Tesla Model 3 12V Battery Swap

Ohmmu Energy shows you how easy it is to swap the 12V battery in your Tesla Model 3 (2017-2022.3) and upgrade to the best 12V lithium battery for your Tesla!
The Ohmmu 12V Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery is lighter, more efficient, higher capacity and lasts 4x longer than the OEM battery from Tesla (Atlas BX B24LS, 1129182-00A, 1129182-00-B).
You can get one of these 12V lithium batteries for your Tesla at: www.ohmmu.com

[@emmawang1999]

I, a middle-aged woman, just installed the 12v battary on our 2yar Tesla 3 following this video. Feels so proud.

[@chrisWTG]

1999? You’re young! Was it easy though?

[@HEVTech1]

Nice video! Gotta love that lithium! 🙂

[@challengersrt5397]

I don’t even have a Tesla. But it was a great video

[@jpgsf1978]

Excellent presentation !

[@nathanaellapointe4722]

Really great video!

[@edwardhan2307]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@lenimbery7038]

Have you had any problems yet like Tesla is having since including lithium 12v batteries from the factory?

[@MaacAbra]

But... what is this classic 12V battery needed for in the electric car? :-0

[@allenfranchise]

Did you need to reinstall the vent tube for the battery or did this battery not come with one?

[@caquizte]

no need of vent tube, since this battery dont makes fumes.

[@Anthony__420]

Did mine yesterday got a deal too 373.00

[@SuperDiagnostic]

Yer right... some deal when a lead-acid equivalent can be had for $50. Think you've been mugged off!

[@musk-eteer9898]

was your battery lithium? and swapped full service?

[@skidivr]

holy shit. all that to change the battery? WTF? And nobody is pissed?

[@darreno1450]

You mean the whole extra 5 minutes to power down, disconnect the high voltage battery, and pull the frunk cover?

[@darelldd]

All what? It takes me longer to swap batteries on other cars I've done.

[@musk-eteer9898]

yes i'm pissed that the battery don't have leg and jump out to swap itself

[@dancooper1188]

My Model 3 battery died without any warning, leaving me stuck in my rural hometown. Tesla said that I was out-of-reach of mobile service until the second week of September, and that I'd have to have the car towed to their service center 90 miles away at my expense to have it replaced sooner. I decided instead to order this replacement, since, even if I was out of commission for a couple days, at least it would be shipped to the door. Less than 24 hours later, and I just finished the install with the help of this video, and everything is back up and running.

[@MattandStacey2003]

I purchased an Ohmmu battery for my Model 3 and Sean came to my house and installed it. He's extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I could have talked to him for hours about electric cars. You can’t ask for better customer service. Thanks again Sean.

[@dmonte012]

So many youtubers who make step by step videos leave out some important steps. Not here. Well done detailing each step for us.

[@johncohen366]

Great step by step instruction.

[@CodeChief]

The written instructions (Tesla/Ohmmu Tech Note) differ slightly. The Tech Note tells you to disconnect the 12v battery *before* the high voltage, then disconnect high voltage then wait 2 minutes, then specifically NOT re-connect the 12v battery until the high voltage is re-connected. It warns that re-connecting the 12v battery before the high voltage can lead to over discharge issues (though it sounds strange as nobody would do this for an extended period). I think both instructions are safe and work. I followed the Tech Note but this video was still valuable to give confidence about the procedure. It would be good if Ohmmu could correct either the Tech Note or this Video to avoid uncertainty for other customers. I highly recommend the Ohmmu replacement battery for weight savings and longevity alone. The potential benefits of more power with less sag are a bonus too. A replacement Tesla battery with labour costs at least half and may have to be replaced twice in the same 4 year warranty time of the Ohmmu battery. This is a positive upgrade whichever way you look at it, for the features or just to avoid having to replace the lead acid battery. It will most likely return more than the investment over the lifetime of the car, as LiFePO4 batteries should last that long without any replacement.

