I was surprised there were not many posts to replace the Tesla Roadster 12 volt battery, so I thought I would share my learnings to help others since it must be done every 2 to 3 years.
The local Tesla service center in Austin could not provide me a price, so I decided to do it myself this time.
1) The 12V battery is located in the front right wheel well. (circle below) Unfortunately, you can not effectively access it without removing the wheel.
2) After removing the wheel, there are several screws to remove, a plastic cover as well as the material. I suggest you take a photo of your wheel well to confirm where the screws are to be replaced when you put it back together.
3) After you remove the plastic cover, you'll remove the bracket and expose the old 12 volt battery. Remove the electrical connections.
4) After you remove the battery, you'll notice the battery connectors are eyelet ring connectors, not spade connectors.
5) I made the mistake of ordering a battery with the spade connectors. Gruber has a spade connector 12 volt battery that provides an additional 4AH, but I returned it since I would rather not be concerned with an adapter or making my own ring eyelet connector. The larger size also means you have to install it sideways.
6). I purchased a Duracell brand from BatteriesPlus for $120. Gruber sells them for less, but I didn't want to wait for the shipping.
7) Replace the battery and tighten the connectors and the secure bracket.
8) I read online about a best practice to place the wheel under the car in case the floor jack lift fails..... however, I made a mistake and placed the wheel downward onto my garage floor. The garage flooring material attached itself to my wheel, and I had to carefully remove the particles from my chrome. I finally got it cleaned up! I won't do that again
9). Make sure you use a torque wrench to tighten the wheel at 77 lb/ft.
10. There we go.... I'll not have to deal with this for another 3 years..... hopefully this helps inspire you to replace your 12 volt battery yourself next time!
Cheers,
David
#869
The local Tesla service center in Austin could not provide me a price, so I decided to do it myself this time.
1) The 12V battery is located in the front right wheel well. (circle below) Unfortunately, you can not effectively access it without removing the wheel.
2) After removing the wheel, there are several screws to remove, a plastic cover as well as the material. I suggest you take a photo of your wheel well to confirm where the screws are to be replaced when you put it back together.
3) After you remove the plastic cover, you'll remove the bracket and expose the old 12 volt battery. Remove the electrical connections.
4) After you remove the battery, you'll notice the battery connectors are eyelet ring connectors, not spade connectors.
5) I made the mistake of ordering a battery with the spade connectors. Gruber has a spade connector 12 volt battery that provides an additional 4AH, but I returned it since I would rather not be concerned with an adapter or making my own ring eyelet connector. The larger size also means you have to install it sideways.
6). I purchased a Duracell brand from BatteriesPlus for $120. Gruber sells them for less, but I didn't want to wait for the shipping.
7) Replace the battery and tighten the connectors and the secure bracket.
8) I read online about a best practice to place the wheel under the car in case the floor jack lift fails..... however, I made a mistake and placed the wheel downward onto my garage floor. The garage flooring material attached itself to my wheel, and I had to carefully remove the particles from my chrome. I finally got it cleaned up! I won't do that again
9). Make sure you use a torque wrench to tighten the wheel at 77 lb/ft.
10. There we go.... I'll not have to deal with this for another 3 years..... hopefully this helps inspire you to replace your 12 volt battery yourself next time!
Cheers,
David
#869
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Either a nice coat of wax or ceramic coating?
