Repairing a Flooded Tesla Model S : HOW-TO

[Btr_ftw]

Just took a look at the MA Right to Repair law and it only mandates that manufacturers shall make available for purchase by owners :

"the same diagnostic and repair information, including repair technical updates, that such manufacturer makes available to its dealers through the manufacturer's internet-based diagnostic and repair information system or other electronically accessible manufacturer's repair information system."

and...

"all diagnostic repair tools incorporating the same diagnostic, repair and wireless capabilities that such manufacturer makes available to its dealers."

Unfortunately it doesn't say anything about guaranteeing the right of owners to purchase the actual PARTS needed to make any repairs after diagnosing them via all this information & tools.

Tesla may actually have another loophole here to skirt even the existing requirements, but I don't want to spell it out publicly and make things worse. Incidentally, the original MA Right to Repair ballot initiative passed with 86% of the vote. That is a HUGE number for a ballot initiative as I'm currently involved in the MA campaign to Vote YES on 3! to prevent cruelty to farm animals.

Here is a link to the full text of the MA Right to Repair law in case anyone wants to read it directly.

They met this requirement by allowing MA residents to download the service manual, however they skirted around the fact that we do not have the repair and diagnostic tools that the dealers have to properly repair the vehicles.

Hmmmm may be something to look into.

 

[jelloslug]

Nope, the front subframe is completely different on the facelift cars, you couldn't retrofit a facelift bumper on a nose cone car. There is an aftermarket bumper that looks similar though.

I beg to differ:

 

[AB4EJ]

Tesla rant incoming....

So a friend of mine needs a hand with his Tesla that was hit from the side. He needs a rear 1/4 panel (aka wheel well housing according to Tesla) he is out of state and was wondering if I could exercise my Massachusetts "right to repair" bill. Meaning can I just call up Tesla for him and get a rear 1/4 panel and get the parts that I need ordering as an independent body shop.

Welp the short answer is NO.

The long answer is HELL NO. Sneaky Tesla's way of getting around the right to repair bill is listing parts in 2 categories

1) structural
2) safety/high voltage

So because the chintzy piece of aluminum that weighs all of 5 pounds is listed as a "structural" part, they will not sell it to you, the parts department that I called has no access to the body/structural parts section, I would have to call the ONLY AUTHORIZED TESLA BODY SHOP IN MASSACHUSETTS THE STATE OF OVER 6.5 MILLION PEOPLE to get the part. Well they won't sell me the part, and if they do THEY have to install it, they also said the wait would be around 4 months, but wait, there is more! They can DENY even giving you the fender, they have to call back to HQ before the part is even considered and it would go under review after running the VIN#

Really Tesla? REALLY? So you'd rather have people make sh*tty repairs on their cars then actually giving them access to the parts and tools they need to do a proper repair? Tesla, do you think that your car is made of a magical material that no body shop has ever seen or worked with? Do you guys think that nobody has ever worked with high voltage? I understand that nobody wants the i3, spark EV, fiat 500e, focus E, kia soul EV, B class EV, leaf, E golf , but I'm sure I could call any of their respective parts departments and get anything I need, nor would they force me to use any of their specified body shops.

I'm genuinely curious as to how much potential business they are losing due to these annoyances. What if I told you that if your car needed parts and repairs it could take 4 months to get it the way it was before the accident because you were FORCED to go a specific body shop and they would not sell you parts.

Elon I like you but "OUR SERVICE CENTERS ARE NOT PROFIT CENTERS" well stop treating them as such, so let me get this straight.... you open one authorized body shop in an entire state and funnel all your parts through ONE distribution channel, if your focus was on customer service, I DUNNO, MAYBE YOU CAN OPEN TWO SERVICE CENTERS PER STATE????, and cut the wait from 4 months to 2 months.


I know that ingineer ranted about this a few months back but once you go through it its incredibly frustrating, you know what my friend has to do now? find a salvage vehicle with good 1/4 panels, PAY someone to cut them off and pray they don't get damaged in shipping.

A couple of observations - this current model is not going to work for a high-volume car like the M3 - Tesla is going to have to step up to this problem. (Compound this with the fact that many states don't have any service centers at all!) This could make or break the success of the M3 rollout.

That said, have you ever watched those shows where people restore old vehicles that have been in barns, junkyards, etc. ? Since many of these restorations are on vehicles whose manufacturer went out of business decades ago, there is no possibility of finding new repair parts (body parts in particular). They have to get them from junkyards (when they can find them), or fabricate them (when they can't). I have to wonder - are there enough wrecked Teslas to be able to find body parts? And, if you were to fabricate a body part, what would you make it out of? Aluminum would seem to be out of the question, since these can only be properly made by stamping (that's right, isn't it? ) - so maybe some clever person could figure out how to make these parts out of fiberglass (like Corvette)...

