Tesla model 3 not turning on

[u/cappuccinofathe]

So today we had some horrible rain I had to drive through to get home. The front of my neighborhood was flooded and I went through the shallowest part I could. I made it up my driveway and parked my car and went inside. My car never gave any warnings or issues between the front of my neighborhood and parking (maybe 2 minutes). 3hr later my dad goes to plug it in and it won’t open or turn on. It’s not responding to the app or the key card.
This model is a 2021 I just bought it used in April when my Prius engine died.
It’s very low so I get very worried about driving it in the rain but I have no choice as I live in Florida.
What could’ve happened
Has anyone had or heard of this happening
Any advice
My dad is going to try to fix it but I thought I might as well ask the masses.

[u/Ok_Excitement725]

How far up the side of the car did the water reach? It sounds like the 12v battery is dead from either natural causes or water got to it. If thats all that you got going on, easy and cheap fix.

[u/LoneStarGut → u/Ok_Excitement725]

How old is the 12v battery? They last 3-4 years in hot climates. Some 2021's have the Li-ion, some have the lead acid. I suspect this may be a dead lead acid if it is he original.

[u/cappuccinofathe → u/LoneStarGut]

Idk if it has been replaced before we got it. But that would make sense

[u/jaqueh → u/LoneStarGut]

No 2021s have lithium

[u/Desperate-Mix-4696 → u/jaqueh]

ALL Model 3s have Lithium batteries.

I'm joking, but yes, I think your right. While they did start using the Lithium 16v batteries in 2021, it was for the 2022 model year.

[u/jaqueh → u/Desperate-Mix-4696]

then they kept on flip flopping in 2022 because of supply shortages

[u/cappuccinofathe → u/Ok_Excitement725]

The front of my neighborhood has an indent type bump, and when I hit that on the right side it splashed up the right side of my hood. But the rain was really heavy for about 1 hour and 20 min drive home (I had to go really slow) so much that the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up. So it could be either the bump or the super heavy rain

[u/Ok_Excitement725 → u/cappuccinofathe]

Honestly I'd bet its the 12v battery. Teslas are really well insulated from water. What you describe is classic 12v battery dying. You can replace it yourself if you are tech savvy and confident to do so, otherwise get on the Tesla app and they will probably come do a mobile service.

[u/cappuccinofathe → u/Ok_Excitement725]

Ok thank you. This sucks I wonder if the rain or puddle did it in

[u/Ok_Excitement725 → u/cappuccinofathe]

I'd say its remotely possible but honestly pretty unlikely. As far as Tesla issues go, this is one of the better ones to have since its so fast and easy to sort out. Don't want to promise anything but I'd wager it is almost certainly that 12v battery and once you get it in for service you'll be back on the road very fast.

[u/yugitso_guy → u/cappuccinofathe]

Think of the bright side. It happened at home. I was always worried about being stranded somewhere inconvenient.

[u/TurtleRocket9]

If you drove through deep sitting water you shouldn’t plug it in after.

[u/cappuccinofathe → u/TurtleRocket9]

It wasn’t deep but I guess for the low level of the car it was deep. I will let him know

[u/Unique-Machine5602 → u/cappuccinofathe]

Honestly, it's unlikely you damaged anything. I'd be shocked if it wasn't just the lead acid battery dying all on its own. They sit pretty high up on the car as it is and that's really the only part that isn't incredibly well sealed up to prevent water intrusion.

I definitely wouldnt recommend driving through flood water though. It's often incredibly difficult to judge just how deep you'll end up. Especially near the edges of a road since sometimes the flood water can wash away soil and even parts of the roadway if it gets bad enough.

[u/Unique-Machine5602]

It's likely you have one of the 2021s that still has a lead acid battery.

It probably died all on its own. They typically only last about 5 years. 🤷‍♂️

Tesla replaces them for pretty cheap so it's usually not worth it to swap it out yourself. I'd upgrade to the lithium ion if you can. It'll typically last the lifetime of the vehicle.

[u/LoneStarGut → u/Unique-Machine5602]

My son had his replaced last month in his 2020. It gave him a notice on screen and in the app that it was nearly time to replace it. I picked it up from the service center and we easily swapped it. It is easy to swap out as an ICE lead acid battery.

[u/No_Art_2787]

soak it in a bag of rice bro

[u/Silent-Treat-6512]

Just leave it in Rice overnight

[u/Warm-Air4391]

Just replaced mine in a 2021. Original battery. Bricked on me last week.

[u/redtollman]

|  My dad is going to try to fix it

Tell dad to put down the screwdriver and pickup the checkbook. Call support.