[@darelldd]

Yeah, it a bit frustrating that they still have the sequence wrong. Negative of 12V is the first thing to disconnect and the last thing to reconnect. I wonder how they missed this in the video.... and don't correct it.

[@ledzeppelin1212]

Interesting. Thanks for the tip!

[@Donti32]

Great video with lots of helpful information! I am thinking about performing the swap on my 2021 M3. Could you elaborate whether the swap or work on the 12v battery will affect any of Tesla's warranties?

[@skep2]

I had to buy a Tesla battery today because my car literally died outta no where, but your video was extremely helpful My model 3 is at 144k miles and this was my first 12v. Might I suggest adding something on how to open the hood when the battery is completely dead? In case anyone is wondering, pop the tow hook cover off, grab the wires connected to it, and hit em with a 9v battery (positive wire is marked red, and is longer).

[@tomwalsh2450]

I have a 2021 M3 with a LHP battery. I keep hearing that if you have a LHP battery you can only replace with another LHP. Tesla owners are reporting complications with swapping out to a lithium. Any comments..?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

2021 M3 have Lead Acid battery. I'm not sure what LHP is actually?

[@SergioERestrepo]

Man i wish i had this video last Sunday lol. The harness had me scratching my head for an hour.

[@johnhicks26]

Thanks. Your tutorial was super simple to follow, and everything was done in less than 30 minutes work. You saved me the 2 work day plus weekend wait for Tesla to come do it. You rock!😊

[@thomasjacques5286]

Great vid, just bought a new Model Y so not planning on replacing my battery for a few years, but I did ask my local SC how much it would cost and they said $112 ($85 for OEM battery and $26.25 Mobil service labor total is $111.25). That’s cheaper than I anticipated and it’s done in your own garage.

[@Rick9482]

What great video! How much savings to the owner vs being done by Tesla. I would think the ranger would do this with a home visit. I'm really impressed by the angle Tesla designed into the metal caps for plus and negative terminals.

[@RogueKillShot]

That's not the correct power down procedure you can damage modules in that way. Granted it's a very small risk but still not worth it. 1. Lower windows and power off from screen 2. Disconnected the neg cable on the battery 3. THEN disconnect the LV connector under the back seat. You can now replace the battery however once you do, DO NOT CONNECT the neg cable yet. Now powering back up is in reverse. Connect the LV connector then finally connect the neg cable Other then that it's a very informative video

[@TeslaEVVideos]

I know the last step in your comment is, well, raise back the windows. I do want to know, however, why lower the windows as first step? Is this step only for summertime?

[@RogueKillShot]

@@TeslaEVVideos it's cause when it's powered down the windows will not lower when you try to open the door and you can possibly slam it on the chrome trim

[@MrMysticSeer]

What if the battery is so dead you can't tell the car to turn off? Same steps but skip that one?

[@TheBowerbird]

Trying to bump this up. Mountain Pass performance also has a guide for this.

[@MedFidelity]

@@TheBowerbird The Mountain Pass Performance guide is missing the steps for disconnecting the low voltage supply to the penthouse (under the rear sear),

[@fredsmodel3n192]

Had mine a year and a month and no issues. Will be getting one for the model Y. Thanks.

[@jesusmex3186]

Replacing battery after warranty

[@Fistor22]

How does Tesla see the new Lithium Batterie under Service Info. Actually my M3 from 2019 shows a „lead-acid“ Battery which is installed. Do i have to change it via Setup in Service Mode??

[@tedbaxter5234]

Not sure how long the OEM batteries last but I've saved this video towards battery replacement when the time comes. Excellent video, thank you!

[@CharlesP2009]

@Daniel Brice Arizona heat is killing some batteries in not much more than a year (folks that park in the sun a lot I'm guessing). My battery is alive and well at 14 months thus far...

[@shawtydat]

Just replaced mine at 1.5 yrs; Florida.

