Dead 2013 Tesla S

[Spleb]

My 2013 Model S 85, purchase used about 3 years ago at 45,000 miles, now with 102,755, with no issues over the nearly 60,000 miles I have put on it, suddenly will not turn on. The 12V was replaced in summer of 2021 by Tesla mobile (car gave me the appropriate warning that it needed to be replaced soon), and is now the only thing that seems to work correctly - neither the center console nor the instrument cluster turns on when the door opens, but the lights all function, turn signals work, and when I press the brake, i hear a familiar humming that I always assume is the main computer booting up, but no displays come on, and I cannot shift out of park. I had used the car like normal the day before, parked in my driveway and plugged in to charge as usual. I received the normal alert at night telling me charging was complete, but when tried to use the car the next day, it was unresponsive.
Tesla service has been no help - either mobile service does not exist anymore, or because my HV battery is now out of warranty, mobile service is not an option for me. I was told to speak to the service center (by a reputable non-Tesla EV repair shop), as they could remotely review the logs and determine if the battery pack had an issue or not leading up to this, but after multiple attempts to reach someone, I was finally told that they COULD do that, but would not do it until I figured out how to get the vehicle to them.
Are there any DIY options for troubleshooting before I have it hauled there, that might give me an idea of what I am dealing with? if it is the main CPU, for instance, I believe that could be replaced by my non-Tesla EV shop that will procure and install used parts for much less, but they are 50 miles away, so its not worth hauling there if it is something more serious and I have a truly dead vehicle on my hands. If it is the HV battery, and I am looking at full replacement out of warranty, I have to consider other options, and do not want to have paid to haul it 50 miles away, only to have to haul it somewhere else again.

 

[Tronguy]

Given that the car's unresponsive, I take a wild guess and state that this might be the Pyro Fuse having blown. Or some similar activity that has the same effect.

Of course, my household has an M3 and an MY is the garage, neither of which is an older MS.

I am aware that MS's also have a Pyro fuse, but, somehow, it's battery powered. (A Pyro Fuse is different from a normal fuse in that, when it's blowing open, a gas is blown across the opening to prevent arcing and guaranteeing that the fuse actually goes open, kind of important if one has a short.) I don't have a MS that's got one of these battery-powered Pyro fuses, but out of minor interest but not major comprehension I've been skimming over the posts talking about these. There's some kind of monitor on them?

In any case: You may be able to do some self-help. But, at this point, calling a flatbed for a tow is probably what I'd do, have it hauled over to a Tesla SC, and let them take a look-see.

Finally: FWIW, back in 2019, the SO's 2018 M3 blew the pyro fuse. She did get a screen full of "Everything's Gone Wrong!" messages, but she did nothing unusual: Just got in the car and put it in gear, then that happened. She did use the app to contact Tesla; they did send a tow truck; and attempts by the driver to jump the 12V battery got nowhere. The car was duly winched onto the flatbed and off to the local SC the car went.

It took them a couple of days, but they did figure out that the Pyro had blown. They replaced the "Pagoda Wiring Harness", the fuse, and, while they were at it, the 12V battery, which, by this time, was flatter than a rug. All under warranty. And from then until the car was traded in late last year it ran fine sans problems, with that 12V battery in it.

 

[DerbyDave]

I'd still hook up a jump to the 12V battery and check again. My hybrid Lexus wouldn't turn on, but lights and other things worked. Service said it needed a new battery, and that the lights and stuff didn't draw nearly the 12V power as the car needed to start up. New 12V battery solved the problem. Your symptoms seem consistent with a 12V problem.

 

[brainhouston]

i second 12v battery or jump
when u lose hv, 12v will slowly die n shut off screens first, leaving lights n such still working till it completely dies
this is done on purpose in case ur stuck on the road u want ur hazards to work till last breath...

 

[ResHacker]

Was the eMMC chip replaced for the 64GB one? Might be this case...

 

[Spleb]

Was the eMMC chip replaced for the 64GB one? Might be this case...

I am not aware of the chip being replaced - if it was, it happened before I owned it. my only upgrade has been the required antenna upgrade for the cell tower connectivity. If the eMMC chip was replaced, it was over 3 years and 60,000 miles ago.

