Roadster Service and ‘The App’

[CruzInVA]

I don’t know if I am the only Roadster owner having this problem, but now that Tesla has essentially moved all customer service and communications onto the “Tesla App,” I’ve basically found myself out in the cold.

Of course, I can download the App and even log in, but since the App doesn’t recognize that I own anything (I only have my Roadster), I cannot access any of the actually useful functions, like the service menu or communications.

Since it is not almost impossible to get a human on the phone via the service number, and they have removed the owner support functions from the webpage, I’m down to emailing and hoping someone responded.

(Usually they initially respond by directing me to use the App, just like the automated phone menus and website now do. Very frustrating.)

Is there any solution to this problem? Some trick to getting the APP to work that I have missed? My account, back when I was able to see in on the website, did show my Roadster and its VIN.

When I asked a service tech about it, the response was,”Oh yeah. The Roadsters aren’t supported.” Very helpful.

As a Roadster owner, I have felt increasingly ‘unsupported’ for several years now.

I really miss the days when I would call up the service center, have a person pick up the phone and immediately recognize me by the number, and know which car I owned and usually what I probably needed.

 

[unixphone]

I have been exchanging emails with Mike. He is super helpful.
Mike V
Roadster Service North America
4500 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538
E: [email protected]

 

[slcasner]

I have been exchanging emails with Mike. He is super helpful.
Mike V
Roadster Service North America
4500 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538
E: [email protected]

Right. When Tesla changed their policy to require service requests through the app, Roadster owners complained. Tesla responded that they were working on a solution; [email protected] is it.

 

[PFLeFaou]

Does that email address really work? I've tried several times to use it, never got an answer, gave up.

 

[Sparrow]

On my 3rd try, I did get a response from them, unfortunately I had not given them my home address so they asked for that. Never heard back from them after responding with my address.

 

[CruzInVA]

Thanks @unixphone and @slcasner!

I’ll add Mike V and the
[email protected] addy to my contacts list, and hope for the best, I suppose.

Maybe now that Elon is the richest person on earth, he can afford to hire a developer clever enough to figure out a way to at least give us access to the service and coms portions of the app. LOL.

 

[Steve in SLO]

Just had a problem of getting a human on the line when I called the service center in Santa Barbara. I then emailed [email protected] and Mike has been helpful in trying to set something up for me. I’d be surprised if you did not get a reply within one or two days.

 

[CruzInVA]

Just got the SMS notification that they have completed the annual service and my Roadster is ready for pickup.

The great news is that they now also want me to PAY via the App! Should I let them know that I will be paying them via the App just as soon as I can?

 

[gregd]

Just got the SMS notification that they have completed the annual service and my Roadster is ready for pickup.

The great news is that they now also want me to PAY via the App! Should I let them know that I will be paying them via the App just as soon as I can?

View attachment 627530

Yeah, that might get their attention, that we even exist. Doubt it, though.

A "hack" that I discovered. Once you get an SMS message from your Service Center, SAVE IT. At least as of a year or so ago, a reply to that message will get dropped into the in-tray of whoever was coordinating your last service. You'll get a "Sorry, your service ticket has been closed" response, but they'll still get the message. Sometimes that path is faster or more reliable than the RoadsterServiceNA email in getting someone to respond.

 

[Steve in SLO]

A question about the service: since they are going to be balancing the battery what SOC Is best for them to perform this procedure? Reason being, I live about 100 miles away from the SC and need to either drive there the night before and charge up or arrive with a low battery, depending.

 

[gregd]

A question about the service: since they are going to be balancing the battery what SOC Is best for them to perform this procedure? Reason being, I live about 100 miles away from the SC and need to either drive there the night before and charge up or arrive with a low battery, depending.

Puzzled. They are going to balance the battery? Normally the battery balances itself, and that occurs when the battery is full (above about 80% SoC). I expect they'd want the battery closer to full than empty, but if this is a special procedure it would be best to ask them.

 

[hanknum]

A question about the service: since they are going to be balancing the battery what SOC Is best for them to perform this procedure? Reason being, I live about 100 miles away from the SC and need to either drive there the night before and charge up or arrive with a low battery, depending.

Steve et al,

Mike V was very responsive and helpful. I'm going to schedule an appt. with the SC tomorrow. If you do drive down here, there is a hotel (Best Western Pepper Tree Inn) that has a charging station and is 0.6 miles from Tesla. Or, I can offer you a bed in our travel trailer and charging in my garage. I'm about 1.5 miles from the SC.

Henry

 

[Steve in SLO]

Very kind of you, Henry. Will probably be coming down with my son so best to stay in a hotel. I’ll make sure I call for a quick meet up.

 

[CruzInVA]

I suppose all’s well that ends well.