[@beniguet]

@Daniel Brice Make it "about 1/10th the price" in Europe. - Ohmmu Lithium Battery 439USD+20% VAT+shipping from USA (or 559€ shipped from a european online store) - Varta 12V lead battery: 58€ shipped on Amazon

[@Anthony__420]

My 2018 M3 still had a good battery. They say if you keep it plugged in it takes stress off the 12 volt battery and it will last longer and in my case it’s true but I replaced it anyway. You don’t want a 12 volt failure on the road. It’s a pain to reset it and get the car to drive again. I’ve watched many KZbin Tesla guys who explain this. Good purchase price from Tesbroes there a certified dealer for Ohmmu for only 373.15 as I got 20% off coupon. You can google tesbroes for valid coupons. Good luck

[@marquesduffy8018]

Followed each step by step but after about a month 12 V replacement prompts on MCU returned. Attempted to contact company still waiting return call. Please help.

[@surfntrucks]

Wow, changing the 12v battery requires an Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Select, Start Code. Instead of just opening the hood and swapping the battery.

[@PopoySD]

My Model 3 is showing “asleep” and neither the App or the key card won’t unlock the doors…I’ve been trying to figure out what’s going on and some have said it’s the 12v battery needing replacement. I got the frunk open and access to the 12v battery, but the DIY’s are showing the car has to be off and windows down to replace the 12v battery. How do I do that if the car is off and still locked? The jumper cables won’t unlock the doors either even when I connect it thru the old 12v battery.

[@QuinnKallisti]

Tesla told me I can't install a Lithium battery for the 12v system, because of "Codebase" reasons, citing that there would be neccesitations for multiple variations of code-base per vehicle to support such things and that my 2021 model 3 SR+ would never be able to have a 12v lithium battery... Any opinions on this ??

[@keaton584]

Used this tutorial to replace my M3 battery. Worked great. One thing that was different was that as soon as I put on the negative side the car fully booted back up

[@tonymai1844]

yeah, that Ohmmu battery is a win win to replace the BP battery. thank you for more explaining about dc-12.dc converter I would love to replace the original battery right after 3years/36k miles.

[@ryankibler7973]

This doesn't work!!! The car will give you a warning that thr battery is failing after driving on the new battery for a few hundred miles. Tesla knows you are not using Tesla parts.

[@NilsonRodriguez-y2z]

It works! great job Thank you for your videos they are very helpfull.

[@Uouttooo]

Where do you buy that wrench?

[@wql1]

Great tutorial for the install. But sorry, your batteries are crap. Mine will not keep a charge after just 6 months of use …!

[@XuanjieHuang-l5h]

Yes this video is all wrong. the product is no longer sold.... they should have deleted this stuff a long time ago

[@badimpulses17]

You guys need to make a installation video for the Model Y on your website. I looked under there rear seat the high voltage cut off is not located there on the Model Y.

[@kennethdavis4987]

Thank you. I wish I could have bought one of your batteries but I have a road trip coming up. You saved that trip btw so I really appreciate you showing me how to swap my battery.

[@davidambrose3525]

Thank you for the great video. I just installed your battery in my P3D; simple install and one can really notice the weight difference between the OEM battery and this battery 😀

[@chickmagnet6004]

theres no way you can notice 3lb reduction in your car, maybe when you installed it lol

[@nate_2092]

@@chickmagnet6004 they are talking about the weight of the battery when you pick it up.

[@Av-vd3wk]

Well done 👍🏻

[@cybat1078]

These are good instructions but you should say to wait 2 minutes minimum between turning off the high voltage connection and the other steps.

[@justrandomthings319]

I thought the same thing too.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Really awesome video, Sean! I can't wait to have this better quality battery in my Model 3. Thank you all so much.

[@johncahill3644]

Here’s the situation for most people...your Model 3 12V battery is going bad, the car tells you it is going bad and you have time to call Tesla service. Tesla comes to your house a couple days later and installs the new battery, free, under warrantee. If you’re lucky even the next time the 12V fails you are still inside the 8 year warrantee. After that one might want to consider alternative batteries, not before (and not before 2025 for any Model 3, first released in 2017). If you’re too far for mobile service, you can always take a little road trip.

