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Unrepairable black boxes? This isn't really true of Tesla. Sure, it would be nice if they could make service manuals and service parts more freely available, b

Unrepairable black boxes? This isn't really true of Tesla. Sure, it would be nice if they could make service manuals and service parts more freely available, but the same could be said of all car manufacturers. There are guys on YouTube who have re-built entire Teslas from near-scratch using salvaged parts from multiple vehicles. Guys with no formal training and no previous experience with EVs. Tesla does not do anything to make their cars hard to repair.

userbinator 9y ago
Tesla does not do anything to make their cars hard to repair. I'm not in the EV or Tesla communities, but I remember reading something about "activation" being required?
- Reason077 9y ago
  You're probably thinking of activating for supercharger access. Tesla may not let vehicles connect to their superchargers if they've been reported as written off. It also won't be able to connect to Tesla's servers for OTA software updates, etc. If you can prove that the vehicle has been appropriately repaired (by a qualified body shop, since it's a safety issue in the case of structural damage), it can be re-activated. But Tesla does not remotely disable vehicles or anything like that. Even if it's been written off, theres nothing to prevent it being driven just like any normal car once repaired.
- foota 9y ago
  This could be because of the packaged services that come with the Tesla?
fragmede 9y ago
Going the salvage titled Model S route is, from the accounts I've seen (likely featuring the same videos from YouTube), is thoroughly unsupported by Tesla, to the point that Tesla will refuse to sell parts to people if Tesla knows they are trying to rebuild vehicles that have a salvage title. There's making parts "more freely available" and then there's "you can't have this from us, for any price". Fortunately the ludicrous amount of power in the Model S and people's inability to control the car (or themselves) means there's a good sized underground market of salvaged Model S' bodies and parts, even if there's no office service manual available to amateurs. Meanwhile, Chevrolet will just sell you the engine from a corvette in a crate. (Okay, it's ~$12k, but they're willing to do it.) I say this as someone with a Model 3 reservation, mind you. Tesla wants to build the iPhones of the electric car industry - no user-serviceable components inside, and the battery isn't removable by us mere mortals who don't work at Tesla. (Abandoned battery replacement tech demos from a few years ago aside.)
- Reason077 9y ago
  From what I've heard the Model 3 will be a bit different. But certainly on the Model S, the battery is not that difficult to remove/replace - again, there's plenty of YouTubers who have done this. You can even, in many cases, swap a higher capacity pack into older/lower-spec models if you're so inclined. There is no DRM or software checks that prevent this from working!
- Reason077 9y ago
  "even if there's no office service manual available to amateurs." They do actually make the manuals available to anyone, just for a hefty fee if you're not Tesla-certified: https://service.teslamotors.com https://service.teslamotors.com

userbinator 9y ago

Tesla does not do anything to make their cars hard to repair. I'm not in the EV or Tesla communities, but I remember reading something about "activation" being required?

Reason077 9y ago
You're probably thinking of activating for supercharger access. Tesla may not let vehicles connect to their superchargers if they've been reported as written off. It also won't be able to connect to Tesla's servers for OTA software updates, etc. If you can prove that the vehicle has been appropriately repaired (by a qualified body shop, since it's a safety issue in the case of structural damage), it can be re-activated. But Tesla does not remotely disable vehicles or anything like that. Even if it's been written off, theres nothing to prevent it being driven just like any normal car once repaired.
foota 9y ago
This could be because of the packaged services that come with the Tesla?

fragmede 9y ago

Going the salvage titled Model S route is, from the accounts I've seen (likely featuring the same videos from YouTube), is thoroughly unsupported by Tesla, to the point that Tesla will refuse to sell parts to people if Tesla knows they are trying to rebuild vehicles that have a salvage title. There's making parts "more freely available" and then there's "you can't have this from us, for any price". Fortunately the ludicrous amount of power in the Model S and people's inability to control the car (or themselves) means there's a good sized underground market of salvaged Model S' bodies and parts, even if there's no office service manual available to amateurs. Meanwhile, Chevrolet will just sell you the engine from a corvette in a crate. (Okay, it's ~$12k, but they're willing to do it.) I say this as someone with a Model 3 reservation, mind you. Tesla wants to build the iPhones of the electric car industry - no user-serviceable components inside, and the battery isn't removable by us mere mortals who don't work at Tesla. (Abandoned battery replacement tech demos from a few years ago aside.)

Reason077 9y ago
From what I've heard the Model 3 will be a bit different. But certainly on the Model S, the battery is not that difficult to remove/replace - again, there's plenty of YouTubers who have done this. You can even, in many cases, swap a higher capacity pack into older/lower-spec models if you're so inclined. There is no DRM or software checks that prevent this from working!
Reason077 9y ago
"even if there's no office service manual available to amateurs." They do actually make the manuals available to anyone, just for a hefty fee if you're not Tesla-certified: https://service.teslamotors.com https://service.teslamotors.com