I hope you will be able to offer this service upgrade in the future. I suspect most folks (like me) did not know this would even be necessary. I have two, 2015 P85 Ds (his and hers) both with free unlimited. But at our age we suspect we are just going to keep our S Cars and just fix them when they need it and not upgrade to a newer Tesla even though Tesla has offered we could switch our life time free unlimited to new Teslas. We both really love our cars. I suspect this upgrade is in our future. Thanks!
This is a very interesting explanation of the challenges that are affecting the value of used EV's and this frequent compatabily issues and upgrades are one of the primary reasons as to why I'm staying with ICE.
Making a video about your high mileage Model S service history and your long-term cost of ownership would be a good idea. And also the battery health, future upgrades, etc.
I've got a couple videos about it on here, mostly from shortly after I bought it nearly 4 years ago. One of these days I should do an "ownership update".
@@AlexEVRepair I found your channel when researching buying used Model S. An 'ownership update' would be great, especially if you included some of the challenges you overcame as being an EV tech that others may not be able to accomplish themselves.
Another great video. Was wondering if you could put something together on what to check for when buying a used Tesla. Is there a way to check the health of the battery and all the on board systems or would it be better to take the car into Tesla for a inspection? I am looking to buy a used a model S 2016 or newer but want to know the risks and whether it is a good idea. I'm not so worried about the mechanical end like control arms, etc but the motor and battery are what concerns me the most. Also, I have heard that the battery should last an incredibly long time but the BMS is what typically fails, is this true? Would be great to see a video from someone like you about all things Tesla and a buyers check list. Wish you were in DFW......
That's a pretty good idea, I'll have to think about doing a video about that. There are a couple common things you can check for when it comes to the "major" components. Firstly, if the car is equipped with a Large Drive Unit in the rear, the rotor encoder sensor (aka "speed sensor") should be removed and visually inspected for any signs of coolant or corrosion. The number one killer of these drive units is a failing rotor coolant seal, which leaks coolant into the motor, which will eventually cause major internal damage if left unchecked. These LDUs were used on basically all RWD and/or Performance Model S/X from 2012-2021 (regular dual motor models are unaffected by this issue as they use Small Drive Units both front and rear). The best prevention for this failure is to perform a rotor coolant delete modification. Obviously, if you test drive one and it makes a "milling noise" while in motion, that's a sign of bearing wear, which can be caused by a few different things (including coolant intrusion). Bearing wear is most common on the LDU, but can happen on SDUs as well. Secondly, if you want to check overall battery health, the best tool to use is an app called ScanMyTesla, in conjunction with a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner and an adapter cable. It's a bit technical, but it allows you to see all sorts of parameters and metrics from the car, including some pretty useful battery health metrics. The two important battery health metrics are the mV imbalance, and CAC differential. Generally speaking, you want to be under 15mV imbalance when the vehicle is idle, though this number can vary depending on the state of charge when you take the measurement (low SoC is more likely the have a higher imbalance). CAC is the calculated average capacity for the bricks, so the bigger the differential, the larger the difference in capacity there is. Generally anything under 5Ah is considered good, 6-7Ah is acceptable, and anything more than that may be cause for concern, and could be indicative of a "downward slide" of one or more bricks. These imbalances can be caused by cell level issues within the modules/bricks, or by electronics failures with the BMS system. Worth noting, this app works best on Model S/X, but is not super accurate yet for Model 3/Y when it comes to some of the metrics. As far as other battery issues, the other common problem on these packs is moisture intrusion, though on newer packs (2016+), it's a lot less common due to improvements in the design. That said, they can still have failed umbrella valves, which could let in moisture and cause problems. Probably not a terrible idea to have this checked at some point, but that does require removing the battery and performing a pressure test to find any potential leaks. Usually failures of the electronics are caused by excess moisture in the pack, which can condensate, and often takes out balancing capacitors on the BMB boards, and can also cause ultrasonically welded connections to come apart. In a worst case scenario, moisture can cause catastrophic corrosion issues inside the pack that could deem it "unrepairable".