[@holdthebeans]

Or just go to Walmart and for $150 get a 51R battery and put it in yourself. Took me 10 minutes to install and less hassle than taking it in for service. Are you sure the 8 year warranty covers the 12volt battery and not just the high voltage one?

[@Renebq]

Just replaced my OEM battery with the Ohmmu lithium for 2019 Mod3 SR+. Everything went smoothly. Error messages gone. Will road test later. Thanks!

[@doinitlive3015]

How was it?

[@bruceaalam6475]

I have a 2018 dual-motor long-range model 3. please tell me if the OEM battery is or is not an lithium ion type??? Also would like to know what is the life range of the OEM battery on model 3? My 12 V battery just died, two hours away from my house, with no prior warning on the display !

[@darelldd]

The OEM battery is lead. Life range is 2-4 years.

[@JohnWick-kz6bp]

Hello. I have a question. What about charging Lithium battery. As I know there is different type of chargers for different type of batteries. Is tesla Model y charger is ok with Lithium battery? And will I see in car spec that it is now Lithium and not lead-acid.

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Hi, the battery doesn't need to be charged to 100%, the charge profile in the car is set up to charge to about 14.2-14.4V and then allow it to float in the high 13.8ish range, it then allows it to discharge down to around 13.2V and recharges it again. As you can see these parameters of discharge floor and charge max are perfectly within range/spec for LFP-based chemistry!

[@jesusbosch2720]

Do we need to purchase the 12V batteries to Tesla specifically? Or is a standard one?

[@johnditoro1676]

I installed one of these in my 2019 M3. At first it seemed great. Then it started to give me the error. After the 3rd dime in 2 months I pulled the Ohmmu battery and bought a new one from Tesla. Yes, you can reset it, but that profess is NOT simple (anyone care to download a binary file on your phone and move it to to the car?), but since its my wife’s daily drive that was not an acceptable situation. Also, the chat link they have on their website is not manned during the day in the US. If anyone would like it, its available for free. You need to pick it up or meet me somewhere in the Vail valley. Otherwise, its going to the recycle center the next time I go there. What a waste of money.

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Hi, we stopped doing any live chat a couple years ago there shouldn't be a link anymore on the site, just email links. We couldn't keep up with the live-chat system and our products are too technical to out-source the chat. When we first started it was easier to "man" but at this point we have limited technical resources and need to manage it differently. We try our best to provide the technical support needed to keep things running properly and we apologize that in your case you felt the firmware update process was too tedious. We wish you the best in all things!

[@petraanna9272]

Hi,🤣 dieses Wort bedeutet in der deutschen Sprache soviel wie Ende, Meditationskuh oder Meditations...😊. Meine Frage wäre ob und wo ich so ein TShirt kaufen kann. M.f.G. Petra Berger vormals Platzer und vormals Nittel

[@OhmmuEnergy]

We could get you an Ohmmu shirt if you would like to pay for shipping, contact us via support.ohmmu.com

[@permissionBRICK]

It doesn't make any difference on the Model 3 for High Bass, because everything in the M3 is mostly run off of the dc dc converter which supplies up to 2000W, but if you draw too much amps from any circuit the e-fuse will shut down the dc dc, regardless if the 12v battery could have supplied it.

[@SwiftSystems1]

What battery do you recommend?

[@jackfrost8439]

My Owners Manual says my 12v battery is lithium ion (2023). Is this a lie?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

It's probably true if you are in a Tesla.

[@JWalton314]

Nice video. Just got an alert on my 2018 Model 3 to replace the 12V battery.

[@JWalton314]

My battery was still under warranty 😃

[@18837dc]

My 2018 just past warranty just alerted me to replace the 12 volt battery. I am very much on the fence about replacing with this battery or the regular lead acid. Can anyone comment as to a noticeable difference in any way? Length of service etc....

[@JWalton314]

@@18837dc no clue but I'd see if Tesla would replace it anyway if you haven't already. There were known issues that drained our 12 volt's prematurely

[@johnl9722]

Thanks for the great video with detail! I've just purchased one and replaced the bad OEM battery.

