Please help I just bought a Roadster on Ebay and he say's its' a sports model, but not sure.

[medfly21]

So Like I said I bought a Roadster in Vegas and he says it's a 2008 Tesla Roadster 2.5 sports model with 288 hp.
This is his vin number which makes me believe he has the 56C motor. I really can't find the differences between these motors anywhere but this is his vin number 5YJRE11B081000394. So is it possiable this model can have the 288 hp motor. Thank you for any help.

Digit 8: (Roadster) Motor/Drive Unit:

• B = Tesla 56C (2008)
• 1 = Tesla M6B (2010)
• 3 = Tesla M6S (2010)

 

[shrink]

If it's a 2008, it's a 1.5

Sport models, I believe, started with MY 2010, 2.0's. I believe VIN 502 was the first Roadster Sport (I have VIN 501, which is the first 2.0, but it's a non-sport).

 

[medfly21]

Hmm...So there's no way a 2008 model could have a sports motor with 288hp?

 

[bonnie]

Hmm...So there's no way a 2008 model could have a sports motor with 288hp?

It's not a 2.5 Sport. To clarify, VIN 394 is neither a 2.5, nor is it a Sport.

 

[medfly21]

Ok thanks for the help guys.

 

[gregd]

VINs under 500 are 1.5s, and there were no Sports back then. I expect you also have a single DIN in-dash "stereo" (unless it was upgraded). No glove box, "stick" shift (vs buttons), display located on the lower left (vs in the center)... That sound right?

Not a Sport model, but still a very fun car to own and drive.

How's the battery health? What does it charge to? Send pictures!

 

[AEdennis]

Welcome to Roadster ownership... it's awesome (or so I am often reminded by my better half... it's her car.)

She has a 1.5 and it's plenty fun!

 

[medfly21]

VINs under 500 are 1.5s, and there were no Sports back then. I expect you also have a single DIN in-dash "stereo" (unless it was upgraded). No glove box, "stick" shift (vs buttons), display located on the lower left (vs in the center)... That sound right?

Not a Sport model, but still a very fun car to own and drive.

How's the battery health? What does it charge to? Send pictures!

I guess I'm pretty stoked I'm going to Vegas this Friday to pick it up then drive it back to CA on Saturday. I paid 30,600 which is pretty cheap and I guess it's always been maintained but the batteries have never been changed and it has 43,000 miles on it so I'm not sure how much longer that will last and I hear it'll cost me 12,000 to replace them. I'm not sure what other options there are but I'm always up for suggestion from you guys. =) Here is the ad on Ebay check it out.
2008 Tesla Roadster Base Convertible 2-Door | eBay

 

[medfly21]

Welcome to Roadster ownership... it's awesome (or so I am often reminded by my better half... it's her car.)

She has a 1.5 and it's plenty fun!

Thank you I'm just waiting to see how it compares to the other cars in my life right now. I have a 91 MR2 Turbo and a 06 BMW 330I. The MR2 is a dream to drive I just hate working on it all the time. This car seems much easier to maintain...well at least I hope so. =)

 

[bonnie]

@medfly21 - I just did a quick search and found your car. Great price. Beautiful, too. 2008 Tesla Roadster Sport Convertible 5YJRE11B081000394 - Vehicle Selling Solutions - Omaha, Nebraska 68105

The error in calling it a Sport and a 2.5 looks like a mistake by someone who doesn't understand Roadster terminology (and that error might give you some negotiating room).

How are you planning on driving from Vegas to California? If I found the right car, it looks like that at fully charged SOC, the battery is showing 123 miles max. (I note that the eBay ad left that photo out.) That's low, but not an issue if you're planning on getting the battery upgrade. Also make sure that the UMC cable is included. (Not mentioned.) And that it's working - a lot of those have failed over the years. If it's not included, you'd probably be best off getting a J1772 adapter (we can point you at that) and a J1772 EVSE to use at home.

-- Update:

From looking at the photos, it looks like the car is being charged off a 110V outlet. (Yellow cable.) You def want something that will charge more quickly. Also the estimated range of 123 shows in Performance mode. So you might have more like 150 in Range mode.

Best of luck! Roadsters are incredible cars.

 

[medfly21]

@medfly21 - I just did a quick search and found your car. Great price. Beautiful, too. 2008 Tesla Roadster Sport Convertible 5YJRE11B081000394 - Vehicle Selling Solutions - Omaha, Nebraska 68105

The error in calling it a Sport and a 2.5 looks like a mistake by someone who doesn't understand Roadster terminology (and that error might give you some negotiating room).

How are you planning on driving from Vegas to California? If I found the right car, it looks like that at fully charged SOC, the battery is showing 123 miles max. (I note that the eBay ad left that photo out.) That's low, but not an issue if you're planning on getting the battery upgrade. Also make sure that the UMC cable is included. (Not mentioned.) And that it's working - a lot of those have failed over the years. If it's not included, you'd probably be best off getting a J1772 adapter (we can point you at that) and a J1772 EVSE to use at home.

-- Update:

From looking at the photos, it looks like the car is being charged off a 110V outlet. (Yellow cable.) You def want something that will charge more quickly. Also the estimated range of 123 shows in Performance mode. So you might have more like 150 in Range mode.

Best of luck! Roadsters are incredible cars.

I Actually thought I only had to stop once because the range was 220-240 miles and I'm about 350 miles away. He did mention he had the plug adapter for the wall and the charging station for the home to include, so I figured that's a pretty good bonus. I really wish it came with the hardtop but I guess I can always find one later on.

 

[medfly21]

Does this mean the batteries are losing there ability to hold a charge? could this be a sign that I'm going to need new batteries soon or how will I know? Don't these cars normally have a range of 200+ miles on a full charge?

