Early Model S Resurrection Saga continues (EVen longer)

[Jay Donnaway]

Well folks, when we left off my Midnight Star had been rEVived with a rebuilt drive unit by WattWorks, but Tesla had cut off Supercharger (and all DCFC) access without warning or EVen admitting what they did.  

I finally got the High Voltage Inspection done at Tesla Fife this week, and long story short, it passed and SC01 (better known as Lifetime Free Unlimited SuperCharging) is restored!

HowEVer, it was a painful path.  I set the appointment and then visited in person to attempt to build a relationship and better learn what’s required to pass said inspection, as I’m not fixing all the cosmetic and minor mechanical issues until the Supercharging question is settled.  They refused to share the inspection procedures or EVen a checklist, and barely confirmed that my leaving the frunk tub out of the car would be a good thing, saving their labor and would not be held against me.  

I was warned that this would be expensive, and that the last salvaged car inspection had cost the owner over $4500 by the time all shortcomings were repaired.  I was also told that even though I had proof that this was an SCO1 car there was no guarantee that would be restored, and I could wind up with regular retail SC04, if it passed, and there were no discounts for repeat inspections.  Nevertheless, I requested the quote as the owner’s forum says this has historically run under $1000.  The service advisor “Submitted my case for approval” and told me to expect a quote within 24 hours.  As soon as I left the property, my phone pinged with a quote to approve and it was a hair under $900!  Of course I immediately accepted that and then waited two weeks for the appointed time.

The original quote said that I was eligible for alternative transportation, which I verified to be a loaner car, contingent upon availability.  A couple of days before the appointment that was changed to “not eligible for alternative transportation”, which I promptly inquired about and was told that yes, indeed I was still eligible for a loaner car.

On the morning of my appointment, the work order was revised upwards by $400 with the only detail being “additional diagnostic time”.  I could get no straight answers by messaging, so drove down to the service center hours ahead of my scheduled appointment to try and get to the bottom of this.  I was able to meet with the service manager, who told me that my quote “Was created by AI, and staff has to review the day’s work orders every morning to correct any errors.”   He said that my quote did not include removal and reinstallation of the battery pack, which is of course the most basic part of the entire procedure!  I requested that they make a good faith effort to honor the original quote as agreed to, but he said that the new price is the new minimum, non-negotiable.  Of course I reluctantly agreed and repeated my request for a detailed list of all inspections undertaken and notes on their findings, and was assured that I would receive the details.  

When I arrived, they accepted the car and gave me blank smile.  I then had to ask about the loaner car and one was rustled up, a 2021 MY with almost 80k miles.  The rough ride, indirect airflow and tight rear seat confirmed for my family that we had made the right choice with the S.

My MS was due back to me in 24 hours but the following morning it was pushed back by another day and the price was increased again by over $600 to allow for three hours of additional diagnostic time.  I of course asked why, and was told that thermal controller (THC) errors and Active Aero codes had to be investigated and cleared.  I reminded them that the drive unit and coolant heater had just been replaced, so the coolant air purge procedure would probably have to be repeated which is a 15 minute process, so have they done that yet?  The response was that this is why they need three more hours of diagnostic time, non negotiable and there would be another 24 hour delay, though they may not need the full three hours….

Finally on Friday, I was messaged that the inspection has been completed, the car has passed, and I can pick it up and return my loaner through the app, with no need to speak with my service advisor. I immediately checked the car’s charging logs and it showed not a single supercharging session. Indeed, it did not show that the car had even been plugged in at all since I delivered it, with SOC below 40%.  I requested proof that the car is successfully supercharging and wrote I would be there within a couple of hours to pick it up.  

When I arrived, there had been no response and the car was still not plugged in.  I proceeded to connect it to the service supercharger and sat there waiting to get up to 80% SOC.  None of the staff passing by acknowledged my presence, even though I was connected to a unit that was labeled “not for public use”.  After I had been charging for about 30 minutes at low kW due to the cold soaked pack, I was finally messaged “ I can confirm your car is connected to the supercharger and is now is at 74%”.   🤯

By that time, I had already confirmed that the car’s Free Supercharging was restored and paid the final $1646 bill, so I abandoned the loaner car that I had generously charged up to 80% and got out of dodge without exchanging any words (per Tesla’s automated request).

Though $1646 was less than the maximum amount approved and I got my SC01 back, it certainly did not feel like a bargain. I got no details on what they actually did, did not feel like a paying customer and I received a car back that was as dirty inside and out as when I dropped it off. 

Never did I think when buying a Tesla that I would yearn for a traditional dealership service experience with staff eager to please and upsell and provide a ‘complimentary’ wash and vacuum!

I also did not receive the requested quote for repair of two nonfunctional door handles, but was relieved that the car wasn’t red-tagged for such an obvious safety hazard!

