My Experience With a Flooded Model S in Houston

[NathanielHrnblwr]

Thanks for sharing. I'm sorry to hear about your car but am glad you and your family are ok.

 

[stopcrazypp]

6-7 inches of water isn't even up to the hubs, and The S has 6 inches of ground clearance, so an inch or so above that shouldn't be getting into anything critical. Maybe it was closer to 9 or more inches which would make the pack at least half submerged, which might cause issues.

The numbers are close enough that it's hard to tell. 7 and 9 is only 2 inches off. From a visual look (with the water distorting the measurement a bit) it might not look too different.

And sitting in water is different as others bring up. There is a lot of time for the water to seep into places.

 

[tcbailey239]

Good to hear no one was physically hurt. Based on the overall circumstances, I'm kind of disappointed they charged you to help open the doors.

 

[Dameon]

My P90D is sitting in a Houston Service Center to the Northwest. Do you know if that SC flooded? I've been unable to get any info on the situation with the SC. I'm getting a little nervous.

Sorry, i don't have any info about that. I hope it's ok.

I found the Houston DOT traffic camera webpage and coincidently, there is a camera right at the Tesla dealership...

Looks pretty high and dry.

All calls are forwarded to CA though and the guy I talked to in CA said they expect to be back in the building on Tuesday.

 

[Genohmic]

I was at the North Houston Service Center today just to use the Supercharger. There were 5 other Teslas in the parking lot. Some were charging and some were just parked there. The gallery and service center were both closed. The area looked very dry as far as I could tell. It didn't have any evidence of debris or water that I have seen in some of the other areas of the city that have had significant flood damage. The sign on the doors said that they would open on 9/5. I'm sure that your P90D is fine. I hope that helps. I'm sorry to hear about the OP's vehicle being flooded but I definitely appreciate the info that you have been able to provide us.

 

[battleroyale]

Damn. Sorry to hear. Grew up in Houston and my Dad is still there. Luckily for him our subdivision is on high ground and he only got storm damage to the roof of the house.

 

[Chickenlittle]

Model S (70 RWD Coil Spring Suspension) flooded in my garage on August 27 in Houston. I thought I'd share details about my experience thus far that may be of interest to the community.

The car ultimately sat in about 22 inches of water (measured from ground), probably 21 near the front and 23 near the back due to incline of garage.

The car became incapacitated when the water level was barely at the front door sills (roughly 6 or 7 inches of water from ground). While trying to move the car I got a warning message about the 12v battery and the car would not shift from Park. At this point I could still open and close the doors as normal.

When the water got higher, somewhere between 10 and 15 inches from ground, the car appeared to go into "Shutdown Mode". A horn like alarm sounded for a while and the car popped into front and rear hatch. Note: The Front Trunk was partially popped open but I couldn't open it fully. The rear hatch was fully unlocked.

When the water rose to its peak level of approx 22 inches from the ground, it stayed near that level for quite a while - about 18 hours before any significant receding of water.

At this point the car was completely unresponsive and my only entry was thru the rear hatch. To enter the rest of the car (aside from breaking window), I would have had to crawl through the hatch - then somehow undo 2 child car seats in order to lower the rear seat rest, then manually unlock the rear passenger doors (via the emergency wire since Child Safety lock was active) or through front doors. Of course while navigating through a dark, wet, and very dirty warm cabin.

In the process of cleaning out my garage and cars the next day, I accidental closed the rear hatch partially and it latched so I could not get back in. (Yes, I felt like an idiot).

Three days after the flood occurred I was able to get a Tesla Roadside Assistance guy to come by and open the driver door manually (Cost $195). From there we opened all the doors and began cleaning. Note: Since the windows cannot lower themselves they get pushed by the chrome trim and won't close as normal subsequently. The windows remain outside the upper chrome trim if you close the door.

I don't think I can open the glovebox or front trunk as they remain locked.

The lower portion of the back trunk held water like a bath tub. Three days after flood it was full of water. See picture of stuff floating in there.

I'm writing this post four days after the flooding event. There is currently no place to send/service the car. The Tesla Service centers remain closed (There are two in Houston). One of the authorized body shops said they'll let Tesla owners store flooded cars with them but they'll just send them to Tesla when they reopen. Frankly not a big deal for me since I suspect my car is a lost cause, but perhaps frustrating for an owner whose car barely flooded.

Just to be clear, I am in no way complaining about my experience here. But I thought some might be interested in what happens when a Model S is exposed to water, and some of the situations an owner with a flooded car may encounter.

Note: I don't have a good picture of full 22 inch submersion since the power went out and the garage was dark at that point.

Assuming this car is totaled there is no doubt we'll be getting at least one more Tesla (I suspect my other car is totaled as well). Either another Model S, Model 3, or both. I sent Elon Musk a message already requesting Expedited Delivery of Model 3s for Reservation Holders with flooded cars. Also, my house and family are fine - just the garage flooded. I feel very lucky.View attachment 244835 View attachment 244836

'Only" 22 inches. Shame you didn't put it on ciderblocks to raise it. I suspect you had other issues to worry about but something for others to consider with a days warning. Hurricane/flooding area homeowners could do this. Not much effort

 

[jeffro01]

It's obvious that Teslas and water do not mix.

Um... ALL cars and water do not mix... Come on...