 

[Lerxt]

Do you think it might have been a good idea to do some research on the car before buying?

All electric bar batteries lose charge, and all Tesla's come with charging equipment like wall units and cables.

 

[gregd]

Does this mean the batteries are losing there ability to hold a charge? could this be a sign that I'm going to need new batteries soon or how will I know? Don't these cars normally have a range of 200+ miles on a full charge?

Yes, normally they do, but yours apparently has a fairly degraded battery. Depending on how you want to use the car, there are two options for a new battery. Either replace with the original type, or spring for the "3.0" upgrade that is now available ($29k). Twice the price, but you get a range of over 300 miles. Or just keep what you have and drive it around town with a big smile on your face. Nothing wrong with that. 123 miles is still more range than most any other non-Tesla EV on the road.

Just be patient on the drive home, and have several charging spots mapped out (look for the Plugshare app for a smart phone). As Bonnie noted, you would do best with some sort of higher speed charging (240 volt based), either through the Mobile Connector (best for use in RV parks), or a J1772 adapter (Tesla offered one, or the one made by @hcsharp; one of these is needed for public "L2" charging). If the car doesn't have either of these, a full charge at 120v will take most of a day (24hrs), and might require a beefy extension cord to reach an available outlet.

Finally, I recommend a nice cup of coffee or tea, and do some grazing of this forum. If you have any questions (you will!), please ask.

 

[shrink]

Do you think it might have been a good idea to do some research on the car before buying?

All electric bar batteries lose charge, and all Tesla's come with charging equipment like wall units and cables.

Well, that's neither helpful nor fully accurate. We're trying to welcome and help a new Roadster owner. Also, Roadsters only come with a 110V charging cable that is of limited utility and poor durability - and it may or may not come with a used car. A 240V mobile charging unit is sold separately, as is a standalone home EVSE.

OP, honestly I'd be a little concerned about 128 miles of range showing in Performance mode; however, I'm not sure how aggressively that car was driven before that rating was taken, so my concerns may be without merit. It could simply reflect some aggressive test drives.

If it's not too late, try to get the CAC value. It's a rough estimate of the battery health. I think a new original battery CAC is 160. I think a lot of owners here are now in the 140's, although some are still in the 150's, while others are probably in the 130's. For reference, my 2010 with 17,000+ miles is at 148.40 right now. On a full standard charge, I'm showing rated miles of about 142. I don't range charge so I can't give you that number.

Bonnie gives some great advice for your trip home. You'll have limited options because the Roadster charging port is non standard and there are not many Roadster charging stations around anymore.

Use your PlugShare app and plan your trip with some cushion. Elevations and sped changes will affext your range. I do think you'll need a J1772 adapter. One of us here should probably be able to assist. Your recharge time with a J1772 adapter and presumably at 30 amps could be quite long - several hours (maybe 6? from near zero to full).

Good luck and congrats. Ask away with more questions. This Roadster group here is a small but supportive bunch.

 

[gregd]

For reference, my 2010 with 17,000+ miles is at 148.40 right now. On a full standard charge, I'm showing rated miles of about 142.

Not to distract from this thread, but a CAC of 148 should net you a lot more than 142 miles in standard mode. You might want to do a long drive and then a range charge let the car renew its understanding of the pack's capacity. Then drive a bit to bleed it down from the full charge before letting it sit. My 2010's CAC is only 140, and the standard charge nets me about 167 miles. That's on a car with 42k miles on it.

 

[shrink]

Not to distract from this thread, but a CAC of 148 should net you a lot more than 142 miles in standard mode. You might want to do a long drive and then a range charge let the car renew its understanding of the pack's capacity. Then drive a bit to bleed it down from the full charge before letting it sit. My 2010's CAC is only 140, and the standard charge nets me about 167 miles. That's on a car with 42k miles on it.

Yeah, I suspect I'm out of balance, but the 142 is the rated range on odometer. The ideal range on the VDS is about 172. I should have specified that.

I drive the Roadster inconsistently and since it's summer in the desert (we're supposed to hit 120 F next week!) I'm keeping the SOC lower - around 50-60 percent. I haven't range charged in 2 years. I think I last did a full standard charge a month ago before our daily high temps here were 100 F.

I have my annual service next week. I'll do a full standard charge this weekend before the 120 day hits next week.

Sorry for getting off topic, OP.

 

[redan]

I Actually thought I only had to stop once because the range was 220-240 miles and I'm about 350 miles away. He did mention he had the plug adapter for the wall and the charging station for the home to include, so I figured that's a pretty good bonus.

Congrats on the purchase! You need to do some serious planning before you head over to Vegas to pick up the car. Supercharging is not an option for the Roadster. The yellow UMC included will charge the car on a 120V outlet at 4 miles an hour. So you will need more than that to get the car home - unless you're planning on the trip taking 3-4 days. This charger for a 240V outlet would yield a much quicker charge, but it's still a 6 hour charge: Tesla — Roadster Universal Mobile Connector - Available in North America Only.

Your best bet is to reach out to @hcsharp and get one (or both) of his CANs - but you'll be hard pressed to get by tomorrow. Make sure you have some charging contingencies - and most of all, because it appears they only have the 120V charging the car now, make sure they are fully charging the car for you, so when you arrive it is fully charged!

Good luck!

 

[Msjulie]

Don't want to be a downer but on this forum is this link: Damaged #1207 which lists that vin has having been in a collision.. I couldn't find it myself on the crash website ....

 

[andrewket]

I'd find a current roadster owner and enthusiast to go with you to examine the car. They are fun cars, but you really need to know what you're getting yourself into.