Thank you. Everything is so clear and easy to do... But on my Tesla 90D (2016), there is no similar service menu like yours. I can't see the high voltage manu. Couldn't find anything like this 😢
You can still do the retrofit, but you would need to use Toolbox 3 (Tesla's diagnostic program) to do the configuration change. Tesla makes the subscriptions available on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. The only reason to really do this upgrade is if you have CCS chargers in your area (or in places that you travel to) that you'd like to use if there aren't superchargers available. Otherwise, sticking to the Supercharger network is generally ideal (especially if your car has free supercharging). As an example, a customer that I did a CCS upgrade on frequently travels to a town where there aren't any superchargers nearby (closest one is ~50mi away), but there is a CCS charger that he can use. If you have a CHAdeMO adapter, that works too, but won't charge as quickly, and there also aren't as many of those chargers out there to use. If you don't already have a CHAdeMO adapter, they are also quite hard to find since they aren't made anymore...
@AlexEVRepair Thank you for your attention. Your answers are so helpful to me. You can't imagine this. Because charging tesla in my country is so difficult , i thought to sell my Tesla. ( but this car was my dream from 2013 😀)
Unfortunately implementing all of the required Autopilot wiring and other hardware on a pre-AP Model S isn't really something that makes economic sense... There's been a few people that have done it, but it's a ton of work, and requires a lot of parts to be retrofitted. You'd likely be better off to either sell it and get a newer one that has AP, or use an aftermarket system like Openpilot. Tinlka sells a lot of the hardware you would need to do that: tinkla.us/t/preApModelS
I have a high mileage 2015 90D S with free supercharging, just got it. I am considering MCU2 from Tesla simply to get more service mode options. Can you do a video showing every page and option inside service mode with AP1 but MCU2? It's $2000 CAD for the update and I'm not sure on the health of my big battery. 421000 km on the car. Thanks.
Service mode unfortunately won't really give you any "useful" data regarding the health of your battery (regardless of MCU type). The best thing to get for monitoring health stats is an app called ScanMyTesla, which you can use in conjunction with an adapter harness and a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter to get lots of data.
I have a 2015 Model S 85D and I was thinking of upgrading to CCS, how is the charging speed compared to the Tesla Supercharger? I have the Chademo adapter and it can't go above 50kwh, would love to get faster than that from the CCS.
The CHAdeMO adapter is limited to 50kW, but the CCS adapter can deliver over 250kW (which is obviously more power than your 85D can accept). Charging speed should be similar to what you get when Supercharging, assuming of course you can get the battery properly preconditioned, which can't be done "manually" on Teslas, so you kinda have to get a bit creative, particularly if the battery is cold.
@@AlexEVRepair Supercharging rarely gets me more than 50kW either. I don't want to upgrade to CCS if it won't get me more than that, so I guess it's not worth the upgrade. Thanks for the response!
Pretty much the same for me (and most other Model S on the 70/85kWh architecture packs). My car might spike up to 100kW for a few seconds if I plug in at ~10% SoC and temps are warm outside, but very quickly drops to ~70kW, then tapers from there. Usually by the time I hit 50% SoC, it's down to ~50kW or less. In colder temps, the charging is even slower.
Right, that's sort of the point... This retrofit allows the car to charge via CCS at non-Tesla DC fast chargers. It can still of course charge at the Superchargers (for free in the case of this car), but now all other stations are also available to charge, including in places where there might not be any Superchargers around, but where other charging exists.
It certainly wasn't available in the EU from "day one". While Model 3 did come with CCS capability in the EU from it's first deliveries (which started in Feb 2019), all Model S/X delivered in the EU prior to May 2019 did not have CCS capability, and require a retrofit/adapter (which is also why I was able to source these retrofit parts from the EU).
@@AlexEVRepair Also, frustratingly, Tesla has been off and on about offering this retrofit for free as a TSB or wanting nearly $500.00, now $330.00. Please let me know if you find a lead on the module and is it possible to align it to work on a MCU 1 car without Toolbox? I may have a Toolbox connection to share also if it's handy as well as an official Tesla remote battery scan via VIN/email.