My Roadster is back home and seems to be none the worse for it’s trip to “the doctor.”

plus, they gave me a Tesla coffee mug and pen to say “Thanks for being a loyal owner...., and please don’t trash us on the review.” So I guess that’s something.

@Steve in SLO - welcome to the gang! Quite jealous- SLO is so cool. My niece is at CalPoli now.

As @gregd noted, as far as I know battery balancing is just something the car when plugged in, after it completes a charging cycle. There are DEFINITELY more technically savvy members on here than I, but my Caveman understanding is that balancing with the Roadster is a very gradual process. Depending on how out of balance the pack is (and how great the difference between your strongest and weakest bricks), getting the car back to its “best possible balance” can take days of just sitting there plugged in. I don’t imagine this is something the SC wants to do. They might check on the state of the pack’s balance as a diagnostic, but am not aware of any short cuts to correcting balance issues.

There are so great discussion threads on Roadster Charging, Battery Care, and even a fun and lively debate over the pros and cons of ‘Trickle Charging’ with the good ole Yellow 110v cord that you might find interesting. If nothing else, they explain more about how the balancing process works in the Roadster, and show how there are some owners around who really, seriously know their stuff when it comes to these quite rare and somewhat quirky cars.

Cheers gang!
Ted

 

[markwj]

Puzzled. They are going to balance the battery? Normally the battery balances itself, and that occurs when the battery is full (above about 80% SoC). I expect they'd want the battery closer to full than empty, but if this is a special procedure it would be best to ask them.

I think it more likely they are going to do a battery 'bleed test', rather than balancing.

 

[hanknum]

I think it more likely they are going to do a battery 'bleed test', rather than balancing.

SteveinSLO is just saying what I told him. Which in turn is what the service writer told me after he spoke with the tech. So, you might be right.

I'm going to email/call the service writer tomorrow and get clarification on exactly what is done during the annual service. Initially, he told me it included tires(?), wiper, & key FOB battery... which I told him I did not need.

 

[BridgetCK]

I don’t know if I am the only Roadster owner having this problem, but now that Tesla has essentially moved all customer service and communications onto the “Tesla App,” I’ve basically found myself out in the cold.

Of course, I can download the App and even log in, but since the App doesn’t recognize that I own anything (I only have my Roadster), I cannot access any of the actually useful functions, like the service menu or communications.

Since it is not almost impossible to get a human on the phone via the service number, and they have removed the owner support functions from the webpage, I’m down to emailing and hoping someone responded.

(Usually they initially respond by directing me to use the App, just like the automated phone menus and website now do. Very frustrating.)

Is there any solution to this problem? Some trick to getting the APP to work that I have missed? My account, back when I was able to see in on the website, did show my Roadster and its VIN.

When I asked a service tech about it, the response was,”Oh yeah. The Roadsters aren’t supported.” Very helpful.

As a Roadster owner, I have felt increasingly ‘unsupported’ for several years now.

I really miss the days when I would call up the service center, have a person pick up the phone and immediately recognize me by the number, and know which car I owned and usually what I probably needed.

you're not alone. I'm almost ready to punt this thing into the ocean. Can't phone them. They don't reply to emails and even when they do show up, no one knows how to work on the Roadster at all. Took it to Medlock in Seattle when it needed work before but with the border closed, that gets a little harder.

 

[OakvilleMYP]

you're not alone. I'm almost ready to punt this thing into the ocean. Can't phone them. They don't reply to emails and even when they do show up, no one knows how to work on the Roadster at all. Took it to Medlock in Seattle when it needed work before but with the border closed, that gets a little harder.

Why isn’t that essential?
Make a service appt and go for it.

 

[Retiredeh]

you're not alone. I'm almost ready to punt this thing into the ocean. Can't phone them. They don't reply to emails and even when they do show up, no one knows how to work on the Roadster at all. Took it to Medlock in Seattle when it needed work before but with the border closed, that gets a little harder.

I've had just the opposite experience with Tesla's Vancouver service...they have two very good techs. Their field guys don't have any experience working on Roadsters. PM me if you like I can give you some good contact information!

 

[Roadrunner13]

I used the app to book an appointment for the roadster via my model S service appointment menu.

I just selected "other" for justification and put in a note asking for a "roadster specific technician and appointment" via my Model S page.
Via the app chat, they re-directed my appointment to the service center where our area roadster technician recently relocated, offered a time slot where he would be available and ...voilà!

You may get a couple of exchanges via the apps messaging but this goes away once the appointment becomes a Roadster one (rather than Model S)... but you then start receiving SMS for your appointment confirmation and you can 'dialog' with the service guy via SMS.

I guess it will depend on SC how they respond to this trick but it worked here.