You did it. You got your dream car: a tesla. It's not working. You don't need to spend more money at Tesla because Elon Musk will have enough. So... what do you do? It's important to have that thing unlocked if your plan is to travel and charge the car.
What happens if you can't get your Tesla port to open? Try to open the charge port with your touchscreen. Your Tesla smartphone application, or even your key fob. If none work, try manually pressing and releasing the middle of charge port with your finger.
Once you have done this, you will be able charge your vehicle in your charging port and you can go back to showing off your new hot ride to everyone around you. Nevertheless, this issue can sometimes be difficult to fix.
Pro Tip: The simplest fix is to press and release the middle portion of the charge port. First, ensure that the vehicle is unlocked. This should allow it to be opened without needing to use the smartphone app, touchscreen device, or keyfob. You may need a few press-and-releases to find the exact spot on your charge port's door.
What Causes a Charge Port to Stick?
Although there are many possible causes of a stuck charge port, we will focus on some of the common problems.
It doesn't matter what the situation is, however, you can always try the above process: Use your key to open the charger port while applying light pressure to the hinge on the door.
Temperature
Cold temperatures can be problematic for Teslas. Specifically, temperatures that are below the freezing point of water may cause certain technological problems, such as a charge port sticking or not opening.
When you try to unhinge the charging door, the car sounds and looks as though everything works correctly. The car's charging port door will not unhinged, despite the fact that you can hear the mechanism turning and switching.
The lock pin may be stuck. If you inspect the device, you will also see a flashing, blue light.
Temperature may not always be to blame for the stuck charge port, but it can interfere with the inner workings a technology device such as the Tesla charging port.
Unfortunately, if this happens, the vehicle will need to be serviced by a Tesla Service Center.
In certain instances, a red warning may appear on your screen. It will tell you to try another method for opening the charging port if the port does not open.
There isn't any definitive information about this message. However, it seems that the majority of Tesla owners who have gotten the message are in temperatures below 50° Fahrenheit.
A Part Has Become Dislodged
If you look up when you open the door to the charging station, you'll see a small piece on the top corner. The metal insert should be in that area.
You charging port's door might stick if you don't have the metal insert. allows you to fix the problem yourself for a low-cost price. Just attach a washer to the small space at the top right corner.
Double-sided tape is an excellent adhesive to use. Check periodically the area in order to make certain that the item is not falling or losing its grip.
If the piece should fall, there is a risk that the charging port door may lock on you once again.
If you want to avoid this problem for a while, it is better to have the actual part installed. Taping a washer onto your charging socket with double-sided paper tape will not last.
Software Issue
One of the main attractions for tesla is its cutting-edge, top-of-the line technology. Tesla has dominated almost the entire electric car market.
Tesla features a variety of high-end devices and gadgets in addition to its electric classification, which allows it to save on gas costs. Teslas have a console with a touch screen that can control many of the functions in the car.
These cars can be controlled and operated by software. Software malfunctions can occur in Tesla cars, much like they do on a cell-phone or computer. One of the processes, which may malfunction, is the control used to open the charger port.
You should always update your Tesla's operating system to ensure that bugs are fixed.
You can fix it in other ways.
This is not a simple issue. While it is safest to contact Tesla's customer service to have your vehicle checked for any technical or computer software problems, sometimes we may not be able to spare the time necessary to wait until the car has been fixed.
You might find yourself in an emergency situation where is needed to open the port. You may be standing at the superstation and trying your best to get you car back on road.
Can you pry off the charger port? Not Recommended.
In this case, if the need for a charge is urgent, you can pry your charging port open. This is not recommended as you can break something. Tesla's are notoriously expensive to fix. Sometimes, you have no choice but to act.
This is how to do it:
- It would be best to use a flattened screwdriver or something similar. This will help you to avoid damaging your car.
- Then, you can place the driver on the opposite side to the hinge. In other words, the area where the opening would be.
- Then you need to slide the screwdriver down into the tiny space between the charging connector and your car.
- Once you have leveraged the port, you can apply pressure using the handle.
Do not damage your car if the charging port makes shrill noises. In the event that you damage the port, expect to pay several hundred dollars.
What Should you do in the last resort?
It's a shame that after all the effort, time and energy you have spent on this, all you really wanted to do was charge your car to go to your job!
So, what's left? What's left? Last resort, try using the manual release cables found in the trunk.
If the charger port does not open, you can try pulling this cable. You should consult the owner's manual first, as you may find that this is not a good idea. It's not harmful to try this method if other methods fail.
If this doesn't work, you may have to bring your vehicle to a mechanic. But you might be able fix it yourself.