Yes, it will charge at the same rates as you would charge at on a Supercharger (assuming of course the charger you plug into is capable of those speeds, and that the battery is pre-conditioned).
thanks for your fast response❤️I am in eastern europe currently and there is only few chademo charging stations , so I am thinking to move on ccs, but my 2015 model S has mcu1 and as I know there is a difference in retrofit module beetween mcu1 and mcu2, I am still dont know which module should i buy ( i mean part numbers)
The module is not different, but with MCU 1 you need to use a Toolbox 3 subscription to change the configuration, as it doesn't have the menu option in service mode.
I'm not sure off the top of my head if MCU1 has the menu option in service mode or not. It might require a Toolbox subscription (which you can get from Tesla, $165 for 24hr access).
Alex, the camera, lighting, and sound are outstanding!
Always interesting and educational flicks from you,, 👍🌟👍
Cheers and thanks from Sweden,, 💖🙏💖
Thanks so much
World Peace
Greetings from Turkey, really very educational videos. Thank you.
Yes very interesting and informational. Thanks!
So cool to see how this is done. MCU2 service menu is so advanced compared to MCU1. Thanks Alex!
Can be done DIY but you have to upgrade both to MCU 2.
Tesla actually got fined for tossing MCU 1 ewaste into the dumpsters at service centers lol.
I hope you will be able to offer this service upgrade in the future. I suspect most folks (like me) did not know this would even be necessary. I have two, 2015 P85 Ds (his and hers) both with free unlimited. But at our age we suspect we are just going to keep our S Cars and just fix them when they need it and not upgrade to a newer Tesla even though Tesla has offered we could switch our life time free unlimited to new Teslas. We both really love our cars. I suspect this upgrade is in our future. Thanks!
Glad someone made a video on this!
This is a very interesting explanation of the challenges that are affecting the value of used EV's and this frequent compatabily issues and upgrades are one of the primary reasons as to why I'm staying with ICE.
Very interesting
Making a video about your high mileage Model S service history and your long-term cost of ownership would be a good idea. And also the battery health, future upgrades, etc.
I've got a couple videos about it on here, mostly from shortly after I bought it nearly 4 years ago. One of these days I should do an "ownership update".
@@AlexEVRepair I found your channel when researching buying used Model S. An 'ownership update' would be great, especially if you included some of the challenges you overcame as being an EV tech that others may not be able to accomplish themselves.
@@AlexEVRepairthat update would be GREATLY appreciated. Not enough recent videos on this 2015 model s out there on UA-cam. Especially Tesla longevity.
This was awesome Alex, thanks for sharing.
Another great video. Was wondering if you could put something together on what to check for when buying a used Tesla. Is there a way to check the health of the battery and all the on board systems or would it be better to take the car into Tesla for a inspection? I am looking to buy a used a model S 2016 or newer but want to know the risks and whether it is a good idea. I'm not so worried about the mechanical end like control arms, etc but the motor and battery are what concerns me the most. Also, I have heard that the battery should last an incredibly long time but the BMS is what typically fails, is this true? Would be great to see a video from someone like you about all things Tesla and a buyers check list. Wish you were in DFW......
That's a pretty good idea, I'll have to think about doing a video about that. There are a couple common things you can check for when it comes to the "major" components.
Firstly, if the car is equipped with a Large Drive Unit in the rear, the rotor encoder sensor (aka "speed sensor") should be removed and visually inspected for any signs of coolant or corrosion. The number one killer of these drive units is a failing rotor coolant seal, which leaks coolant into the motor, which will eventually cause major internal damage if left unchecked. These LDUs were used on basically all RWD and/or Performance Model S/X from 2012-2021 (regular dual motor models are unaffected by this issue as they use Small Drive Units both front and rear). The best prevention for this failure is to perform a rotor coolant delete modification. Obviously, if you test drive one and it makes a "milling noise" while in motion, that's a sign of bearing wear, which can be caused by a few different things (including coolant intrusion). Bearing wear is most common on the LDU, but can happen on SDUs as well.
