Model S "instrument" display gone blank - any one else had this ?

[PV4EV]

I've had the use of a P85+ the past few weeks whilst Tesla fault find an intermittent charging problem on my Roadster. The car is 3 months old, 3k miles on it.

However, I've experienced numerous faults with the sat-nav, poor 3G signal related problems, radio controls ignoring button requests, unexpected or irrelevant messages appearing under the speedo.

*But* .. yesterday something more significant happened :-

Whilst driving along a motorway at speed, I noticed the radio volume bar pop-up to the left of the main speedo as if I was using the steering wheel buttons to adjust volume, but my hand was no where near the buttons .. A few moments later the speedo display area flickered on/off with vertical bars of image corruption showing, followed by it going mostly bright, then blank completely. See photos below. A car reboot has no effect. The fault is again present today after overnight charging. I cannot raise any help via Tesla's help number here in the UK so I am a bit stuck with the fault.

The car still drives ok and the central display works as normal, but it is a bit odd driving without any instrument displays. I'll probably have the use of the car for another week or so. At a push Tesla UK might collect/replace even though they're 100+ miles from my location.

I have applied the universal engineering fix of a targeted thump on/around the display structure, but to no avail. I presume this is a connector fault, or perhaps component failure.


Has anyone else experience this ? .. any suggestions as to where else to thump it ?!?!?!!


( apologies for cell phone photos 'as it happened' )

 

[NOLA_Mike]

Try rebooting the instrument cluster?. Hold the two top buttons on the steering wheel (the buttons above the scroll wheels) together until it reboots.

 

[PV4EV]

Try rebooting the instrument cluster?. Hold the two top buttons on the steering wheel (the buttons above the scroll wheels) together until it reboots.

Thanks for your suggestion. Just been out to try it, but unfortunately its still not coming back to life.

Pressing both buttons results in the instrument cluster display going completely dark after a 10 second delay, then after a further 12 seconds or so, the screen 'blooms' up brightly like my original photo then gradually fades back to a dark grey.

It would appear to be a bit fubar :-(

 

[ecarfan]

What do you mean by "I cannot raise any help via Tesla's help number..."? No one answers the phone? I doubt that is the case. So what happens when you call that number? What happens when your call your local Tesla Service Center? I'm sure they answer the phone.

To state the obvious, the drivers display in your loaner car has failed. I would take the loaner car back to where you got it and point that out to Tesla. I'm sure they will assist you. I wouldn't want to drive a car with no instrumentation, as if there was a warning or alert about a problem you wouldn't see it.

 

[mackgoo]

Seems to me it's just reverting back to it's "correct" configuration. That's really the glove compartment. By any chance do you have indication on the other side?

 

[SteveS0353]

Seems to me it's just reverting back to it's "correct" configuration. That's really the glove compartment. By any chance do you have indication on the other side?

Haha. Off topic, but right hand drive (driving on the left of the road) is actually the original configuration. Here is an excellent article on the history and reasons for the two configurations that still co-exist exist in the world today.

Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right? - World Standards

Back to the topic -- the driver's display has failed, and I'm very surprised that you can't raise Tesla in the UK. Have you considered calling the "mother ship" in the US?

 

[PV4EV]

Haha. Off topic, but right hand drive (driving on the left of the road) is actually the original configuration. Here is an excellent article on the history and reasons for the two configurations that still co-exist exist in the world today.

Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right? - World Standards

Back to the topic -- the driver's display has failed, and I'm very surprised that you can't raise Tesla in the UK. Have you considered calling the "mother ship" in the US?

Update :-

Thanks for the various comments. The first call I made to 'roadside assistant/uk' was answered by someone who only wanted to establish if I had broken down on the side of the road.

A call to the service managers mobile just went through to voicemail with no response, probably because its a Sunday.

So, I just called a different Tesla help number and got straight through to a very technically aware person who may well have been based in the USA given his accent ("The Mother Ship" !). He talked me through 3 different tests and reboots. However, the conclusion is that the car really does have a series of related faults that do not match up with any previous similar event on their database and they've decided to collect or swap it. Its not mega urgent, so I'll sit this one out until Monday morning.

Pleased with the response late on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[PrincetonP85D]

I am currently having a very similar problem. I took delivery of my new P85D two days before Christmas. Went to drive the car on Christmas, and the driver instrument cluster wouldn't turn on. Everything else, center display included worked fine.

The display came alive again after a recharge, and appeared to be working OK. After 6.1 upload, the problem has been increasing in frequency, happening several times per week. Now (1/18) the display has been out for two days completely.

A call to the NJ Service center suggested rebooting main display with double scroll button hold, then follow that up with a instrument cluster reboot using the two keys above the scrolls.