 

[Spleb]

I'd still hook up a jump to the 12V battery and check again. My hybrid Lexus wouldn't turn on, but lights and other things worked. Service said it needed a new battery, and that the lights and stuff didn't draw nearly the 12V power as the car needed to start up. New 12V battery solved the problem. Your symptoms seem consistent with a 12V problem.

This seems to be the case - I idid not initially realize that it had been 3 years since I replaced the 12v (nor that 3 years might be at or near the max lifespan of the 12v Battery) and since it gave me a warning 3 years ago with plenty of time to get the 12v changed, it seemed odd that it did not follow the same course again now, but this does seem to be the issue.
Since it seems that I have no access to Tesla roadside assistance anymore, I had to resort to AAA, which takes a little extra time finding someone who knows anything about EVs... and even then, I had to figure out how to access the jumping posts behind the nose piece (the 12V is definitely fully dead now, but came to life once the jumper cables were attached). With the jump box attached, I was able to get the computer to come to life, but it still would not go into drive mode, giving warnings that the battery voltage is too low - I hope the warning is about the 12v and not the HV, which shows fully (80%) charged on the display.
5 minutes after removing the jump box, my 12v was completely dead again, so fingers crossed that is the main issue.
Now to wait for an actual flat bed with experience with EV towing to get her hauled to the SC.

 

[brainhouston]

u can hook up 12v jump n put the car in tow mode (chuck the wheels first) to get it ready for tow
also roll the drivers window (or any other u plan to open) an inch down to prevent accidental window break (since it won't drop down without power)
u can take a peek at service mode n see what errors u have but i bet its HV related otherwise 12v support would kick in right away as u jumped n computers came on...

 

[j.harris]

Do you have a volt meter to measure the voltage of the 12v battery? Is it possible that the DC to DC converter is not charging the 12v battery? Are you able to remove the frunk plastic to get to the 12v battery? I would connect a battery charger to the 12v battery just for fun.

I would definitely use this as a reason to get a CAN adapter and the scan my tesla app. The app doesn't tell trouble codes but gives you access to a lot of diagnostic information for both the low and high voltage battery.

 

[Spleb]

u can hook up 12v jump n put the car in tow mode (chuck the wheels first) to get it ready for tow
also roll the drivers window (or any other u plan to open) an inch down to prevent accidental window break (since it won't drop down without power)
u can take a peek at service mode n see what errors u have but i bet its HV related otherwise 12v support would kick in right away as u jumped n computers came on...

you are correct. with the jump box attached, everything worked, but I was getting low voltage warnings, even with full 12v showing on the meter. warnings also said drive mode would be reduced/minimum speed due to the voltage issue (and it would not actually go into drive). I was hoping that was still related to the 12v, as if the battery could not hold a charge at all, so driving would be hazardous, but after Tesla SC finally looked at it yesterday, they show faults on the HV battery and that it needs to be replaced. quote was $16k, but the car is not worth that much, so does not seem to make sense to fix. Now I have to figure out salvage value....

 

[DerbyDave]

Yikes!

 

[islandbayy]

you are correct. with the jump box attached, everything worked, but I was getting low voltage warnings, even with full 12v showing on the meter. warnings also said drive mode would be reduced/minimum speed due to the voltage issue (and it would not actually go into drive). I was hoping that was still related to the 12v, as if the battery could not hold a charge at all, so driving would be hazardous, but after Tesla SC finally looked at it yesterday, they show faults on the HV battery and that it needs to be replaced. quote was $16k, but the car is not worth that much, so does not seem to make sense to fix. Now I have to figure out salvage value....

Have you thought about third party battery replacement/repair?

www.SuperchargerTravel.com is a good place to start. Read through the FAQ, join the BMS error facebook group. Replacement solutions can be had for around $8k and less for repair/fixes.

 

[aerodyne]

you are correct. with the jump box attached, everything worked, but I was getting low voltage warnings, even with full 12v showing on the meter. warnings also said drive mode would be reduced/minimum speed due to the voltage issue (and it would not actually go into drive). I was hoping that was still related to the 12v, as if the battery could not hold a charge at all, so driving would be hazardous, but after Tesla SC finally looked at it yesterday, they show faults on the HV battery and that it needs to be replaced. quote was $16k, but the car is not worth that much, so does not seem to make sense to fix. Now I have to figure out salvage value....

