My Experience With a Flooded Model S in Houston

[ddarche]

That is a helpful synopsis of how the flood affects the Model S. Thanks!

 

[M.Y.]

Eric, I am very sorry for you and your Tesla and in the sometime glad to hear that your family is OK.


I now its to late for your Tesla but I have a simple solution for people that expect high water in there neighborhood and do not now how to keep the water from destroying there precious Tesla!


Simply buy a big peace of pond foil!!


Lay the foil out and drive your Tesla, or other car, into the middle of the foil.

Rap the foil over the car and make a firm knop on top so the foil stays in place.


When the water rice’s your Tesla will stay dry!!

 

[Model S M.D.]

We went to sleep Sunday night completely dry and no water in sight in a neighborhood that doesn't flood. Woke up surrounded by water 4 feet deep around the house and rising. Water came up almost to the roof line of my S. Didn't recede for four days. Easy to say that you would plan ahead and put your car out of harms way. Not always possible.

Order already in for a P100D. I'm assuming my flooded car is totaled.

That is a pretty scary story! Very happy you guys are safe, that is the most important thing. Material items can be replaced and you are replacing yours with a very nice one. You are going to love your P100D!

We were very fortunate and not affected much by the devastation that has affected so many in Houston.

 

[MagicDoc]

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

I am sorry for your experience. This brings up a more common issue; that of driving thru water. Last year in Dallas, on the tollroad, a major rainstorm occurred. there were 'gulleys' of water. I was hesitant to keep driving, but at 55 mph and cars pushing at my tail, I ployed on. While I would never intentionally drive thru a flooded roadway, like some of those SUV cowboys, what is the depth that we could drive our MS?

 

[cmaster]

If it is saltwater that flooded the electronics, it would corrode the traces etc...of the car. Thus, it will be totaled.

Batteries don't like being submerged. I take on a lot of "battery" projects... computer/server UPS systems, building my own electric car, etc. and when my shop flooded a while back, the batteries on the floor had dropped from 12.x VDC to .04 VDC sitting in the water.

A Tesla could probably survive if the batteries were disconnected (12v and HV) and the water stayed below any electrical connections. I think 20+" would be a problem regardless of battery connection status.

 

[lamgineer]

Seems this shot of a Leaf (from over 5yrs ago iirc) going through ~ 14" of water & surviving doesn't bode well for the Tesla.

Our X, with suspension in extra high might make the difference - hopefully.
.

The current generation of LEAF is actually even more impressive than what the YouTube shows. In that video, the water is only 300mm (12").

Watch the following recorded live stream when they introduced the LEAF back in 2010. Fast-forward to 27:37, you will see it successfully drives through 700mm (27+ inches) of water!

The water is so high it looks like the LEAF is a boat in the ocean!

Nissan LEAF発表記者会見1

 

[stephenpace]

If it is saltwater that flooded the electronics, it would corrode the traces etc...of the car.

Harvey was fresh water... then fresh water mixed with sewage. I'm personally familiar with 9 Teslas that flooded, but I'm sure there is a lot more given the official count was 1 million cars total damaged in Greater Houston.

 

[stephenpace]

So you live in a flood plain and a category 3 hurricane was coming your way and you left the Tesla in your garage?

One additional point is this storm hit nowhere near Houston (almost 200 miles away). Certainly a heavy rain event was predicted and for sure if you lived in a home that had flooded before, you should have prepared for certain flooding. However, many of the areas of Houston that flooded were not in the 500 year flood plain. Sadly, because of that, many did not have flood insurance. At one point they described Harvey as a 1000 year event. Harvey will likely cause the flood maps will be redrawn again, but in my case, my home is pretty high. After the storm the sun was out and water hadn't gotten close to us, we felt pretty good, but our electrical substation was underwater and the prediction was for at least 5 days without power. Needing to work from home, I moved one car to higher ground and relocated so I could work. The Army Corps announced it would be releasing water to protect the nearby dams and that "some homes would be flooded" in West Houston, but most were not prepared for what happened. Homes behind the dam flooded (one Tesla was lost at the West Houston Airport after the owner flew his plane out, with no idea the airport itself would take on 8" of water, planes were lost too). Homes in front of the dam flooded including half of my neighborhood, and the water was still being released and kept the neighborhood flooded for another two weeks. Fortunately my home was okay, but only by a foot or two.