Peace Out,

-Jay

[Sophia G20]

Amazing read: you got me grateful for the service with smiles and jokes. Basically humans. They must treat them like robots :( 

Yours,

Sophia G20 Grzeskowiak-Amezquita

Sent from Proton Mail for iOS.

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[Tim Economu]

Thanks for the update and interesting story. Shame on Tesla for how unclear that whole process is. Good-on-ya for doing the work.

After hearing all this, I'm super glad I've got my 2021 MY which has been practically flawless for 6 years and ready to do another 4500 mile road trip. I've driven those older MS's and I like a sportier, smaller ride. Actually the Roadster is still my favorite model.

t

[Mikel Fink]

Hello Jay,

Thank you for taking the time to share your service experience at Tesla in Fife. 

Do you have experience at any other Tesla Service Centers?

All the best,

Mike

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[SevaS...@hpev.com]

Hello Jay, Mikel & all,

Jay - Thanks very much Jay for taking the time to type up such a detailed account of your experience! I'm relieved to hear you seem to have managed to keep your FUSC (Free unlimited supercharging - SC01) on your salvage Model S! Big Congrats as I've been hearing recently that they've been taking it away but getting this information first-hand from you is a small glimmer of hope for others who may try the same thing!

1. VERIFY CHAdeMO: Have you once again tried CHAdeMO charging your Model S with the adapter, just to make sure that's also functional again? In my experience I've sometimes had not everything working correctly when Tesla Service returned my car but they can usually fast-track you back in if there were any snafu's shortly after service. Your car is probably too old for the CCS upgrade but if it had the CHAdeMO update before and used to function with the CHAdeMO adapter then verify that it does again and make them restore that if it doesn't.
   

2. SCREEN-CAPTURE PROOF: I would highly recommend you screenshot your phone in the app where it shows FUSC listed under your car's details! Also, login to your Tesla account on a PC and screenshot it there and/or print off the page showing you have FUSC! This way it is your account with that specific VIN and that date and you will have proof that it was working and that could help you win a legal battle should they ever try and remove it again! (Maybe even go the extra step of looking at the code where it shows SC01 and print or screenshot that while your on the page!)
   

3. VERIFY @ V3 or V4 SUPERCHARGER: I would also go to a normal Supercharge Site (a different one from the Fife SC) and ideally choose the newest V4 station you can find) I think the South Hill Mall Superchargers are V4 (Version 4) and are probably your closest ones! Go verify it functions there and take a photo of your car's MCU screen where it shows $0.00 fee for the supercharging at that location! Again, for more proof that it supercharges freely on even the latest hardware! (in my personal experience with one of my own older wrecked SC01 Teslas, I have had one not charge on newer superchargers yet still be able to charge at some of the older locations!) Take photos so it is time and date stamped.

4. VERIFY PEAK CHARGING SPEED @ LOW SOC%:  This is not likely something Tesla would change but it would still be worth checking and documenting... after making sure it charges at a non-service center Supercharger, then deliberately drive it to a very, very low SOC (in my recent roadtrip experience the lower the better like well under 10% SOC) in order to see what the peak supercharging speed is. Be sure to pre-condition the pack so it's warm enough and to look right away after plugging it in. In my recent experience for a 2013 and a 2015 85D model S (with ~150k miles), peak speeds near empty have briefly hit 122 to 127kW MAX but it falls sharply after that. This test is not so much to complain to Tesla about, or try and change but more for your own edification -- Phil Sadow told me the peak charge rate is mainly dictated by the Tesla BMS itself and what it's seeing with the cells. So that's why it's unlikely to be able to be changed but while your screen capturing other data on the same date, its good to know these things too for trip planning and keeping track of your battery's performance over time (assuming you plan to keep it long).
   

I'm glad to hear they even gave you a loaner vehicle I've had some service centers tell me they don't do it for out-of-warranty customers so that was nice!

>>Jay Said: "I then had to ask about the loaner car and one was rustled up, a 2021 MY with almost 80k miles. The rough ride, indirect airflow and tight rear seat confirmed for my family that we had made the right choice with the S."  

Well, IMHO, time will tell if your Model S was the right choice... they certainly are big inside and in my opinion the S is still the best looking Tesla, but I would never recommend an early Model S to anybody who isn't prepared to either do a lot of their own work or pay for lots of repairs!

Whether it's a "good deal" or not will depend upon how much it costs and how much you're actually able to drive and enjoy it... I hope it gives you many trouble free miles but I figure the ONLY reason to have an old Model S is if you can make enough use of the FUSC that the money you save there offsets the money you will spend on maintenance. Your own early Model S cars will be a good case study so keep the stories comin' ! :)

EARLY MODEL S BATTERY CARE IN THE DAMP PNW WEATHER!

