Tesla Model 3 Down: Won't Power Up, and is Inaccessible

[insaneoctane]

UPDATE 1

Nothing particularly exciting to report, however a flatbed (not owned by Tesla) arrived this morning. Of note, they picked up a Tesla technician to bring with them. I believe it was at least partially to teach the tow company how to get use the 12 volt access to open the frunk. (They did this and, yes, it worked.) Based on my discussions with Tesla earlier and what I saw today, it appears this was the first Model 3 they ever flat-bedded. (So, clearly this isn't happening on a wide scale.) There was solid communication from Roadside Assistance (via phone call updates this morning) before they arrived and also to confirm they arrived.

As you can surmise by the flatbed, it will be examined at the Service Center as opposed to being repaired in the field. This leads me to believe they want to, at the very least, make sure it's not more than a simple 12 volt battery.

I also want to take this moment to reiterate that I completely knew being an early adopter could have initial issues like this. This vehicle is a massive architecture change. As long as Tesla takes care of the issues, as they have done quickly, that's all that matters to me. I used to beta test video games in the 1980s. (Anyone remember Sierra Online adventure games?) This feels a bit like that in a good way. I see know others might take it as "concern," but it's part of the experience. You have to blow up a couple rockets to launch a Falcon Heavy.

I actually enjoy discovering quirks or documenting problems--in my own tiny way--to make the mass version better. I did the same with the Model S and I've seen improvements made based on my reports. I have seen nothing--absolutely nothing--that gives me long term concerns about the Model 3. Indeed, it has exceeded almost every expectation.

I know some of you prefer to keep negative things quiet. We can agree to disagree there. I believe open communication, good and bad, is necessary for Tesla to thrive in the mass market.

I'll update again when I learn more.

Did they power up the car to put it in "tow mode"? Otherwise they would have had to drag it ? Some additional details welcomed!

 

[insaneoctane]

We can take bets now:

• a blown fuse
• a fault (broken component within) whatever model 3 calls its DC-DC converter
• 12v battery

My money is on the 12 V battery

 

[kbecks13]

Did they power up the car to put it in "tow mode"? Otherwise they would have had to drag it ? Some additional details welcomed!

Did they successfully get the car into "tow mode" and then put it on the flatbed and took it away to the SC?

I'm sure they did, it's quite easy to do once you apply 12V power from the tow guys power pack to the 12V battery on the Tesla. You can then enter the cabin with the power door latch and also enable tow mode from the touchscreen.

My bet is your PCS failed, i'll collect my gold star in a day or so

 

[scottm]

Keeping in mind that if electronics fail, they typically do so within the first hours of use, with a sharp decay over time heading toward a long life of normal duty.

 

[ℬête Noire]

You should definitely pull that and let us know what happens

...if you remain conscious and able to.

 

[ℬête Noire]

We can take bets now:

• a fault (broken component within) whatever model 3 calls its DC-DC converter

I'll take a flier on this one, and a partial cover of the table with a 1/2 value bet on "loose ground/connector".


EDIT: You should also include "software defect/failure" in your list. That might be tougher for @MarkS22 to confirm here but, without specific knowledge of the hardware design, I suggest it's also a plausible possibility.

 

[Don TLR]

2 weeks ago I had a similar experience with an S. On my way out of work I checked the App to turn the climate on but it wasn't responding. Walked across the street to the parking garage and the car wasn't responding like the OP's. Roadside send a flatbed over to check it out so he jumped it and everything seemed fine. Was on the phone with the SC and they were looking at the car saying everything seemed normal so I drove it home. I lowered the window in my garage in case the car was dead again just for the heck of it. Sure enough as soon as I shut the door the car went dead again, couldn't plug in to charge or anything. The same flatbed driver came and picked the car up and this time took it to the service center. Seemed it was a loose terminal in one of the connectors to the 12 volt system. Its back to being a perfect car again after that small glitch..

 

[Zarwin]

We can take bets now:

• Mouse

The one thing that left my wife's Prius dead one morning I will of course lose this bet

 

[MarkS22]

Did they power up the car to put it in "tow mode"? Otherwise they would have had to drag it ? Some additional details welcomed!

Yes, that’s correct. The reason this didn’t happen on Friday is because (I believe) the tow company they contract had never handled a Model 3 before. The technician demonstrated to the tow operator (and myself) how to use the 12v connection to open the frunk and then get the car into tow mode. They needed a technician and a flatbed under this unique circumstances.

 

[MarkS22]

I'm sure they did, it's quite easy to do once you apply 12V power from the tow guys power pack to the 12V battery on the Tesla. You can then enter the cabin with the power door latch and also enable tow mode from the touchscreen.

My bet is your PCS failed, i'll collect my gold star in a day or so

Since we’re speculating, that’s my educated guess.

 

[N5329K]

We can take bets now:

• a blown fuse
• a fault (broken component within) whatever model 3 calls its DC-DC converter
• 12v battery
• poor connector or bad ground

"Nature abhors a connection."
Robin

 

[Vistan]

On the Model 3, there are several slots in the trunk liner in the area behind the charger port. You can see the charge port cables through the slots. There is a thin braided cable with a "pull" handle on it that probably can be used to disengage the charging cable lock. I say "probably" because I didn't actually try the mechanism to see how it worked.

Vistan

This is kind of a crappy potato pic of the slotted area in the trunk liner. The pull cable is in the square hole on the left of the pic. YOU can reach in there with your thumb and dialing finger and give it a yank; I"M going to leave it alone...

Vistan

 

[TEG]

So, if your 12V is completely dead, and a plug is locked in the charging socket, is there a way to get the trunk hatch open to release the charge port lock pin?