 

[FlyF4]

Given this report what I don't get is how this ever happened?

Tesla Model S - Drive Through Flooded Tunnel

Was this a hoax?

He must have bought the James Bond submarine option

 

[mroehrs]

I believe I bought your s70 on Copart. Says Eric and Jennifer inside for settings.

I live in the Dallas area and actually worked on the car today. I took out the BCM and cleaned it, there was some corrosion on it. I may plan to coat the board in the future to protect it from further corrosion issues.

I'm down to the, what I think is the problem left and that is the contractors in the Battery. I plan to drop the battery and install another known good one. (I bought 4 tesla's on Copart). Not sure how to get into the battery to check the contractor but will figure it out.

I would like to chat with you and perhaps see If I could get the second key fob if you have it.

I put a lift in my machine shed to facilitate the swapping of batteries, etc. I may also take apart the motor/controller to look for water damage.

My goal is to have 2 good working Tesla's. I have 6 wind Turbines on my Ranch near Muenster Texas (aprox 1 GWh Annually) and 240 Solar panels on another ranch in Argyle Texas. Hence my electricity cost is free. The wife and I have been driving Chevy volts since 2012.

I also developed my own controller for my Wind Turbines (150 KW Each). They are 1986 models that came down out of Tehachapi Ca and needed a new controller. They are asynchronous motor/gen like the motors in the Tesla so I'm quite comfortalble working on the power and control systems.

Thanks Eric. I hope it all worked out well for you after the flood and hope your doing well with your new tesla.

Kindest Regards
Michael Roehrs

 

[mroehrs]

I believe I bought your s70 on Copart. Says Eric and Jennifer inside for settings.

I live in the Dallas area and actually worked on the car today. I took out the BCM and cleaned it, there was some corrosion on it. I may plan to coat the board in the future to protect it from further corrosion issues.

I'm down to the, what I think is the problem left and that is the contractors in the Battery. I plan to drop the battery and install another known good one. (I bought 4 tesla's on Copart). Not sure how to get into the battery to check the contractor but will figure it out.

I would like to chat with you and perhaps see If I could get the second key fob if you have it.

I put a lift in my machine shed to facilitate the swapping of batteries, etc. I may also take apart the motor/controller to look for water damage.

My goal is to have 2 good working Tesla's. I have 6 wind Turbines on my Ranch near Muenster Texas (aprox 1 GWh Annually) and 240 Solar panels on another ranch in Argyle Texas. Hence my electricity cost is free. The wife and I have been driving Chevy volts since 2012.

I also developed my own controller for my Wind Turbines (150 KW Each). They are 1986 models that came down out of Tehachapi Ca and needed a new controller. They are asynchronous motor/gen like the motors in the Tesla so I'm quite comfortalble working on the power and control systems.

Thanks Eric. I hope it all worked out well for you after the flood and hope your doing well with your new tesla.

Kindest Regards
Michael Roehrs

 

[mroehrs]

I believe the BCM was causing the problems you mentioned. I read somewhere that Tesla put out a service bulletin where they started conformal coating of the BCM. The BCM in the P70 was not conformal coated and if it was likely cause of the 12 volt function failing, It likely would have continued to work if it was protected. The BCM (also called the Body Control Unit) is located in the footwell on the passenger side so it is easily infested with water.

I'm learning a lot about the Tesla through this process and am open to suggestions and opinion in the process.

I have a drive unit I took out of a badly burned P85+ I picked up for $2,900 on Copart. The drive train and battery pack were unaffected by the fire (Came out of Houston as well).

1. Can I put in the higher performance Motor in the s70? I think so. Depends on the coding on the main computer but, I suspect it will work?

2 Can I put an 85 KW battery in the p70? Will it show out as an 85KW machine afterwards?

I'm pretty sure water got into the battery pack and believe I can fix it. Just don't know how I can salvage the battery pack lid to put it back on.