Secondly, if you want to check overall battery health, the best tool to use is an app called ScanMyTesla, in conjunction with a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner and an adapter cable. It's a bit technical, but it allows you to see all sorts of parameters and metrics from the car, including some pretty useful battery health metrics. The two important battery health metrics are the mV imbalance, and CAC differential. Generally speaking, you want to be under 15mV imbalance when the vehicle is idle, though this number can vary depending on the state of charge when you take the measurement (low SoC is more likely the have a higher imbalance). CAC is the calculated average capacity for the bricks, so the bigger the differential, the larger the difference in capacity there is. Generally anything under 5Ah is considered good, 6-7Ah is acceptable, and anything more than that may be cause for concern, and could be indicative of a "downward slide" of one or more bricks. These imbalances can be caused by cell level issues within the modules/bricks, or by electronics failures with the BMS system. Worth noting, this app works best on Model S/X, but is not super accurate yet for Model 3/Y when it comes to some of the metrics.
As far as other battery issues, the other common problem on these packs is moisture intrusion, though on newer packs (2016+), it's a lot less common due to improvements in the design. That said, they can still have failed umbrella valves, which could let in moisture and cause problems. Probably not a terrible idea to have this checked at some point, but that does require removing the battery and performing a pressure test to find any potential leaks. Usually failures of the electronics are caused by excess moisture in the pack, which can condensate, and often takes out balancing capacitors on the BMB boards, and can also cause ultrasonically welded connections to come apart. In a worst case scenario, moisture can cause catastrophic corrosion issues inside the pack that could deem it "unrepairable".
@@AlexEVRepairThank you for this! Could we add the rerouting of the AC hose as well so it doesn't drop water on top of the pack?
Thank you. Everything is so clear and easy to do... But on my Tesla 90D (2016), there is no similar service menu like yours. I can't see the high voltage manu. Couldn't find anything like this 😢
Probably because you have MCU1... On those, the configuration change needs to be done with Toolbox 3.
@AlexEVRepair and? What can I do? 🫣 maybe CHadeMO is a better way to charge my Tesla 🤔
You can still do the retrofit, but you would need to use Toolbox 3 (Tesla's diagnostic program) to do the configuration change. Tesla makes the subscriptions available on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. The only reason to really do this upgrade is if you have CCS chargers in your area (or in places that you travel to) that you'd like to use if there aren't superchargers available. Otherwise, sticking to the Supercharger network is generally ideal (especially if your car has free supercharging).
As an example, a customer that I did a CCS upgrade on frequently travels to a town where there aren't any superchargers nearby (closest one is ~50mi away), but there is a CCS charger that he can use. If you have a CHAdeMO adapter, that works too, but won't charge as quickly, and there also aren't as many of those chargers out there to use. If you don't already have a CHAdeMO adapter, they are also quite hard to find since they aren't made anymore...
@AlexEVRepair Thank you for your attention. Your answers are so helpful to me. You can't imagine this. Because charging tesla in my country is so difficult , i thought to sell my Tesla. ( but this car was my dream from 2013 😀)
@@bekabartamailrugeocan do a DIY MCU upgrade, just need both screens at once BTW.
Please create wiring for Autopilot for 2012 tesla model s
Unfortunately implementing all of the required Autopilot wiring and other hardware on a pre-AP Model S isn't really something that makes economic sense... There's been a few people that have done it, but it's a ton of work, and requires a lot of parts to be retrofitted. You'd likely be better off to either sell it and get a newer one that has AP, or use an aftermarket system like Openpilot. Tinlka sells a lot of the hardware you would need to do that: tinkla.us/t/preApModelS
I have a high mileage 2015 90D S with free supercharging, just got it. I am considering MCU2 from Tesla simply to get more service mode options. Can you do a video showing every page and option inside service mode with AP1 but MCU2? It's $2000 CAD for the update and I'm not sure on the health of my big battery. 421000 km on the car. Thanks.
Service mode unfortunately won't really give you any "useful" data regarding the health of your battery (regardless of MCU type). The best thing to get for monitoring health stats is an app called ScanMyTesla, which you can use in conjunction with an adapter harness and a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter to get lots of data.
Perfect time to add chademo to a AC only EV and try chademo to CCS1 adapter.
CCS is DC direct to battery though.
Covering adding a dual/slave AC charger would be a fun video.