Apparently there is a charge port manual release inside the car, but if the 12V is dead, and you can't get to the frunk to power the vehicle back up, how would you get to the charge port release?

Let's say for instance the car was parked with the front bumper against a wall (so you couldn't get to the frunk emergency release mechanism) and the car was plugged into a destination charger with a wired HPC that couldn't be unplugged from the wall...

Perhaps an unlikely situation, but I could see it happen at a hotel destination charger, or in someone's cramped garage.

It seems like there ought to be some procedure to force the trunk open for a situation like this. As usual, you wouldn't want criminals to be able to do it easily.
Perhaps, that is a situation where you must resort to breaking a window to get in?


I think it would have been better if the charge port lock release was accessible from outside of the car rather than inside.
Like if you crawled under the car and unscrewed an access port or something. That way, someone wouldn't randomly unplug your charge session, but at least you could get the charge plug out if you had to tow a disabled vehicle.

In other words, the risk / liability of having someone able to force your charge cable free is a minor concern, and could be helpful. So they ought to design it so that this is possible with some effort and not damage the vehicle.
The risk / liability of having someone able to manually force open your trunk is a valid concern if you have valuable things inside. So that should be available as more of a "last resort" perhaps with some involved procedure (and if all else fails break a window to reach inside to manually open a door.)

 

[scottm]

Seemed it was a loose terminal in one of the connectors to the 12 volt system.

... these can be really hard to track down... When a mechanic busts out the volt meter and is faced with doing pair-wise tests of wiring connectors in cars.. they write-off the rest of the day, possibly the next, and next...

 

[scottm]

Let's say for instance the car was parked with the front bumper against a wall (so you couldn't get to the frunk emergency release mechanism) and the car was plugged into a destination charger with a wired HPC that couldn't be unplugged from the wall...

Real Tesla drivers always back into parking spots.

 

[206er]

Wow - 2 weeks in and already unresponsive!? Hopefully its a quick fix like a faulty 12v, but man, the 3 was going to be our only vehicle other than my bicycle. No way my wife would've tolerated this preventing her from getting around on a weekend, even if it were a one-off. Ugh, I can almost hear "your stupid Tesla won't start!" from our downstairs garage...

 

[Barklikeadog]

Man that roadster is sweet. It must be doing 140 miles an hour just sitting there!

https://a1-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/25/3ea084290c62c0d7715cf7ea7ebcd8e4/full.jpg

It looks like it's tearin ass even when its standing still!

 

[Sportstick]

Wow - 2 weeks in and already unresponsive!? Hopefully its a quick fix like a faulty 12v, but man, the 3 was going to be our only vehicle other than my bicycle. No way my wife would've tolerated this preventing her from getting around on a weekend, even if it were a one-off. Ugh, I can almost hear "your stupid Tesla won't start!" from our downstairs garage...

I had canceled a while ago, and think you did the same recently. I stayed around this forum to keep current/knowledgable as I thought I would come back for the next vehicle cycle, after some "first year blues" were resolved. But, the list of growing concerns and design surprises is making me think to check out other EV choices in a couple of years....Polestar Model 2 anyone? I'm sure the Volvo parent will allow rear passengers a way to open the door if/when power fails post-impact!

 

[DFibRL8R]

The pull cable is in the square hole on the left of the pic. YOU can reach in there with your thumb and dialing finger and give it a yank; I"M going to leave it alone...Vistan

Great, I'll be right over

 

[Big Earl]

So, if your 12V is completely dead, and a plug is locked in the charging socket, is there a way to get the trunk hatch open to release the charge port lock pin?

Apparently there is a charge port manual release inside the car, but if the 12V is dead, and you can't get to the frunk to power the vehicle back up, how would you get to the charge port release?

Let's say for instance the car was parked with the front bumper against a wall (so you couldn't get to the frunk emergency release mechanism) and the car was plugged into a destination charger with a wired HPC that couldn't be unplugged from the wall...

Perhaps an unlikely situation, but I could see it happen at a hotel destination charger, or in someone's cramped garage.

It seems like there ought to be some procedure to force the trunk open for a situation like this. As usual, you wouldn't want criminals to be able to do it easily.
Perhaps, that is a situation where you must resort to breaking a window to get in?


I think it would have been better if the charge port lock release was accessible from outside of the car rather than inside.
Like if you crawled under the car and unscrewed an access port or something. That way, someone wouldn't randomly unplug your charge session, but at least you could get the charge plug out if you had to tow a disabled vehicle.

In other words, the risk / liability of having someone able to force your charge cable free is a minor concern, and could be helpful. So they ought to design it so that this is possible with some effort and not damage the vehicle.
The risk / liability of having someone able to manually force open your trunk is a valid concern if you have valuable things inside. So that should be available as more of a "last resort" perhaps with some involved procedure (and if all else fails break a window to reach inside to manually open a door.)

Yes you can, but it takes several steps.

1. Remote the front tow eye and apply 12 volts to the leads that are attached to it. This will pop the frunk open.
2. Remove the plastic that covers the 12 volt battery in the frunk.
3. Apply 12 volts to the 12 volt battery (just like you would jump start an ICE car).
4. Once the car boots up, unlock it and pop the trunk.
5. Once in the trunk, pull the release lever, although by that point, you can probably release the charge cable via the touch screen or by pressing the button on the charging handle.

All solutions start with getting the frunk open and "jumping" the 12 volt power system, as outlined in the emergency response guide. If you park the car with the bumper literally touching a wall or other obstacle, you'll have to get a tow truck to lift it from the rear wheels and drag it backward in order to get to that access cover.