# M3 2021 won’t charge



## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

Problem I am having:
Car won't charge

I have 2021 Model 3 which had a fender bender on the left rear quarter panel. Charge port doesn't appear to be damaged but is not getting power as it won't open by itself. If I gently force it open it still won't take a charge or even register when I plug in the Gen 2 charger. Vehicle has these 3 codes stored shown below.

What I have tried so far:
-Tried a hard reset and soft reset, codes immediately come back before I do anything
-Topped off the 12v battery with a AGM smart charger
-I have not verified the Pyro fuse as I am not certified to work on HV yet so I waiting to get training on that before I open up the penthouse. Anyone know if when the Pyro fuse goes, does it throw a specific code ? Thinking maybe from the accident it triggered the Pyro even though the airbags didn't go off ?


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## TrevP (Oct 20, 2015)

You might have a broken high voltage cable. It runs from the charge port to the battery penthouse and runs inside the left rear quarter panel. Make an appointment with Tesla to have it looked at. If the pyro fuse went you wouldn't be able to drive the car.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

First and most important: You have not blown the pyro fuse, because there is no error about the car being unable to start.

Second, plug in and try again. This time, ignore the errors on-screen and pay attention to the lights on the Mobile Connector or Wall Connector. If you get a blinking red, something is wrong with the Mobile Connector or Wall Connector. If it's the Mobile Connector, pull the plug head off and make sure it's seated correctly. If you still get flashing red, you need a new Mobile Connector or to get the Wall Connector serviced (or the circuit itself has something wrong with it).

If that doesn't work, log out of your Tesla app, unplug all USB devices, turn off Sentry Mode, and power the car off. Leave it that way for an hour or two. Deep sleep will reset and soft current protection in the AC-DC converters inside the penthouse.

But if all of that fails, those errors generally reflect an error outside of the penthouse. It could be a bad charge port, that the penthouse charging connection cable broke/fell off, or that the 12V battery isn't providing enough current to close the contactor that allows the battery to charge.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

JasonF said:


> First and most important: You have not blown the pyro fuse, because there is no error about the car being unable to start.
> 
> Second, plug in and try again. This time, ignore the errors on-screen and pay attention to the lights on the Mobile Connector or Wall Connector. If you get a blinking red, something is wrong with the Mobile Connector or Wall Connector. If it's the Mobile Connector, pull the plug head off and make sure it's seated correctly. If you still get flashing red, you need a new Mobile Connector or to get the Wall Connector serviced (or the circuit itself has something wrong with it).
> 
> ...


Thank you for the replies.

1) It is entirely possible that the HV cables/connection could be damaged as the charge port did move forward slightly from the accident. I will perform an inspection of them here in a couple days

2) I was already considering replacing the 12v battery for good measure since it seems weak. I will start looking for a replacement

3) I didn't appear to be getting any blinking red lights the last time I tried using this Gen 2 charger. I got it used and I do not know for certain that it is good. My neighbor has a M3, I will ask him if we can test it out on his vehicle to confirm the charger works. When I plug it in, I don't see the T light up at any point. It almost seems like the charge port is dead. I have inspected the 12v harness and I don't see any breaks, however the charge port ECU cover is cracked. I see no damage on the board but I am not sure how to verify if it is good ?


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

Jeff_fixin said:


> 3) I didn't appear to be getting any blinking red lights the last time I tried using this Gen 2 charger. I got it used and I do not know for certain that it is good. My neighbor has a M3, I will ask him if we can test it out on his vehicle to confirm the charger works. When I plug it in, I don't see the T light up at any point. It almost seems like the charge port is dead. I have inspected the 12v harness and I don't see any breaks, however the charge port ECU cover is cracked. I see no damage on the board but I am not sure how to verify if it is good ?


You can't, because it's CANbus connected. Which segues nicely into the topic that if the charge port isn't getting power, it's not necessarily the 12v power supply - the charge port board is very likely either damaged or was exposed to water, and is no longer communicating with CANbus, which is why you're getting errors.

The good news is a mobile tech told me the charge port itself is less than $200 and can be purchased from Tesla. I think it's something like $250 with labor. When mine was replaced by Mobile service under warranty it took about 30 minutes.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

JasonF said:


> The good news is a mobile tech told me the charge port itself is less than $200 and can be purchased from Tesla. I think it's something like $250 with labor. When mine was replaced by Mobile service under warranty it took about 30 minutes.


Did it require re-installing the latest firmware?


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

iChris93 said:


> Did it require re-installing the latest firmware?