I have a 2015 Model S 85D and I was thinking of upgrading to CCS, how is the charging speed compared to the Tesla Supercharger? I have the Chademo adapter and it can't go above 50kwh, would love to get faster than that from the CCS.
The CHAdeMO adapter is limited to 50kW, but the CCS adapter can deliver over 250kW (which is obviously more power than your 85D can accept). Charging speed should be similar to what you get when Supercharging, assuming of course you can get the battery properly preconditioned, which can't be done "manually" on Teslas, so you kinda have to get a bit creative, particularly if the battery is cold.
@@AlexEVRepair Supercharging rarely gets me more than 50kW either. I don't want to upgrade to CCS if it won't get me more than that, so I guess it's not worth the upgrade.
Thanks for the response!
Pretty much the same for me (and most other Model S on the 70/85kWh architecture packs). My car might spike up to 100kW for a few seconds if I plug in at ~10% SoC and temps are warm outside, but very quickly drops to ~70kW, then tapers from there. Usually by the time I hit 50% SoC, it's down to ~50kW or less. In colder temps, the charging is even slower.
@@AlexEVRepair sounds the same as much charging curve as well
Where to I buy it, I can install that easy
I'm looking for the module if you come across one, we took SC01 off mine for a new Plaid 🙏
21:00 wait but this isn't free supercharging tho. that's not a tesla stall
Right, that's sort of the point... This retrofit allows the car to charge via CCS at non-Tesla DC fast chargers. It can still of course charge at the Superchargers (for free in the case of this car), but now all other stations are also available to charge, including in places where there might not be any Superchargers around, but where other charging exists.
@@AlexEVRepair yeah noticed that after watching more. my bad hahah.
kinda funny how it took so long for them to include this in teslas in the US when they had it in the EU day one.
It certainly wasn't available in the EU from "day one". While Model 3 did come with CCS capability in the EU from it's first deliveries (which started in Feb 2019), all Model S/X delivered in the EU prior to May 2019 did not have CCS capability, and require a retrofit/adapter (which is also why I was able to source these retrofit parts from the EU).
@@AlexEVRepair Also, frustratingly, Tesla has been off and on about offering this retrofit for free as a TSB or wanting nearly $500.00, now $330.00.
Please let me know if you find a lead on the module and is it possible to align it to work on a MCU 1 car without Toolbox?
I may have a Toolbox connection to share also if it's handy as well as an official Tesla remote battery scan via VIN/email.
If you get this upgrade will you get faster charging speeds than the 50kw you get with the Chademo to type 2 adapter in the older Model S & X?
Yes, it will charge at the same rates as you would charge at on a Supercharger (assuming of course the charger you plug into is capable of those speeds, and that the battery is pre-conditioned).
could you please share the correct part number for the retrofit for ms 2015?
The part number for the ECU is 1495133-00-A, and the part number for the wiring harness is 1494366-00-A.
@@AlexEVRepair great thx
Hello, I am interested which model of MCU has your car? Is that Tegra Nvidea or Intel? Thank for advance
It's MCU2 (Intel).
thanks for your fast response❤️I am in eastern europe currently and there is only few chademo charging stations , so I am thinking to move on ccs, but my 2015 model S has mcu1 and as I know there is a difference in retrofit module beetween mcu1 and mcu2, I am still dont know which module should i buy ( i mean part numbers)
The module is not different, but with MCU 1 you need to use a Toolbox 3 subscription to change the configuration, as it doesn't have the menu option in service mode.
@@AlexEVRepairthank you ❤❤❤
Hi, how to get retrofit hardware?
I found this particular hardware on eBay, which came from somewhere in Europe.
Ebay link or part#?
The part number for the CCS controller itself is 1495133-00-A, and the part number for the wiring harness is 1494366-00-A
@@AlexEVRepair thanks, for mcu1 enabling diy option?
I'm not sure off the top of my head if MCU1 has the menu option in service mode or not. It might require a Toolbox subscription (which you can get from Tesla, $165 for 24hr access).
Checked service mode and didn't see anything related, but I'm still on v11, 2022.8.10.8
Subscribed, thanks again.
@@AlexEVRepairyou're right, MCU won't have it