 

[Btr_ftw]

I beg to differ:

To be fair that is a Tesla testmule, you never know what they did underneath the skin...

 

[jelloslug]

To be fair that is a Tesla testmule, you never know what they did underneath the skin...

True, but at some level the 1st and 2nd gen cars are the same. It may take more than just a bumper cover to convert it but it is possible.

 

[jelloslug]

Here are the two different version of the radiator support: The aluminium one is the older version and the black plastic one is the new version. I don't know if the plastic one is what is under the new bumper cover though.

 

[Btr_ftw]

oh its definitely possible, I'm sure it will work with some "finessing" as they call it, but definitely not a bolt on application.

I realllllly want to do this.

but I'd rather have mike k spend the money first

 

[jelloslug]

oh its definitely possible, I'm sure it will work with some "finessing" as they call it, but definitely not a bolt on application.

I realllllly want to do this.

but I'd rather have mike k spend the money first

I'm of the opinion that would be a bolt on swap. You may have to change the radiator support but I have no evidence that this is the case.

 

[Seagee]

The bolt-on aftermarket nose conversion looks pretty great.

Here is a feature about it:
Tesla Model S body upgrade kit makes older cars look like new 2016s

 

[Btr_ftw]

The bolt-on aftermarket nose conversion looks pretty great.

Here is a feature about it:
Tesla Model S body upgrade kit makes older cars look like new 2016s

it does look great, but not for 3k + paint great.

I feel it would also throw off the balance of the car and I'd have to get the side skirts as well.

 

[TMobe]

it does look great, but not for 3k + paint great.

I feel it would also throw off the balance of the car and I'd have to get the side skirts as well.

I agree. Entire kit would be needed or it would look like its not complete. I too like the new front. But how much to invest? Most states that require a front plate that will cover the most obvious facia change. Not to mention will it hurt my value being a signature # car.

Btw_ftw. Since the Z06 is delayed...any news on the assembly of the water damaged MS? Pack in?

 

[Btr_ftw]

UPDATE

Man I've been lazy, anyway, here are some more photos of the rear of the car. I also washed this rear trunk area to get rid of all the debris that was back there, it came out VERY clean, I also re applied the nvh adhesive to keep the noise down back there

with foam and rubber padding installed

HV Charge cables installed

further away view of the way the wiring harnesses were ran.

 

[Btr_ftw]

UPDATE


so yeah, I guess this is going as well as I could have hoped

there is just so much damn work involved here, harness this, harness that, connector this, connector that, unfortunately they glued the roof harness in between the glass in a few places so I had to cut the glass adhesive to free the wire.... only to have to replace it later anyway, they also glued the majority of the headliner harness to the headliner... womp wompp....

pic of the remainder of the passenger side harness I have to stuff through a small hole in the rear of the car, this harness connects to the drive unit harness and rear bumper, what could make this pic better?

why a pic of my ass of course

 

[mike77cos]

Progress is progress no matter what

 

[brantse]

Here are the two different version of the radiator support: The aluminium one is the older version and the black plastic one is the new version. I don't know if the plastic one is what is under the new bumper cover though.

Actually, I believe the metal one (it's actually magnesium) is for RWD vehicles, whereas the composite is for AWD vehicles. AFAIK, even new RWD vehicles may still be using the Mg version.

On a side note, my Mg carrier corroded very badly (literally began disintegrating) and was replaced a few months ago. Sure enough, the replacement is also bare Mg .

 

[jelloslug]

Actually, I believe the metal one (it's actually magnesium) is for RWD vehicles, whereas the composite is for AWD vehicles. AFAIK, even new RWD vehicles may still be using the Mg version.

On a side note, my Mg carrier corroded very badly (literally began disintegrating) and was replaced a few months ago. Sure enough, the replacement is also bare Mg .

I can only speculate on their usage since Tesla is so closed lips on their parts....

 

[Btr_ftw]

UPDATE

Finishing up the drivers side curtain airbag installation, now when I tell you I'm replacing all the electronics.... I'm replacing all of the electronics!! even the curtain airbags gotta go.

also, lets checkout some of the corrosion from the previous wiring

salt infused deep within the connectors

and last but not least, not sure how high the water level got but I will likely have to replace this as well

 

[mike77cos]

It must have gone in deep!

 

[Chickenlittle]

You should start keeping a list of what parts you are keeping. It maybe shorter than the list of replacements

 

[wycolo]

Always easier to use a drag skid for getting a wreck up onto a trailer. Nail or bolt the pieces together as necessary.
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