Still, cheaper than a newer car that will not have sunroof, FUSC, leather, yacht floor, and the cool Early Adopter vibe, (IMO)

Suggest contact Recell.

Recell

recell-ev.com

Possibly they can do a remote diagnosis.

Note, if you put a voltmeter on the jump posts, battery, or into the 12v accessory port, you need to see at least 12v, more like 12.2v, before the 12V system will work reliably. Hook up a battery charger with 4-7 amp output to one of the above.

SMT is definitely helpful. Tesla said I needed a new pack, but SMT showed I just had failed contactors.

 

[Gtech]

Still, cheaper than a newer car that will not have sunroof, FUSC, leather, yacht floor, and the cool Early Adopter vibe, (IMO)

Suggest contact Recell.

Recell

recell-ev.com

Possibly they can do a remote diagnosis.

Note, if you put a voltmeter on the jump posts, battery, or into the 12v accessory port, you need to see at least 12v, more like 12.2v, before the 12V system will work reliably. Hook up a battery charger with 4-7 amp output to one of the above.

SMT is definitely helpful. Tesla said I needed a new pack, but SMT showed I just had failed contactors.

I used a 5 amp charger some time ago but that was not sufficient to keep the screens on. You think 10 amp would be enough? Really need to check SMT again for 12V power usage...

 

[aerodyne]

I used a 5 amp charger some time ago but that was not sufficient to keep the screens on. You think 10 amp would be enough? Really need to check SMT again for 12V power usage...

If the powertrain or battery coolant pumps are running, as they are want to do over 77% SoC, then you might need more than 4A.

SMT is the best solution short of Toolbox.

 

[Spleb]

What exactly is SMT? Is it a specific app or diagnostic tool? I saw something about a phone app with Bluetooth plug that goes into center console under the main screen - is that the same thing?

 

[Spleb]

Still, cheaper than a newer car that will not have sunroof, FUSC, leather, yacht floor, and the cool Early Adopter vibe, (IMO)

Suggest contact Recell.

Recell

recell-ev.com

Possibly they can do a remote diagnosis.

Note, if you put a voltmeter on the jump posts, battery, or into the 12v accessory port, you need to see at least 12v, more like 12.2v, before the 12V system will work reliably. Hook up a battery charger with 4-7 amp output to one of the above.

SMT is definitely helpful. Tesla said I needed a new pack, but SMT showed I just had failed contactors.

Thank you for the RE Cell recommendation. They have been very informative, while the Tesla SC had been every form of nightmare. I used to brag about how great the service was, even just last year. Now they are a nightmare. The tech today said it had nothing to do with my HV battery now being out of warranty, but he could not/would not explain why they would not have done mobile service to diagnose, and made me tow it in, and now tow it home. They charged me $305 for the diagnosis of bad HV, but will not share the logs or even tell me exactly what codes they see. Also left my car in the back corner of the lot, nose in, and gave me the default “keys in the car” nonsense, when they had them in the office. Of course, this is the same shop that tried to tell me I had bad wheel bearing when actually a steel belt in the tire had snapped. Somehow the mobile service was always great, but the SC horrible; not sure why I’m now ineligible for roadside service if not related to the warranty

 

[brainhouston]

What exactly is SMT? Is it a specific app or diagnostic tool? I saw something about a phone app with Bluetooth plug that goes into center console under the main screen - is that the same thing?

yes just a passive app that will read a lot of CAN info
no diag capabilities
if ur tech savy u can get a CAN shield n send commands to cars CANBUS to do few things that been posted around...
but for the most part its easier to just pay for a day of Toolbox access if u need to troubleshoot

 

[aerodyne]

What exactly is SMT?

IMO, the best thing since sliced bread, Tesla wise.

Is it a specific app or diagnostic tool?

Yes Android and IOS

I saw something about a phone app with Bluetooth plug that goes into center console under the main screen - is that the same thing?

You need a harness and CAN bus reader. I use MX+ with Zero problems for year now.

Details on the SMT site. Search TMC for the thread on "Scan My Tesla" for user opinions.

Can edit the data sets to display anything you want, even when driving.

 

[islandbayy]

What exactly is SMT? Is it a specific app or diagnostic tool? I saw something about a phone app with Bluetooth plug that goes into center console under the main screen - is that the same thing?