After about 16 seconds or so, the instrument cluster flashes on with the appropriate info (~ 0.5s) and then goes dark again.

Very frustrating, as it's a pain to take it into the Service Center. I'd like to know if there is a "MASTER" reboot that reloads firmware and reboots everything from scratch. Any ideas?

 

[zwede]

Very frustrating, as it's a pain to take it into the Service Center. I'd like to know if there is a "MASTER" reboot that reloads firmware and reboots everything from scratch. Any ideas?

They won't valet the car? That's how I do it. SC comes and picks the car up and drops it off when done. They'll leave a loaner if I request it.

Your fault does not sound SW related at all. No amount of rebooting will fix a HW fault.

 

[TTT]

Lookup hard reboot in these threads, just s matter of pulling a fuse and replacing it

 

[Rayminster]

D

I've had the use of a P85+ the past few weeks whilst Tesla fault find an intermittent charging problem on my Roadster. The car is 3 months old, 3k miles on it.

However, I've experienced numerous faults with the sat-nav, poor 3G signal related problems, radio controls ignoring button requests, unexpected or irrelevant messages appearing under the speedo.

*But* .. yesterday something more significant happened :-

Whilst driving along a motorway at speed, I noticed the radio volume bar pop-up to the left of the main speedo as if I was using the steering wheel buttons to adjust volume, but my hand was no where near the buttons .. A few moments later the speedo display area flickered on/off with vertical bars of image corruption showing, followed by it going mostly bright, then blank completely. See photos below. A car reboot has no effect. The fault is again present today after overnight charging. I cannot raise any help via Tesla's help number here in the UK so I am a bit stuck with the fault.

The car still drives ok and the central display works as normal, but it is a bit odd driving without any instrument displays. I'll probably have the use of the car for another week or so. At a push Tesla UK might collect/replace even though they're 100+ miles from my location.

I have applied the universal engineering fix of a targeted thump on/around the display structure, but to no avail. I presume this is a connector fault, or perhaps component failure.


Has anyone else experience this ? .. any suggestions as to where else to thump it ?!?!?!!


( apologies for cell phone photos 'as it happened' )

View attachment 69606

Did you ever find a fix for this? I’m having the same daily. Display (IC) fades and blooms and crashes. Sometimes happens 20 times per day. Other times happens 1 every few days! Totally random.

 

[PV4EV]

D

Did you ever find a fix for this? I’m having the same daily. Display (IC) fades and blooms and crashes. Sometimes happens 20 times per day. Other times happens 1 every few days! Totally random.

I didn't find a fix, and no amount of percussive maintenance improved the situation !

Tesla UK took it away and replaced it with brand new shiny car that I then used for a few more weeks whilst awaiting my Roadsters' return. The one conversation I had with a service chap was that 'it must be a cable/connector/socket/plug on the back of the unit being marginally dislodged providing intermittent display problems with every bump in the road', but that was the last I heard about it. Not seen this on any other MS since.

 

[Chaserr]

What do you mean by "I cannot raise any help via Tesla's help number..."? No one answers the phone? I doubt that is the case. So what happens when you call that number? What happens when your call your local Tesla Service Center? I'm sure they answer the phone.

I had to laugh reading this - it was true when typed in 2015 but I haven't been able to reach Tesla by phone in years. RIP Tesla customer service.

@Rayminster I think the cluster is more than just a display, it's a complete computer that might be crashing and need repair.

 

[Rayminster]

hmm, this did cross my mind actually. its not too difficult to open up the dash and reseat the cables. Ill give that a go and see if it improves.

 

[EVolVEr]

hmm, this did cross my mind actually. its not too difficult to open up the dash and reseat the cables. Ill give that a go and see if it improves.

I’ve had this Instrument Cluster go blank several times recently while driving. I had the Instrument Cluster screen replaced, and the new one looks a lot better, as the old one had the edges kind of peeling away from the screen. However, the cluster screen still goes blank while driving.
It never goes blank while driving around town, only on the Interstates.

I’ve tried to contact Tesla Service Center to talk to a mechanic, to no avail.

Any help appreciated.

 

[EVolVEr]

Hope you were successful reseating the multi plug, or checking wiring!
Thanks

 

[sliderr]

I’ve had this Instrument Cluster go blank several times recently while driving. I had the Instrument Cluster screen replaced, and the new one looks a lot better, as the old one had the edges kind of peeling away from the screen. However, the cluster screen still goes blank while driving.
It never goes blank while driving around town, only on the Interstates.

I’ve tried to contact Tesla Service Center to talk to a mechanic, to no avail.

Any help appreciated.

were you able to resolve this?

 

[EVolVEr]

Nope, still happens occasionally. I can reset it while driving.