Viral TikTok Video Shows How Complicated It Is To Jumpstart A Dead Tesla Model S

An illegally-parked and clamped Tesla car is lifted up on to a towing lorry in Victoria, on 20th October 2023, in London, England.Photo: Richard Baker / In Pictures (Getty Images)

With a traditional internal combustion car a dead battery is a simple fix, but when a Tesla Model S has a dead main battery, many challenges arise. The Model S’ door handles are power operated, so they won’t function without power and you won’t be able to get into your car to pop the hood. You’ve got to get creative with it — and one viral TikTok video is laying out just what a complicated process that is.

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The hood/ front trunk latch release requires power to operate, so a dead battery means you’ll have to find an alternative way to access the underhood area to jumpstart the car. This video illustrates Tesla’s recommended course of action “in the unlikely event that your Tesla has no low voltage power.” Here is the Tesla Model S owners manual where the process is outlined.

Since the frunk won’t operate without power, the only way to pop the hood release is by removing the tow-hook cover to reveal two wires. These two wires correspond to the positive and negative terminals of an external power source like a jump box, and when the power source is connected, the frunk automatically pops open. This tactic will not work if the Tesla has low voltage power.

Once the frunk is popped, the maintenance panel by the firewall must be removed, and then a small connector must be unclipped and removed from the battery. Uncover the positive terminal on the Tesla, which is different depending on the manufacture date of the car, connect the positive terminal, ground the negative terminal, and the door handles will present themselves and allow access to the interior. The touchscreen should wake up after a few minutes allowing the car to be shifted for towing.

Thankfully, I have never run out of gas or ended up with a dead battery, but I have helped other people whose batteries have died. In an ICE car it’s so simple to jumpstart and move on, but this wildly convoluted procedure to even be able to get into the interior of your car when the battery dies seems unsafe, unintelligent, and infuriating. Tesla owners beware, don’t let your car run out of battery or you’re gonna face a series of hoops to jump through to get back on the road.