[@stevemerril3086]

Great info... thank you!

[@galaxiedance3135]

Personally, the very first thing would be to remove the Negative battery post clamp. Then, even if you were to touch the tie down bracket across positive and the vehicle body, there would be NO arcing since there is no longer a way to complete the circuit through the battery. The Negative post clamp should also be the very last thing attached, for the very same reasons.

[@neilufe]

That intake definitely needs a filter

[@musk-eteer9898]

Costco won't tell you they have Tesla battery, but the Interstate 51R group dropped right into my 2019 M3LR

[@86JARamirez]

😱😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@Medea007]

How long do they last?

[@bobowens3837]

Excellent video!

[@Marguendi]

Great video!!! Thank you so much 😊

[@KaceyGreen]

Very well done, will be getting one of these for my Model X after I drive out of the warranty.

[@wingszetam7985]

Hi. I followed your steps. Replaced the battery. But now I can't start the car！

[@billj9838]

I had a technician put it in $123. Thank you very much.

[@blushark]

Due to the potential for arcing, is it a "must do" to wear gloves like you have on during the video? Are those gloves specifically designed to guard against electric shocks?

[@KK-ty3vm]

Wow! Great video and a lot of information. Thanks.

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@koruki]

I did one extra step. I gaffer taped the gas tube to the side of the battery just so I don’t hear it knocking around when driving

[@a10boy]

So the spacers come with the new battery?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Yes they do

[@jt_mStesla]

Have you guys tried making a higher voltage battery and see if that works with this 12v error alert issue?

[@RickDYC]

Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing.

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pinktrex8383]

This battery sounds awesome. Any holiday cheer with a discount code?

[@Kajbaj123]

$500? lol

[@tringalij]

I just wish these things were in stock, now that I need one. I should have bought one sooner and just stored it.

[@johnp.weiksnar6861]

Is there a risk of losing any settings while the power is disconnected?

[@tedc2158]

I didn't see any missing or lost settings after swapping out the OEM 12V battery for the Ohmmu lithium 12V battery.

[@johnp.weiksnar6861]

@@tedc2158 Thanks for the data point!

[@doinitlive3015]

@@tedc2158what year and model tesla do you have? Thanks

[@tedc2158]

I have a 2018 Model 3 long range AWD

[@RogerClubv]

I changed the 12v battery just as you had shown. The car now works. However, the warning message to replace the battery soon did not go away. I rebooted the car twice. Now what?

[@RogerClubv]

Here's a quick update. The replace battery soon message never went away. I brought car back to tesla. Apparently, there is a reset button underneath the back seat on the passenger side. It took the service tech 2 minutes. Now it's back to normal.

[@ColinTalksCrypto]

Roger Chan thank you for sharing that!

[@richphillips3194]

@@RogerClubv Hi Roger, did the T Tech tell you how to do this reset by yourself?

[@MedFidelity]

@@richphillips3194 That's the gray low voltage connector that you see them disconnecting under the back seat. I think I'd power off the car (in the service menu), then disconnect that connect, wait a bit, then re-connect to clear the 12V battery warnings. It's possible you'd also need to disconnect the 12V battery, but that I'm not sure of. Since the tech cleared it in 2 min, they probably didn't. Perhaps someone else knows?

[@zrili]

Thank you ... this info is hard to find !

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@miles267]

Does replacing OEM 12v battery with this battery void factory warranty?

[@Rhaman68]

“There IS four clips?” Dude, “There ARE four clips.” Clips plural, are plural. Grammar nerd. Thanks

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Caught red handed... or is it red-handed? uh oh...

[@TheJLMDT]

Will doing this help with clearing a "VCFRONT a196 - Low voltage battery disconnected" warning code?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

The procedure could potentially do that, that alert shouldn't happen unless the car detects a sudden drop in voltage on the 12V battery. If it is a Lithium battery with an internal BMS, that could be a safety cutoff engaging (would look like a disconnected battery because that is what happens inside the battery). Doing this procedure and charging the battery at the same time would be a proper way to do it!

