Reverse Back Up Lights Not Working - Blown Fuse?

[shrink]

So, I took my Roadster in for annual service last week. I used to get a detailed report on what they did and more information on the car’s condition, but alas, no longer.

Anyway, I noticed upon picking up the car my aftermarket head unit seemed to have been reset. No big deal there, but my aftermarket backup camera was no longer turning on when shifting to reverse. I messed with settings for a time much longer than I care to admit and could not get the thing working. I could actually view the camera output when specifically choosing to adjust display settings such as brightness, contrast, etc., but the camera would not come on when shifting to reverse.

I took the car to my local audio shop and was told he could not detect a reverse signal at all from the car and that I had no back up lights when in reverse. I just tested it with my wife watching the lights and he’s right. Tail lights illuminate when headlights are on. Turn signals work. Brake lights work. But nothing lights up when I shift to reverse.

This was all working perfectly before the annual service.

Is this simply a blown fuse? If, so anyone know which circuit? The manual doesn’t seem to list on what fuse the back up lights are on.

 

[dhrivnak]

I would be surprised it is a fuse, but it does not hurt to test them. I think you need to head back to the service center unfortunately.

 

[Roadster]

Since all your rear lights/indicators seem to be in working order and you can view the camera signal, I suspect it may be your Reverse switch.

 

[shrink]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, looks like it's back to the SC.

I have found it's unusually difficult to schedule an appointment with my local SC. When calling, the voice prompts for service tell you to schedule an appointment via the Tesla app, which is not an option for the Roadster, or at Tesla.com via chat. I can't seem to get the chat to work and there is no option to talk to a human at the SC to schedule an appointment.

Luckily, I have the SC's email address and they do respond to me via email. I sent them messages last night and again this morning. Will update the thread once it's fixed to add to the database.

 

[gregd]

Regarding the Support "Chat" not working... I found that it seems to be browser dependent. Firefox didn't work, but Chrome did, though I'm not sure I have current versions of either.

 

[X.l.r.8]

I would certainly look at the splice that they had to make for the rear camera. It might simply be pulled loose. Or the SC may have knocked the cable removing the PEM depending on the route it took.

 

[shrink]

I would certainly look at the splice that they had to make for the rear camera. It might simply be pulled loose. Or the SC may have knocked the cable removing the PEM depending on the route it took.

I don't think it's the splice for the rear camera. I can still access the back up camera input on certain screens - just not in reverse.

I actually just consulted with Gruber. Per the wiring diagrams they reviewed, they think the reverse light is powered by the PEM and that the same wire also sends a signal to the head unit indicating the car is in reverse. Gruber suspects the SC accidentally recessed one of the PEM connectors when reinserting after cleaning the PEM during annual service.

Still waiting to hear from Tesla...

 

[X.l.r.8]

I never thought I would be so scared to take my car to the SC. I would rather do the PEM service myself

 

[backmost]

On a unrelated side note, do they send the Rangers out for Roadsters anymore or they've done away with that?

 

[dhrivnak]

On a unrelated side note, do they send the Rangers out for Roadsters anymore or they've done away with that?

Yes at least in NE Tennessee.

 

[shrink]

So Tesla is now telling me they are not getting a reverse/back up signal at all from the PEM and are suspecting a circuit board has gone bad. Repair is $8000 for a remanufactured PEM. Needless to say, I am not happy.

All this was working just fine before the service. I paid $600 and some change for annual service, including a PEM cleaning, and the car was returned to me with a faulty PEM. Now, I'm told it's going to cost $8000 more to fix it. I realize parts go bad and while this could, indeed, be coincidental, the timing of this does not sit well with me at all.

I have asked for consideration for a reduced cost replacement given the timing of breakdown, as well as a refund of my portion of my $600 annual service cost since the car was returned to me with a fault and in need of a major repair.

Anyone have any other suggestions with dealing with Tesla for this matter?

 

[X.l.r.8]

I do recall reading that the PEM is a mothership repair only which is why anytime there is anything wrong inside there it’s a replacement unit. I think that’s why the fan plug ends up as a 10k repair rather than the SC simply fixing what they are essentially breaking.