I have some Ideas. I'm just a dumb ass farmer but working around equipment all the time that's broken means we figure out a way. We have to.

Thanks for any input/ideas.

 

[MP3Mike]

1. Can I put in the higher performance Motor in the s70? I think so. Depends on the coding on the main computer but, I suspect it will work?

2 Can I put an 85 KW battery in the p70? Will it show out as an 85KW machine afterwards?

You can probably do both of those, but you would need someone with hacking abilities to re-program the car to know what was there. (It doesn't just auto-recognize different parts have been swapped in.)

 

[JRP3]

If you haven't yet you should check out this thread: Repairing a Flooded Tesla Model S : HOW-TO

 

[brkaus]

There are a few videos of getting in the pack. It’s involved a wedge and a hammer to seperate the adhesive.

What is to clear to me is how destructive the process is to take the top off.

There are access covers for the contactors.

Good luck! Sounds like a fun project!

 

[JRP3]

I've always wondered if anyone tried a hot wire knife to cut the adhesive:

 

[MP3Mike]

I've always wondered if anyone tried a hot wire knife to cut the adhesive:

I thought I saw that one person said with a lot of patience and a heat gun you could get the top off in a reusable fashion. (I'm pretty sure that @wk057 has figured out how to do it.)

 

[ericonline]

I believe I bought your s70 on Copart. Says Eric and Jennifer inside for settings.

I live in the Dallas area and actually worked on the car today. I took out the BCM and cleaned it, there was some corrosion on it. I may plan to coat the board in the future to protect it from further corrosion issues.

I'm down to the, what I think is the problem left and that is the contractors in the Battery. I plan to drop the battery and install another known good one. (I bought 4 tesla's on Copart). Not sure how to get into the battery to check the contractor but will figure it out.

I would like to chat with you and perhaps see If I could get the second key fob if you have it.

I put a lift in my machine shed to facilitate the swapping of batteries, etc. I may also take apart the motor/controller to look for water damage.

My goal is to have 2 good working Tesla's. I have 6 wind Turbines on my Ranch near Muenster Texas (aprox 1 GWh Annually) and 240 Solar panels on another ranch in Argyle Texas. Hence my electricity cost is free. The wife and I have been driving Chevy volts since 2012.

I also developed my own controller for my Wind Turbines (150 KW Each). They are 1986 models that came down out of Tehachapi Ca and needed a new controller. They are asynchronous motor/gen like the motors in the Tesla so I'm quite comfortalble working on the power and control systems.

Thanks Eric. I hope it all worked out well for you after the flood and hope your doing well with your new tesla.

Kindest Regards
Michael Roehrs

Michael, It sounds like you did buy my car. Small world. Good luck with your project. How much did the car cost you at auction? Would be happy to answer any questions for you if I can.

It all worked out well for us. Got a new MS 75 RWD in September.

 

[mroehrs]

I believe I paid $14,500 or $15,500. I bought a white one also but can't remember which was which.

Question, The hatch back does not open with the key-fob. Looks like it was opened from inside with the remote cable located on the hatchback door. since the little plastic cover is off/missing.

Did the Key-fob open the rear hatchback door prior to the flood?

I appreciate your help.

Thanks Eric

 

[mroehrs]

Removed the forward stack pack cover by using a Solder Rework station. (Goes to a suposid 450C) YOUYUE Hot Air Gun Rework Station SMD Solder Soldering Digital 3 Nozzles 858D | eBay Would heat a spot for about 1 minute then was able to slip a narrow tool underneath. Upholstery and Trim Tool Set 5 Pc

Worked my way around 1/2 inch at a time. Took about about 30 min to remove. I decided to buy 3 more and set up a tool/holder to hold 4 work station wands in a row to soften the sealant and remove the main cover.

The forward cover on this pack got hot due to the fire that burned the car. The hot corner burned off sealant but was not hot enough to melt aluminum. Hence that corner was not bonded at all. I think aluminum melts at 660 C, And melted aluminum dripped on the corner so it was warmer than what the solder work station will get to. I think if you could spot heat to 550 C around the cover you could just lift off the cover.