Rich Benoit created the Rich Rebuilds YouTube channel and helped create the Electrified Garage, an independent repair shop network for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). His first videos were about a Mode S he repaired on his own and which we now know as Delores. It is only natural that people are now turning to him to ask for advice when their battery packs die and demand $15,000 to $25,000 to be replaced. Benoit has very useful advice to share in his latest video about these situations.
Most of them have been identified by the BMS_u029 and BMS_u18 error codes. The youtuber also mentions the water ingress issues experienced by the owners of early Model S units, caused by things such as water from the AC drain hose dripping over a metal fuse box cover. As Benoit demonstrates, owning or buying one of these early vehicles (from 2012 to 2016) is a risky business right now – particularly when the warranty is already over.
When these folks are warned that their battery packs have a defect and need to be replaced, their options are all terrible unless people are lucky enough to have problems with components that are not the battery pack. According to the youtuber, the Electrified Garage has managed to fix that just by repairing a board or the drive unit, which also has known defects. The coolant seal on the rotor frequently breaks, especially in remanufactured motors. Instead of using a seal with three lips, Tesla adopted one with a single lip.
When they break, coolants invade the motor and make it stop working. Hansjörg von Gemmingen had to replace the power unit in his Model S 11 or 12 times to reach more than one million miles with his BEV. Although these motors are not as expensive as the battery pack, one can also cost around $7,500. Depending on how much the used Tesla costs, replacing it is also not worth it from a financial point of view.
Photo: 057 Technology
Benoit's path to helping people decide what to do is pretty candid. The starting point is figuring out whether you have the money to repair the BEV or not. The Electrify Garage co-founder said that those with $15,000 to $25,000 to spare should consider going to a Tesla Service Center for help after thinking about two aspects of the decision as much as possible.
The first one is if it pays off to replace the battery pack. A used Model S will cost you around $20,000 – if prices have not dropped already. Some people having issues with their vehicles are selling them for around $8,500. Considering the battery pack costs, you could have at least $23,500, which may allow you to buy a newer used car. With the federal tax credit, some people may even use that money to make a down payment on a new BEV and finance the rest of the debt. Sticking with the used vehicle will always be an emotional decision – no calculation will back that up.
For those who decide to fix their BEVs, a Tesla Service Center is a better decision because you will have one close to you in most of the US. Independent repair shops will only help if they are close to you. If they aren't, the shipping costs may not be worth it. Benoit's candidness has two reasons: his personality and the fact that the Electrified Garage units must be dealing with more than they can chew. These shops are not struggling to find customers: they must have plenty of them, which allows the youtuber to tell people in other areas to find help closer to their homes without shooting himself in the foot.
Photo: via TMC
In the experience of the people who joined the BMS_u029 Facebook group, the only failsafe option currently available is new battery packs, which cost around $18,000. Service and taxes make that bill go to $21,000, if not more. Several people have had remanufactured packs – both from Tesla or independent shops – fail, which is no surprise. Tesla does not correct the six major failure causes in early battery packs when it recovers them, which is a true shame. Anyone willing to replace a battery pack with Tesla should only accept one made after 2016. You can learn that by checking the sticker on the battery pack.
For Benoit, the people who have already come to terms with the fact that they do not have the money to fix these BEVs or just that it is not worth it have two main options. The first one is to sell their cars as they are, for a lot less money than they could get if their vehicles were in good shape. Honestly, the current value for these earlier Tesla Model S units will drop a lot with the failure risk their battery packs present.
As I have already written, battery packs fail naturally for two main reasons: too much use or age. That's because they last for a certain number of cycles (full charges) and years. That is why some vehicles with only 40,000 to 50,000 miles are getting the BMS_u029 error codes. It has to do with the nature of current cells. If they were people, it would be like getting disappointed because someone laid their body aside at 100 years instead of 200. When more customers realize that, older BEVs out of warranty will be worth very little.
Photo: Joaquim Rodrigues
The second option for affected owners is to keep driving with reduced ranges. Although a Tesla will cut charging and range to preserve their battery packs, this may be a bad tip. The issues with these components may be severe enough to cause a thermal runaway event, meaning they could catch fire by working in these conditions. That's too much risk just to keep using anything. Unless someone states that it is safe – an independent shop that takes responsibility or Tesla itself – preferably in a written document, this is not something you should do. If you do, please make sure you know how to use the manual door releases.
As much as Benoit tried to help, his tips show we are facing the end of life for the earlier Model S units. That shows the BEV model Tesla created is not sustainable. Unless car companies develop a plan for battery pack replacements, we'll never see one of these vehicles ever becoming a classic or running for over 15 years. For vehicles that cost a fortune and do not emit more than tire and brake powder, the outcome should be a lot different.
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