Tesla is a newcomer to the world of cars, but it seems to have acquired quite a following in the past few years. One can say that Tesla was the main reason why we focused on electric cars and why so many other brands wanted to catch up with Tesla with their EV offerings. Be that as it may, a Tesla is not a beacon of reliability, and we are going to focus on why a Tesla won’t start – causes and how to fix it.
For starters, a Tesla is also equipped with a 12-volt battery that provides the necessary juice to start the car up. This means that if the battery is flat or weak, you will not be able to start the car up. Furthermore, we also need to mention that sometimes the central screen can glitch and not let you start the car up.
If your Tesla has no battery charge left, it will also not start. Tesla also says that the inner computer can reboot itself a few times per year which will stop you to start the car up for a few minutes while the process takes place. A Tesla refusing to start is not all that common which means that these issues aren’t common either.
If something else is to blame, chances are that your Tesla needs a professional mechanic that knows his/hers way around a Tesla. Therefore, be sure to take your car to a dealer if it indeed fails to kick into life.
12-volt Battery Issues
Your first point of interest should be the 12-volt battery which can get depleted as in any other car. A Tesla does come with a large battery that is being for driving, but it also comes with a standard 12-volt battery you’d usually find in a normal combustion engine car. To test the 12-volt battery, be sure to take a multimeter and check for the battery’s output. If the readings say 12-13 volts, your battery is fine.
If the reading says more than that, something is drawing power while the car is in standby mode which can lead to a dead battery. On the other hand, if the reading is lower than that, your battery is nearing the end of its lifetime. All in all, also be sure to check the terminals to see if there are any signs of corrosion which isn’t often the case.
Central Screen Goes Blank
Most Tesla models come with large central screens that are used for controlling the car entirely. This means that these screens house all the necessary features designed to control the A/C, your driving info, your drive modes, your navigation, and your safety systems. If the screen fails to power on, the car will likely not start either due to it being dangerous to drive without knowing anything about the speed.
If the screen does go blank, you ought to troubleshoot it and reboot it until it comes back to life. This issue seems to be common when fast-charging your Tesla as the touchscreen can overheat and thus turn itself off to prevent any further damage. As such, this does not tend to last all that long which means that you should be able to drive in a few minutes times.
No Battery Charge
If you deplete the battery charge completely, the car will not show any signs of life whatsoever and will require you to open the charge port manually to charge the car up. However, this happens really rarely, only if you use the entire battery and leave the car sitting for a while.
If you come near to depleting your battery and fail to put it on a charge, the car will enter “deep hibernation mode” which essentially tries to conserve the very last drops of battery juice. Not being able to start the car and drive is an obvious consequence as the car simply does not have enough power to move from point A to point B.
The Computer Reboots Itself
Finally, we also come to the section where we need to talk about Tesla’s central computer rebooting by itself a few times per year which requires you to stay stationary in order not to hamper safety. This means that you will not be able to drive the car while this process takes place and will have to wait a few minutes until it finishes.
The reality is that a Tesla isn’t a normal combustion engine car which means that a Tesla not starting is not all that common. However, if your Tesla won’t start, be sure to go through all of these in direct order.
Are you considering a Tesla? Tesla lease vs buy
FAQ Section
How Much Does A Tesla Battery Cost?
A Tesla 12-volt battery is likely going to cost you around $300, but the prices do vary greatly depending on the model, the time of the year, and the laws of supply and demand. Tesla does cover the 12-volt battery under warranty which means that Tesla will replace it for free if it dies.
However, a brand-new powertrain battery is much more expensive than that which means that you can expect to pay between $5,000 and $17,000 depending on the model and the size of the battery.
Does Tesla Make Reliable Cars?
Compared to normal combustion engine cars, Tesla makes reliable cars, but compared to other EVs, Tesla is not the brand to go to if you want reliability. Sure, the brand has improved much over the past few years, but its cars are still breaking down for a wide variety of reasons.
Long-term reliability is mostly a mystery, but one thing is for certain when the big battery dies, you will be left with huge repair and battery replacement bills which often make little to no sense.
Should I Buy A Tesla?
If you are a fan of Tesla and you want to treat yourself to a state-of-the-art EV, buying a Tesla is an experience like no other. People who love Tesla cars swear on them and aren’t likely to touch anything else besides a Tesla.
If you are that type of guy and you are comfortable living with an EV, buying a Tesla does make sense.
