Your Electric Car Just Broke Down. Now What?

The Volt location for putting a key in case the battery in the fob is dead is a hoot. 😂 under the rubber mat in the dash top compartment.

Good call on the flatbed for the AWD EV. Hadn't thought of that. Hopefully I'll never need to use that. The 12V battery being degraded in the BMW i3 threw so many unrelated errors, and wasn't too tricky to replace. Good info. Thanks as always!

Good advice all-round. UK rescue services have 2+2-wheel dollies available to allow any van to tow an EV. I have had a faulty DC charger fault my EV and incapacitate it, I could remove the plug after pressing the Emergency disconnect on the pump. But even after a 12v disconnect the car remembered the 'traction fault' it didn't have. AA had to clear the fault logs and it was fine. I had enough charge to get to another charger.

Everyone please buy an $18 air pump. Slime brand makes a great one and it plugs into your 12v outlet. I see so many people struggling at gas stations adding air, some waiting in line. Just do it at home using the pump in your trunk. It’s so worth it. Was great for my Volt.

Niki, you forgot a big one! I always keep, in my case, a 10mm wrench so I can disconnect one of the 12V battery leads in case my Bolt has a brain fart. That simple act of disconnecting the 12V battery, waiting a few minutes, then reconnecting the battery, can fix a lot of gremlins that can stop you cold.

Valuable video. Just want to mention that on a Tesla you can get additional information with an OBD scanner with dedicated Tesla app for those who like a lot of additional technical info. If you do have a problem though, contacting Roadside Service in your Tesla app will allow them to diagnose your car, help you with the problem and schedule service if necessary. Often all that is needed is to hold down both scroll wheels for a few seconds to allow a 30 second reboot.

Great advice, cheers Nikki. 👍

I had to have my Spark EV flatbedded to a Range Rover dealership when I ran it out of range trying to drive it home the night I bought it. It had been on my insurance for such a brief period that it wasn't yet entered into their Roadside Assistance system. So I had to pay for the tow Out Of Pocket and then turn the bill in later for reimbursement. Never would have happened had Electrojunk Americas fast chargers would have worked like they're supposed to!

5:11 weekly tire pressure check? I check my tire pressure (via the Tesla’s info screen) every time I drive my car, and pretty much every time I drive over a new pavement type or hit a pothole while on a long trip. I only check independent from the onboard telemetry when filling the tires with a digital pump.

WOW, I learned quite a lot about towing an EV car. Thanks.

Thanks

That lack of a spare tire is one of the main reasons why I'm reluctant to bother with an electric vehicle. My 07 SUV has a full size spare, at that one that is easy to access.

Excellent advice, Nikki! Thank you for sharing this. I will definitely do a reread of the emergency procedures and periodic owner maintenance in my manual to make sure I understand and am doing it.

Good overview. Thanks!

I carry a tire patch kit with fresh glue, the kind w rubber strips, 10mm or adjustable wrench, tape, disposable gloves. There are 12v lifepo with a warranty, i think it was 10yr. A flashlight w strobe is a good idea

I didn't realize an EV was so dependent on a 12V battery. I may swap out my Leaf's battery for an LTO, like I did for my ICE vehicle. Thanks!

Thank you.

It’s really worth knowing which doors are electrically powered and where manual releases are. In my old Tesla Model S the front seats door handles work the same whether the car is on or off, but the rear seat door handles don’t work when there is no power. There is a release cable below the seat that a person in a front seat could see, but a person in the back would have to feel for it. I believe in the Model Y they are in the door in the door pocket but I’m not positive. Since a woman recently drowned in her Model X after she drove into a pond, it’s worth knowing that you need to roll the window down quickly before the power dies. I carry a glass breaker, but with the new laminated glass I don’t know if they even work anymore. I keep a hi vis yellow vest in the car. I have a tire plug kit that can be useful for cars that don’t have spares. I had a previous experience with fix a flat just shooting out of a hole instead of plugging it, but that car had a temporary spare that could only go 50 miles, so I ended up at a motel until a tire store opened.

One morning, my Wallbox charging handle would not disconnect from the vehicle. I called the electrician and he was on the phone with Wallbox. Nothing proved successful. The charge cable had to be disconnected from the wall unit. The car would not start because the handle was still stuck so I had to tow it in. A flattbed was used but the vehicle could not be placed in neutral. It was slowly dragged onto the towtruck and delivered to the dealership. They rather brutally ripped off the handle and claimed the latch spring had broken. But no one would admit if it was the charge handle or the car latch which was at fault. I was to be charged but after much frustration with dealership personnel who actually cornered me telling me it was MY fault, I asked for the matter to be brought to the dealership manager who waved the charge. What a mess! No problems since then.

good job. went out and checked my '17 Bolt for that charge cable manual release. hahahaha