[@martialman.4563]

I will be ordering mine in June, great video and huge thanks.

[@mikespadone5556]

How do you replace the 12v battery when car is dead and you cannot open the car? Hood is open by way of jumping bumper access

[@OhmmuEnergy]

There is always a way to open the hood, even without power, depending on the model there are different methods.

[@koruki]

Just ordered two for the two model 3's we have, I love that you use 10mm metric lol

[@Bovize]

Do these batteries have low temp cut off?

[@ibmtpx24]

It looks much easier and easy on your back if you stay in front while lifting and replacing the battery.

[@richards733]

How do I find someone to install this battery?

[@jerome0929]

So what’s the purpose of that 12v battery on a Tesla? Is it for the wireless chargers, speakers?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

All of the 12V powered computers in the vehicle (there are many, cellular module, stereo/infotainment, power struts, windows, etc, probably more than 100 devices in the vehicle are powered directly by 12V)

[@rdkutube]

Can you replace a lead acid 12V battery with the Li Iron Phosphate batter? Does the car care?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

For most Tesla its easy to answer this for the Model 3/Y there is a weird situation that has come up in the last year or so, the car seems to care now and flags alerts if things aren't dialed in just right. Getting the formula of the sped on the LFP is essential to making it work right in these cars! The Rev4+ from Ohmmu will be that battery! It is slated to release by the end of this year for new purchases

[@vinceandtheresa1243]

Nice step by step. What year was that Model 3 you did this on? Thank you.

[@doinitlive3015]

How do we open door to get under the sear to turn off high voltage if the 12V battery goes out?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Depends on if you have access to inside at all, Tesla doesn't always do things the mosts obvious and bright way. If your 12V is out, the doors won't open b/c they are all actuated by electronics. But, you can remove the little round cover thats in the bumper on driver side, behind it you'll find 2 wires (red and a black); connect them to a 12V source and the car will pop the frunk. Swap the 12V battery and you'll then have access inside. The part of the 12V swap that involves the back seat HV plug disconnect is not relevant when the car has completely shut down b/c the total shut-down state means the HV battery is already "off" so nothing further needs to happen to disable the HV battery for a 12V replacement.

[@azil7652]

What did you do with the vent tube? Was it plugged in again? Or left to dangle?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Left to dangle or get a zip-tie and tie it to something.

[@williambaridon9452]

Ordered M3 battery on Monday, arrived on Wednesday, installed in less than 30 minutes. Excellent video. Thanks.

[@JWard2]

Is there any coding needed or is it really this easy?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Hi, no coding needed! Yeah it’s this easy!

[@JPievilainen]

In the video the vent tube is left loose, so just remember to connect vent tube to the new battery.

[@OhmmuEnergy]

No, actually the new one won't have that, don't need to reconnect, can leave hanging or zip tie to something.

[@EwoutSchalkwijk]

Nice video. How about the cost of these Litium batteries compared to the AGM? Is it still worth it? I mean the weight saving has gone lost in the last months at home in this corona time.🤣

[@mr.koivisto6975]

about 2.5x the cost. But if they last 4-5 times longer you save money in the long run. I'm doing research for when I get my Tesla. I just want to know how these do in cold-weather? Lithiums operate like garbage at freezing or below.

[@humandoing9675]

Is there a Canadian distributor?

[@eubikedude]

If you need to disconnect things in the penthouse, should you update/delete the other video from last year that just shows a soft shutdown and nothing about the penthouse? I'd love to get one but I imagine shipping to Ireland is pricey? Or do you have a European dealer?

[@OhmmuEnergy]

Agreed, we will delete that video when this one picks up steam, at this point any exposure is still good for us and that video is getting more views. Ireland is $139, we do flat-rate for all international shipping. Use the code “taketwenty” to get another $20 off for your order!

[@MikeFortinLive]

Would live to get these for my Model 3 Racecar and my new Model Y