange ESS service plug and hopefully avoid a $30k battery problem.

thank you, I have sent him an email.

 

[ML Auto]

It sounds like the ESS just went below minumum voltage and everything is now shut off. You have a very small window to get the pack charged before you have severe damage. Tesla will just want to sell you another new 3.0 pack, so call Carl Medlock and get the car to him ASAP. He will have to get the pack charged up and then determine what the initial problem was. The cost will go go drastically if you damage the pack and it has to be removed, so don't wait.

 

[X.l.r.8]

I’m going to echo the above post, once you get to the position you are in you need to be smart and fast. Pull the orange plug. You have done what you can and the 12v does nothing to help you charge the battery and at this point you have crossed the threshold of recovery by yourself. It needs to get to someone who can bypass the bms and trickle some life into the main pack to get it to minimum voltage. From there they can safely charge the pack and then determine what’s wrong. The transport cost is nothing compared to un unrecoverable battery. Lesson learned. Play with the car and learn how to inhibit the car with a full battery so when you do need to shut it down you don’t wait to long. Right now your only option is Carl

 

[tdkimber]

It sounds like the ESS just went below minumum voltage and everything is now shut off. You have a very small window to get the pack charged before you have severe damage. Tesla will just want to sell you another new 3.0 pack, so call Carl Medlock and get the car to him ASAP. He will have to get the pack charged up and then determine what the initial problem was. The cost will go go drastically if you damage the pack and it has to be removed, so don't wait.

Hi, thanks for this. I walked it through with Carl a couple of days ago and we are all in agreement on what's going on here and I agree with your assessment. The car is now on its way to Palo Alto. Thank you.

 

[tdkimber]

I’m going to echo the above post, once you get to the position you are in you need to be smart and fast. Pull the orange plug. You have done what you can and the 12v does nothing to help you charge the battery and at this point you have crossed the threshold of recovery by yourself. It needs to get to someone who can bypass the bms and trickle some life into the main pack to get it to minimum voltage. From there they can safely charge the pack and then determine what’s wrong. The transport cost is nothing compared to un unrecoverable battery. Lesson learned. Play with the car and learn how to inhibit the car with a full battery so when you do need to shut it down you don’t wait to long. Right now your only option is Carl

I agree with this wholeheartedly, thank you.

 

[Roadster]

@tdkimber – any updates here? Hoping the Palo Alto SC was able to help get your ESS onto life support, resuscitated, and diagnosed.