 

[gregd]

The PEM swap is their default answer, but I would encourage that you push on them. I had my PEM Fan connector fail (burned contacts), and perhaps because it was an early example (hard to believe, in 2015), they got the factory involved in the triage and I ended up getting a re-manufactured or used (not sure the pedigree) PEM for almost nothing. I still had to pay labor for them to re-do the cable with new contacts, but it ended up being about a tenth of what the whole swap would have been.

That said, are they SURE that it's inside the PEM, and not simply one of the connectors getting a pin munched?

 

[hcsharp]

That said, are they SURE that it's inside the PEM, and not simply one of the connectors getting a pin munched?

I agree it's hard to believe a circuit board went bad in the PEM when the wiring harness is much more fragile, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[shrink]

I agree it's hard to believe a circuit board went bad in the PEM when the wiring harness is much more fragile, but I suppose it's possible.

Thanks for the feedback all. They offered me a whopping $500 discount on the replacement. How nice of them.

Per the suggestions of the community, I have asked them to check the PEM connector pins. If that comes up empty, I'm planning on taking the car up to Gruber.

I was about to move the Roadster out of state to a vacation home my wife and I bought a couple months ago. I am unfortunately having second thoughts now.

 

[shrink]

Tesla claimed the connectors were checked 2-3 times and no issues were found. I'm still wondering if they checked only the tightness of the connections rather than for a recessed pin, but I feel there is nothing more to be done at this point.

I took the car back earlier today. The charge was a bit low (approx 40%). The clearly didn't bother to charge it. It was enough to get home with the battery in the yellow, but as an added bonus, I noticed the car was a bit dirty. I tried using my windshield wiper fluid to clean the windshield on the way back, but no fluid came out.

I got home and found the windshield fluid empty. I filled it up, tried it again, but still no fluid from the nozzle. I hear the motor going so I'm hoping it's just blocked and not something more, but they apparently didn't even bother to check the wiper fluid during my annual service. Sigh. I am frustrated and disappointed.

501 is heading up to Gruber soon.

 

[X.l.r.8]

For a service they should have charged the car at the minimum. I hope you get some resolution elsewhere. I hope Gruber becomes Gruber international because its going to take some dedication to keep these cars running and I think that SC are swamped with the mass market to worry to much about caring for our cars the way we expect.

 

[Kerios]

XLR8's comment about being terrified about taking the car to the SC is something I and am sure others feel also.

Using the PEM to control the reversing light seems a little crazy, however there could be an alternative work around - otherwise its going to be an insane cost to fix the reversing light (unless you have other PEM issues?)

Assuming you press the R button for reverse, you could connect a circuit to read that button press and subsequently turn on the reversing light via a relay. It would required some basic electronics at the R button end and a minor patch into the loom at the reversing light end, if you really wanted to minimize the wiring one could make the link remote e.g. wireless. Just a thought which might be simpler than a SC PEM replacement...

 

[ViperDoc]

For a service they should have charged the car at the minimum. I hope you get some resolution elsewhere. I hope Gruber becomes Gruber international because its going to take some dedication to keep these cars running and I think that SC are swamped with the mass market to worry to much about caring for our cars the way we expect.

I recently had an annual service with other repairs (shocks, fan) at an SC, and they didn't charge me either. Fortunately, I had enough to get home, but I was surprised. I, too, have had diffiulty with communicating with SCs at times, given the phone center wants you to use the app, chat isn't always functioning, limited response from SC to email at times. We do at least have a new place out here to take Roadsters for some repairs that is staffed by former Tesla Roadster techs, but a non-Tesla option to do PEM work is likely still lacking in the Northeast.

 

[gregd]

Regarding charging our cars at the Service Centers, the local one doesn't even have that capability. So it's not that they don't want to, it's that they can't. Having a CAN-SR on the shelf is obviously the answer, but they're not an "official Tesla service device", or words to that effect. Sheesh.

Last time I had my car in (a year ago) I insisted that they grab my CAN-SR out of the trunk and plug the thing in, which they finally did. The reason wasn't so much for the charge, it was that they had left the car out in the sun on a 100 degree day, and I was watching remotely via OVMS that the battery was getting very hot. The charge brought the battery temps back down into the safe zone.