No, it was a pretty simple hardware swap and test.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

Also adding that now Tesla is experimenting with responding to firmware push service requests in the app from owners replacing their own parts. So if you do need it, you still might not need a service center visit.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

JasonF said:


> Also adding that now Tesla is experimenting with responding to firmware push service requests in the app from owners replacing their own parts. So if you do need it, you still might not need a service center visit.


Do you have a reference for this?


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

iChris93 said:


> Do you have a reference for this?


Not handy, but there was mention of it right here on this form.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

JasonF said:


> Not handy, but there was mention of it right here on this form.


Here's something I posted in 2020: 


iChris93 said:


> Good news, apparently owners can or will be able to initiate a reinstall from the car soon. Check this out from pg. 148 of the updated manual.
> View attachment 36189


I don't think it ever came through.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

JasonF said:


> You can't, because it's CANbus connected. Which segues nicely into the topic that if the charge port isn't getting power, it's not necessarily the 12v power supply - the charge port board is very likely either damaged or was exposed to water, and is no longer communicating with CANbus, which is why you're getting errors.
> 
> The good news is a mobile tech told me the charge port itself is less than $200 and can be purchased from Tesla. I think it's something like $250 with labor. When mine was replaced by Mobile service under warranty it took about 30 minutes.


Jason,

All good points, the charge ECU could be the problem given that nothing on the charge port is working. This feeds into a topic of factory service. What is the best way to approach Tesla service ? Do I reach out to the mothership and hope I get someone good, or should I try different local offices until reach someone knowledgeable ? Any tips would be great


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## skygraff (Jun 2, 2017)

Is this a salvage or are you the body shop working on somebody else’s car? If neither, why aren’t you opening a service ticket in the app and expressing the urgency?

Whether covered by insurance from the accident or out of pocket, seems like having a 1 year old (or less) car’s HV system fixed by Tesla would be the smart move, like Trev said above. Sounds like it might be possible for a mobile tech to fix but, either way, they tend to prioritize stuff that bricks our (their) cars. I know people like to work on their cars and you’re training on all the systems but, if it were me, I’d rather be driving than waiting on that HV training.

If you are a third party or bought it salvage, I can only say that kind of information might be helpful when asking questions in this forum. Salvage is full of pitfalls and right to repair can’t come soon enough. Body shop access to info and training on the HV system is another matter and, barring Tesla certification and/or a direct contact, maybe the owner or insurance company can set up an appointment (mobile techs can do work anywhere including parking lots).


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

Jeff_fixin said:


> Jason,
> 
> All good points, the charge ECU could be the problem given that nothing on the charge port is working. This feeds into a topic of factory service. What is the best way to approach Tesla service ? Do I reach out to the mothership and hope I get someone good, or should I try different local offices until reach someone knowledgeable ? Any tips would be great


Either you can stop by a service center and request the part (maybe they will have it in stock) or schedule a service request in the app. It should work the same way that any other out of warranty repair does.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

skygraff said:


> Is this a salvage or are you the body shop working on somebody else's car? If neither, why aren't you opening a service ticket in the app and expressing the urgency?
> 
> Whether covered by insurance from the accident or out of pocket, seems like having a 1 year old (or less) car's HV system fixed by Tesla would be the smart move, like Trev said above. Sounds like it might be possible for a mobile tech to fix but, either way, they tend to prioritize stuff that bricks our (their) cars. I know people like to work on their cars and you're training on all the systems but, if it were me, I'd rather be driving than waiting on that HV training.
> 
> If you are a third party or bought it salvage, I can only say that kind of information might be helpful when asking questions in this forum. Salvage is full of pitfalls and right to repair can't come soon enough. Body shop access to info and training on the HV system is another matter and, barring Tesla certification and/or a direct contact, maybe the owner or insurance company can set up an appointment (mobile techs can do work anywhere including parking lots).


This vehicle is a 'salvage' vehicle at this point. I picked it up as a project knowing it would have no warranty and limitations. I have access to a body shop and plan on doing the cosmetic work DIY as I have done about a dozen other salvaged vehicles. The value in this project is in the knowledge; or at least that is what I keep telling myself :tearsofjoy:.