Jeff

 

[Skotty]

Your garage is 22" below your house? Typically there is only a slight difference (like 4", i.e. a 2x4 during the slab pour) in elevation between the garage and house. Kudos to you and/or your builder for the significant difference. Having been through a mandatory flood remodel (at my expense), I know you dodged a major bullet.

Pretty normal for all the houses I've lived in in Missouri for floor level to be a couple of steps higher than garage level. On my current house, it's about 18" difference. Take a look at house pictures in the midwest; there are frequently a couple of steps up from the concrete level (that the sidewalk and garage would be at) to the front door / first floor level.

One exception to this is the typical split level house where the lower level tends to be at the same or very close to the same level as the garage space.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Thank you @ericonline for taking the time to post. One of the most infomative posts on the forum, much appreciated. I wish you all the best in drying up and getting all sorted out. Glad to hear not more damage was done.

It's obvious that Teslas and water do not mix.

Um... ALL cars and water do not mix... Come on...

Jeff

Well, there is some truth to the comment still. A floor-battery BEV will likely reach critical water levels sooner than an ICE.

Also, there certainly are cars capable of handling water. Land/Range Rovers can even drive in something to the tune of 35 inches. Teslas are not one of those cars.

 

[aaelghat]

The numbers are close enough that it's hard to tell. 7 and 9 is only 2 inches off. From a visual look (with the water distorting the measurement a bit) it might not look too different.

And sitting in water is different as others bring up. There is a lot of time for the water to seep into places.

It’s very possible the high-voltage pack is fine and all the electrical issues are a result of the 12V battery. I seem to recall the symptoms experienced by the OP are similar to what happens when the 12 volt fails, so the pack can no longer connect to it to charge it, and of course all he cars electrical systems run offf the 12 volt battery.

 

[Magus]

Sorry to hear your loss :-(. Watching a Model S pass away :-(. There are reportedly half a million cars that will be totaled in flooding. A floor level battery pack EV as a factor is irrelevant.

 

[JRP3]

It is relevant in this case as the OP tried to move his vehicle in possibly 6-7 inches of water and could not. Most ICE could. Better sealing should allow an EV to do the same. The lack of quick swap capability in the Model 3 may allow better sealing.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

It is relevant in this case as the OP tried to move his vehicle in possibly 6-7 inches of water and could not. Most ICE could. Better sealing should allow an EV to do the same. The lack of quick swap capability in the Model 3 may allow better sealing.

Indeed. He may have been able to move the car to higher ground at a later time in an ICE...

Of course water sealed BEVs are possible too. Teslas just aren't sealed for that.

 

[Ulmo]

One of the innovations I'd like in the EV world, of course including Tesla, is water proofness. Tesla could start interesting developments like this with their revamped lineup after they introduce their first versions of all their car types (SEXY Truck etc.). They can start with Model S and Model X, much as Mercedes did with their S class. Of course, one example to use is the higher end Range Rovers that are spec'd for this. This is a case where I think Tesla can get some SpaceX engineers helping, like many things at Tesla. Tesla will become an expert in seals, having started from a position of ignorance just years ago.

 

[UCF3]

So you live in a flood plain and a category 3 hurricane was coming your way and you left the tesla in your garage? Advice for anyone in a similar situation.... sure you can jack the car up but that takes special equipment OR you can just drive it to a multilevel garage near your work or home and just leave it there. Walk, bike, Lyft, or get a friend to drive you home before the storm

 

[David29]

Thanks to the OP for the informative post. I am very sorry for the OP and any/all other Houston area residents, including Tesla owners, who have had to endure this storm. I am sure that the OP had many other priorities and tasks to attend to and people to worry about and so on, and I have (fortunately) never faced anything anywhere near similar, so I won't suggest what you "should" or "could" have done to better protect the car. But it is worthwhile to hear the suggestions and experience of others, which can help the rest of us to anticipate/ prepare in case of a similar situation.

Personally I suspect the car would be a total loss more or less automatically for having been submerged to 22", even if the electrical system were waterproof. Restoration of all the other elements, especially the interior carpets and seats and so on, would likely be prohibitively costly.

 

[Chopr147]

So you live in a flood plain and a category 3 hurricane was coming your way and you left the tesla in your garage? Advice for anyone in a similar situation.... sure you can jack the car up but that takes special equipment OR you can just drive it to a multilevel garage near your work or home and just leave it there. Walk, bike, Lyft, or get a friend to drive you home before the storm

Monday morning quarterback any? Or just smarter than the rest of us?


Sorry to the OP for the hassle and expense. We survive through storms often but, at times mother nature really gives us a wallop.
I am surprised the car died so soon. Otherwise i'm sure you would have moved it in time

 

[Canuck]

Monday morning quarterback any? Or just smarter than the rest of us?

Agreed. This is a time for help and sympathy -- not blame.

Life happens when we're busy making other plans (to quote John Lennon).

 

[UCF3]

Monday morning quarterback any? Or just smarter than the rest of us?


Sorry to the OP for the hassle and expense. We survive through storms often but, at times mother nature really gives us a wallop.
I am surprised the car died so soon. Otherwise i'm sure you would have moved it in time

Someone in NY wouldn't understand. People along the Gulf would. He specifically said his house is four feet off the ground for a reason. It would have taken the OP less time to put his car in a garage than it did to take the pictures and make this post.