James Cooke's Model S Failed

[Blu Zap]

Hmmm.... Interested to see what Tesla tells James Cooke on Friday's VLOG. Interesting how his wheels were locked and would not free roll, requiring the dollies and sliders to get it on the flatbed truck. You'd think they could jump it enough to get it to roll.

 

[Chopr147]

I think this is something that can be an interest to us all, if it was a 12V issue.
Seems to be so much time and energy expended for a dead 12V battery
I have read the manual for my tow hook and 12V battery but in the re-fresh neither is easy to access.

 

[NeverEnough]

New video is up:

 

[RubberToe]

New video is up:

For those wanting to skip the 8 minute video: Internal short in the ECU. Lead tech said it was the first one he had ever seen fail. Repair cost was $675, or 550 pounds.

RT

 

[Chopr147]

Internal short in the ECU, hmmmmmmmmmm
New ECU for 550 pounds which is about $670.
Not too bad for an out of warranty repair. This is a scary car to have out of warranty.

 

[CuriousG]

For those wanting to skip the 8 minute video: Internal short in the ECU. Lead tech said it was the first one he had ever seen fail. Repair cost was $675, or 550 pounds.

Sounds quite low. Low to the point I wonder if Tesla knows people are watching this thread. Not sure if @Ingineer can weigh in how difficult it is to get to the ECU. Labor isn't free and they had to diagnose the issue too. Since it appears this is the first time that service center is aware this has happened, it probably wasn't a quick diagnosis. Then probably have to reprogram the new ECU.

 

[drklain]

The diagnosis may have been fairly quick if the ECU is the LRU (Line Replaceable Unit), Given how many diagnostics are on the car, it would not be surprising if (once they hooked up to the car) everything pointed to the ECU and they just swapped it out. I'm not sure where the ECU is located on a Tesla but it would seem to me that access would not be that difficult unless getting to it required pulling the dashboard (which it doesn't sound like given the cheap cost of repair he reported).

 

[Retired]

In one of the threads, a jumper in place of a relay allows permanent 12 v power at the 12v connection in the interior. That means to me that it is a direct connection to the battery. If so (I think I remember correctly although at the time it was for an accessory they wanted to leave running) then with the jumper in place, a small charger connected to the outlet should provide enough power to start and drive the car as long as you don't shut it off.

One could even imagine hooking up a small 12 battery as a temporary work-around although it might be additionally fused so that may not work. That technique is used as a "keep alive" so you dont lose settings on other cars during battery replacements.

 

[Nietschy]

Labor isn't free and they had to diagnose the issue too.

They charged him for it. But gave him a discount... So, not free diagnosis and labor for him.
Aaaaand his driver doorhandle is faulty now ...
I am considering getting rid of my tesla before warranty wears out. I wanted to keep it for 10 years, but I doubt it now.

 

[Maaz]

I'm a little confused, does uk not have extended warranty options?

 

[sunilsf]

The door handle cost 700 pounds, per his latest video... ouch!

 

[NullException]

I'm a little confused, does uk not have extended warranty options?

As mentioned earlier in this thread, there is no extended warranty in the UK

 

[xborg]

Doesn't consumer laws in the UK protect consumers for 6 years?
ECU is not a wear-tear part. Doesn't this law apply to cars?

 

[NeverEnough]

If he's adventurous, it's an easy fix:

.

 

[NullException]

Doesn't consumer laws in the UK protect consumers for 6 years?

Yes, but my understanding (and I'm no expert on this) is that this protection only covers things that you can prove were defective on delivery. An ECU failing several years after the car was sold is unlikely to be covered.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will confirm.