On a side note: I can honestly say I am impressed with some of the finer details of this car (simplicity). For instance the number interchangeable(LH vs RH) parts is off the scale compared to German and Japanese cars. Also no fuse box, I can't find a single fuse in the 12v system which must be a major cost savings I would think


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## skygraff (Jun 2, 2017)

Jeff_fixin said:


> This vehicle is a 'salvage' vehicle at this point. I picked it up as a project knowing it would have no warranty and limitations. I have access to a body shop and plan on doing the cosmetic work DIY as I have done about a dozen other salvaged vehicles. The value in this project is in the knowledge; or at least that is what I keep telling myself :tearsofjoy:.
> 
> On a side note: I can honestly say I am impressed with some of the finer details of this car (simplicity). For instance the number interchangeable(LH vs RH) parts is off the scale compared to German and Japanese cars. Also no fuse box, I can't find a single fuse in the 12v system which must be a major cost savings I would think


Good to know. Tesla says they'll sell parts for salvage and perform service on HV systems but they've got a lot of caveats and their policies have waffled quite a bit.

Depending on the severity of the hit to that part of the car, could be as simple as a jostled wire that may just need to be disconnected and reseated or it could be damage to the HV line causing a short or anything between or beyond. Wish I had useful input on how to get Tesla to participate in diagnosing and selling parts. Only thing I can think of (beyond testing their current policy or waiting for right to repair to pass and compel Tesla) is to schmooze any contacts you may have at Tesla certified body shops and/or service centers to try getting answers as either a hypothetical or, if they think Tesla will cooperate, a hands on training opportunity.

I envy you the chance to expand your knowledge and, hopefully, have a little bit of fun in that car when it's all done.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Jeff_fixin said:


> Also no fuse box, I can't find a single fuse in the 12v system which must be a major cost savings I would think


Indeed.
FYI, Tesla uses efuses in the Model 3/Y. Probably in the newer S & X as well, but I haven't checked on that.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

skygraff said:


> it could be damage to the HV line causing a short


I believe this would blow the pyro fuse.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

iChris93 said:


> I believe this would blow the pyro fuse.


It would. Immediate, and loudly.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

Appreciate all the support from everyone. I feel obligated to share information and pictures of the project. 

Only updates at this time are:

Did another test and codes are clear prior to connecting the HV battery (only 12v), the first 2 codes appear when I connect the HV system, and the third BMS code comes when I plug in the charge ECU. 

I tested the charger on my neighbors M3 and turns out it is bad! Gives a red light on the car and 3 red flashes on the charger. His charger works fine on the same plug. Sending that back to the eBay seller now. Of course they are all sold out on the Tesla site so I am working on figuring out the best place to get another one…


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

Jeff_fixin said:


> sold out on the Tesla site so I am working on figuring out the best place to get another one…


Might be worth trying the buy/sell thread on this forum.


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## skygraff (Jun 2, 2017)

Nice!

Can you test his connector on your car?


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Jeff_fixin said:


> Of course they are all sold out on the Tesla site so I am working on figuring out the best place to get another one…


Check with your local service center. They may have some on-hand.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

Jeff_fixin said:


> I tested the charger on my neighbors M3 and turns out it is bad! Gives a red light on the car and 3 red flashes on the charger. His charger works fine on the same plug. Sending that back to the eBay seller now. Of course they are all sold out on the Tesla site so I am working on figuring out the best place to get another one…


I thought it might be something like that. You had no errors when HV was disconnected because that puts the HV battery into isolation mode and powers off the entire thing (that's for safety so it doesn't kill anyone working on it).

The Service Center might have a handful of Mobile Connectors in stock, ask them about it.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

UPDATE

Charge port ECU has a broken piece on the board, this is the likely cause of the codes and why I have no power at the charge port door.

Searching around for the p/n and found it’s hard to find a ‘gen 4’ ECU since they came into prod in late 2020

Suggestions anyone ? Looking into repairing as I have good soldering tools but not sure where to get parts ?


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

You can get those parts via Tesla, I suppose by ordering it through the service center:


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

JasonF said:


> You can get those parts via Tesla, I suppose by ordering it through the service center:
> 
> View attachment 41670


That is my plan B. I am just a fan of repairing things, figured I would take shot at fixing it


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

Jeff_fixin said:


> Appreciate all the support from everyone. I feel obligated to share information and pictures of the project.
> 
> Only updates at this time are:
> 
> ...


Update!

I found the broken piece and my friend was able to solder it back on, looks to be an inductor of some sort. Anyways my charge door now works and everything has power. Still won't charge though, it's got some different codes now. It says something is missing on the charge port CP_a009


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

Jeff_fixin said:


> Update!
> 
> I found the broken piece and my friend was able to solder it back on, looks to be an inductor of some sort. Anyways my charge door now works and everything has power. Still won't charge though, it's got some different codes now. It says something is missing on the charge port CP_a009


It looks like the CANbus connection to the port isn't plugged in. It also looks like one of the two parking brake motors isn't plugged in, either.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

JasonF said:


> It looks like the CANbus connection to the port isn't plugged in. It also looks like one of the two parking brake motors isn't plugged in, either.


