Don't Buy An Out-Of-Warranty Tesla With This $2,000 PCS Problem

[Domenick]

I bought my Tesla Model 3 from a dealership very far from my house and didn't notice it had a Power Conversion System (PCS) issue with it until I got it home.

This video will show you what happened to me and how you can tell if a Tesla has this issue.

 

[aamyotte]

Hello Dom. That must be really frustrating having stretched your budget to be able to buy the car and then having an issue right away. Even though the dealer is not a Tesla 'dealer' you would think they wouldn't sell a vehicle with a warning on it.

 

[electriceddy]

Such a small warning indication would be easy to miss.
The information you provided to enter "service mode" will surely be a benefit to others especially as more used Tesla's enter the market.
Most wouldn't have any clue how to check for this and it is fortunate you had someone with experience to show you how.
You are probably right in having Tesla repair this given the price difference for installing a used one is minimal, at the same time they could check that other issue of low coolant level, hopefully that is what it is and not a pump or similar.
Hope all works out for you and that is the end of any problems going forward.

 

[Domenick]

Hello Dom. That must be really frustrating having stretched your budget to be able to buy the car and then having an issue right away. Even though the dealer is not a Tesla 'dealer' you would think they wouldn't sell a vehicle with a warning on it.

I have a feeling the dealer didn't really understand anything about the car (which is why I got a decent price for a vehicle with FSD Beta).

 

[Domenick]

Such a small warning indication would be easy to miss.
The information you provided to enter "service mode" will surely be a benefit to others especially as more used Tesla's enter the market.
Most wouldn't have any clue how to check for this and it is fortunate you had someone with experience to show you how.
You are probably right in having Tesla repair this given the price difference for installing a used one is minimal, at the same time they could check that other issue of low coolant level, hopefully that is what it is and not a pump or similar.
Hope all works out for you and that is the end of any problems going forward.

Yeah, I should probably do a whole video about service mode at some point. I need to do some more research first, though, because I don't want to be responsible for people messing up their cars.
Hopefully the other warning stays dormant for a while. I'm a little worried it's indicative of a leak in my air conditioning somewhere which is probably not cheap to fix.

 

[bwilson4web]

I have a feeling the dealer didn't really understand anything about the car (which is why I got a decent price for a vehicle with FSD Beta).

That was true for the Toyota dealer who sold me the 2017 BMW i3-REx and most of their other potential customers. In their ignorance, the battery had discharged to a very low state of charge and did an initial test drive on just the range extender engine-generator.

Although they had an L2 EVSE in their shop, it wasn't used until I insisted that they put a two-hour charge on the car to test the charging circuit. I then used that data to calculate the battery capacity which came in ~27 kWh versus new 28 kWh. But when I got home, I also learned there are two subtle trims, I01 and I02.

The I02 has dynamic cruise control versus static cruise control of the I01. A nice to have, I prefer having the 106 mi EV range versus my previous 2014 BMW with 72 mi EV range.

If your Tesla charger initially had a higher than 16 A charge rate, it might be a bubble in the coolant loop. My understanding is the Tesla coolant loop needs a vacuum pump to purge any bubbles. A coolant bubble could lead to local heating.

I once had a Prius Prime with a similar charging current limit ... by Toyota design. But the 8 kWh battery, it didn't matter. Your battery is an order of magnitude larger so I appreciate the problem.

Tesla does sell time limited, technical document access but the rates are steep. I used it when replacing the passenger side, wheel bearings. There is also a time limited diagnostic that runs on Google Chrome. Having a backup EV, I felt comfortable handling the repair. But if it is your only vehicle ... Tesla repair makes more sense.

I forgot to ask, do you have controller HW 3.0?

I'm a little worried it's indicative of a leak in my air conditioning somewhere which is probably not cheap to fix.

I had a similar concern during the recent heat wave but noticed the lethargic volume of air coming out. I had not changed the air filters in the 4+ years of ownership.

I'm in the process of replacing the air filters and suggest you wait a day or so. I have already come up with one change not previously mentioned:

Matching the thread of the original screw, I used JB Weld to put a wing nut on a hardware store, wood screw. This means no longer having to use the T20 while laying on your back reaching up about 4-6" into the dash.

I also have an approach that solves laying on your back to access the dash which I'll share this weekend.

Bob Wilson

 

[bwilson4web]

With the new Model 3 released, our older ones have just become out dated. Typically replacement parts are retained for 10 years but the clock is ticking.

Bob Wilson

 

[electriceddy]

If your Tesla charger initially had a higher than 16 A charge rate, it might be a bubble in the coolant loop. My understanding is the Tesla coolant loop needs a vacuum pump to purge any bubbles. A coolant bubble could lead to local heating.

That was my initial thoughts as well ,I guess taking it in and having it tested is the only way to find out.
Sometimes if there is a hose close to the pump, one can pinch with fingers and "feel" if flow is operational. This won't tell you the actual RPM which may increase if air in the system, but it will let you know the pump works.