I have recently found that I have a new hobby- showing local Tesla owners how to resuscitate their dead Teslas if they let the main battery (and subsequent 12 volt battery) discharge completely. Have helped several people on the Tesla Forum and even one of my associates who thought he could charge his 2019 Model S up to 100% and then fly to India for 3 weeks (and got stuck there for 6 weeks with the pandemic and cancelled flights. We knew this was going to happen!). Each model Tesla has different challenges. I am surprised more owners have not learned what to do when the Triple A guy
The strategy is the same for each car- have the main Tesla battery charger ready to go, get access to the 12 volt battery or the hot leads in the fuse box, jump the 12 volt battery until there is enough charge to open the charge port, and charge the car!
For the Model X (my car), you need to pull the plastic cover off of the front left side of the car and get access to the two pull cables labeled 1 and 2, release them sequentially, then open the frunk. Pull the housing off the flat part in front of the windshield and just behind the frunk, pop the fuse box in the left side (the battery is deep behind the frunk, you cannot get to it) and locate the hot lead and plug the hot lead of the charger to that and the ground of the charger to chassis, turn on charger and wait. When the car wakes up, open the charge port and charge.
(I also suggested leaving the 12 volt charger attached for a while to get the 12 volt battery up a little, until there is enough main battery charge to continue to charge the 12 volt).
For early Model S’s you don’t need to pop the frunk, but you can get access to the 12 volt battery hot leads by pulling the front nose cone off (carefully)- they are right there behind the nose cone on top. Repeat the charge and charging process.
The late Model S’s are a little more challenging. The emergency frunk releases are behind the right and left front wheel well plastic covers. You have to pry the bottom edge off of both sides and pull both right and left cables to release the two frunk latches. There are a number of good You Tube videos that demonstrate. Once inside the frunk, you have to pull the center plastic cover off (behind the frunk on top) to get access to the fuse box. Pop the fuse box, and attach the hot lead of the 12 volt charger to hot lead, and the ground to the chassis (but you can also barely see the ground of the 12 volt battery partially exposed to the left and I guess you could ground the charger there). Turn on the 12 volt charger, wait, and then when the car wakes up, pop the charge port and charge.
The Model 3 and Ys are unique- there is a round 3 inch port in the front bumper that can be popped open with a plastic pry bar (watch the You Tube videos, you have to pry from the bottom left to avoid damaging the cover) and attached to the cover are two leads, the 12 volt hot lead and a little ways back the ground lead. Plug into the 12 volt charger and wait. You will know what to do with the car wakes up!
So far this has seemed to work for me. I am amused that the hot lead in many of these cars are not covered with a red protective cover to prevent electrical shorting but this is my experience. Would welcome any other user’s experience and advice!
The strategy is the same for each car- have the main Tesla battery charger ready to go, get access to the 12 volt battery or the hot leads in the fuse box, jump the 12 volt battery until there is enough charge to open the charge port, and charge the car!
For the Model X (my car), you need to pull the plastic cover off of the front left side of the car and get access to the two pull cables labeled 1 and 2, release them sequentially, then open the frunk. Pull the housing off the flat part in front of the windshield and just behind the frunk, pop the fuse box in the left side (the battery is deep behind the frunk, you cannot get to it) and locate the hot lead and plug the hot lead of the charger to that and the ground of the charger to chassis, turn on charger and wait. When the car wakes up, open the charge port and charge.
(I also suggested leaving the 12 volt charger attached for a while to get the 12 volt battery up a little, until there is enough main battery charge to continue to charge the 12 volt).
For early Model S’s you don’t need to pop the frunk, but you can get access to the 12 volt battery hot leads by pulling the front nose cone off (carefully)- they are right there behind the nose cone on top. Repeat the charge and charging process.
The late Model S’s are a little more challenging. The emergency frunk releases are behind the right and left front wheel well plastic covers. You have to pry the bottom edge off of both sides and pull both right and left cables to release the two frunk latches. There are a number of good You Tube videos that demonstrate. Once inside the frunk, you have to pull the center plastic cover off (behind the frunk on top) to get access to the fuse box. Pop the fuse box, and attach the hot lead of the 12 volt charger to hot lead, and the ground to the chassis (but you can also barely see the ground of the 12 volt battery partially exposed to the left and I guess you could ground the charger there). Turn on the 12 volt charger, wait, and then when the car wakes up, pop the charge port and charge.
The Model 3 and Ys are unique- there is a round 3 inch port in the front bumper that can be popped open with a plastic pry bar (watch the You Tube videos, you have to pry from the bottom left to avoid damaging the cover) and attached to the cover are two leads, the 12 volt hot lead and a little ways back the ground lead. Plug into the 12 volt charger and wait. You will know what to do with the car wakes up!
So far this has seemed to work for me. I am amused that the hot lead in many of these cars are not covered with a red protective cover to prevent electrical shorting but this is my experience. Would welcome any other user’s experience and advice!