I would also STRONGLY encourage you to consider garaging your early Model S or at a minimum keeping it under cover during winter. You haven't even had your battery fail yet but it will be the most expensive single piece if it goes. The pack isn't terribly hard to drop and there are things you can inspect and clean and seal (like near the fuse and the umbrella valves etc.) You might also choose to pack dessicant into the pack if you ever do open one. Our moist air seems to accelerate the BMS circuit board and other battery pack corrosion issues.

Local guy Brian K. (who spoke at a SEVA meeting last year) has created a really great website for early Model S/X owners where he shares and links to lots of important battery pack info. I recommend anyone with an early S or X read through his website here:

https://www.evinventions.com/

TESLA SERVICE...

Both my friend Ron, myself and my father's experiences with local Tesla Service centers recently has been very disappointing. My dad was #900 something on the waiting list before the Model S came out so he got one of the earliest 2012 Tesla Model S cars in Washington State --So, I have seen over the years how the service has gone downhill. In his own words, "Tesla service has gone from being the best service I ever had at a mechanic to probably the worst." I remember when they used to vacuum the car for you and even vacuum in a cool Tesla Logo pattern and I also remember them giving my dad and myself many free parts and "goodwill" service options and they sometimes fixed things on his old S that weren't even on the repair order.

Then as Tesla grew and created more models and sold more and more vehicles and as the early cars got older and needed more work the service got way worse. Today the wait times are sometimes many weeks and I have also had very poor service when it is done.

Jay it was interesting to hear about your price quote increasing as that has happened a bunch recently for my dad. Also its really interesting what they said about AI handling the pricing but that makes sense relating to a recent experience with my dad's 2015 S where it was cheaper to have a Tesla Mobile Ranger drive over 60 miles roundtrip and replace a part in my dad's driveway than it was to simply buy the part over the counter?! When I pointed out how illogical it was and asked why, the service dept said "The computer just figures out the pricing now."

LOCAL TESLA SERVICE CENTERS EXPERIENCE

Mikel -- Regarding your question about local Tesla service centers. I have experience with Fife, Seattle, Lynnwood, Bellevue and the old Renton one over the years. I have had mixed experiences with each but overall the experience has gone downhill in the last few years. FWIW, it often does seem to depend upon the specific employees you talk to at some of them and I have also had to escalate things to managers on more than one occasion. None stands out as being clearly better than others but I will say in general if you need a quick question answered over the phone, Bellevue is usually the only one where I can ever reach a real human on the phone or get a call back. Sometimes I'll call Bellevue Service just to get info on what other local service center has a part in stock since the other ones don't answer the phone. Also, I have had an associate at Seattle SODO specifically tell me that they don't really sell parts direct to the customer! Renton used to the be the best for getting parts since they had a dedicated parts counter but I don't know what will happen now that they are moving locations down the street?

As for recent service work, I suppose if i had to choose I'd also say I've had the best experience at Bellevue recently. 

What about others on the SEVA list? Care to share any advice on good or bad Tesla Service Center experiences in the greater PNW?

Cheers,

Stephen Johnsen

President, SEVA

Seattle Electric Vehicle Association

EDUCATE :: DEMONSTRATE :: ADVOCATE

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[Mark Yormark]

Jay,

I wonder how the Tesla technicians were instructed on how to behave with a customer such as yourself with your legitimate claim of reinstating  your Free SuperCharging?

My brief experience with Tesla Service is they must tell their technicians what they can say.  In my case I have Full Self Driving where Summons is one of the features that is offered through the Tesla App.  Summons never worked with my car, so I had them check to see if my hardware, HW4, was working.  Tesla stated that I had no hardware problem through their over the air diagnosis.  Tesla service then stated it was because of  connectivity issues with my phone.  I went to several areas where my phone had all the bars of connectivity available.  Through numerous text messages with Tesla Service I explained  that also.  Bottomline, I spent way too much time trying to make Summons work, while Tesla Service was giving me "lip service" when they knew in the beginning that Summons did not work.

Mark Yormark

 

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[Jay Donnaway]

Stephen, thanks for your detailed reply to my lengthy post!   

Supercharging with my rEVived SCO1/FUSC (free supercharging for life) 2013 Model S is working well, with V4 Superchargers happy to serve up a free charge!  I haven't logged a session from below 10% SOC with a warm battery yet, but it's establishing an interesting Rule of Thumb in that the rate starts strong but declines to 46 kW at 46% SOC and then holds at about 1 kW per % SOC remaining, such that it was down to 31 kW by 70% SOC and approaching 20 kW at 80%.  

My battery is not original, and I'm itching to do a side-by-side comparison with Matcha, my paid SC 2013 with a 90 kWh pack.  Drive them both below 10% at the same temperature, and then connect to two SC that have no other cars attached at the same time and have a race to the top.

Mark, I just wonder whether the Tesla service advisors are as highly scripted as it seemed or are just ordered to not say anything that would oblige the company, therefore they simply say nothing....

I didn't make it to the Green River open house yesterday, did anyone else here?

See EVeryone next Tuesday!