I was able to purchase the toolbox software and now I actually have descriptions for the codes:

BMS_a063 the description is "BMS has detected that CP fault asserted"

code CP_a009 the description is "High Voltage cover is not sensed"

So it looks like BMS_a063 is just a result of CP fault(s). The CP fault leads me to believe I am missing a cover that goes over the high voltage terminals ? Since this vehicle is a 2021, it is hard to find pictures of what exactly the inside cover looks like on the 'gen 4 charge port'. I wish I could get a picture of what the 2021 charge port looks like from inside the trunk. Has anyone else experienced issues with CP_a009 ?

I figured I should share a picture here of what I did. I repaired the charge ECU which mounts on the inside fender well, and then I removed the charge door and cut fender so the door could open without binding on the damaged quarter fender. You might ask why I have not started repairing the suspension and quarter panel; I am trying to get the car to charge before I tear into the mechanical issues so I have the peace of mind knowing I am working on a car that will run and drive


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

Jeff_fixin said:


> I was able to purchase the toolbox software and now I actually have descriptions for the codes:
> 
> BMS_a063 the description is "BMS has detected that CP fault asserted"
> 
> ...


I watch this (linked below) thread, not that I am any sort of computer savvy type, but there are nuggets of corporate knowledge at this link that may have answers for your specific questions:

https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/diagnostic-port-and-data-access.7502/


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

It's possibly one of these two components (4 or 15):

















Or the ECU board has a damaged sensor.

FYI, if the HV fuse isn't blown, it's very likely charging will work. Have you thought about salvaging a charge port from a Model 3 with front-end collision damage? You might be able to restore the entire charging capability faster that way. Or I believe an entire new charge port costs about $250.

From the second photo, it looks like a bigger issue is checking the motor assembly and half axles for damage or warping. If those look fine, then you can definitely call the rest of the car repairable.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

JasonF said:


> It's possibly one of these two components (4 or 15):
> 
> View attachment 41714
> View attachment 41715
> ...


Note: This schematic is for gen 3 charge port, my car has a gen 4 charge port.

The door is unchanged (from gen 3) from what I can tell and the sensor on the door is present. After repairing the ECU, the door opens and closes and responds to the charger so I think that part is working.

Behind the door, the rest of the components seem to be a complete redesign. The HV lines are routed completely different and as a result that cover is likely different. I tried searching eBay but can only find the old cover. Good suggestion on finding one in a yard; I could try finding a model Y or 2021 model 3 in a yard and have the yard send me photos.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

Thanks to Mr. Munro I found the picture I was looking for. Looks like the mode Y has no cover, I would assume the M3 is the same. It's got a cap which snaps over the connections, I am wondering how or where it senses that a cover is missing. I will have to take a closer look at this thing.


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

JasonF said:


> It's possibly one of these two components (4 or 15):
> 
> View attachment 41714
> View attachment 41715
> ...


Jason, is there somewhere online you can look up Tesla parts? I would love to see what kind of parts we can buy from Tesla and what they won't sell to the public.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

Power Surge said:


> Jason, is there somewhere online you can look up Tesla parts? I would love to see what kind of parts we can buy from Tesla and what they won't sell to the public.


epc.tesla.com


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

iChris93 said:


> epc.tesla.com


Awesome, thanks!


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

Power Surge said:


> Jason, is there somewhere online you can look up Tesla parts? I would love to see what kind of parts we can buy from Tesla and what they won't sell to the public.


Yes, epc.tesla.com is where I'm looking those up. Log in with your account. The section you're looking for is at the bottom, "High Voltage System".


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

Success, finally got it to charge 🥳🥳

The issue was the little orange cover. It has two contacts that have to fully engage. They apparently were not fully seated down. I will post more pictures and maybe a video to help others


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## Klaus-rf (Mar 6, 2019)

On, Wayne!!


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

JasonF said:


> Yes, epc.tesla.com is where I'm looking those up. Log in with your account. The section you're looking for is at the bottom, "High Voltage System".


Thank you! (and Chris). I have always heard you can't buy any parts for these cars from Tesla. Looking through the catalog, that's clearly not true. Aside from the drive motor and HV pack, it seems pretty much all other parts are over the counter. Prices would be nice though lol.


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## Jeff_fixin (10 mo ago)

Power Surge said:


> Thank you! (and Chris). I have always heard you can't buy any parts for these cars from Tesla. Looking through the catalog, that's clearly not true. Aside from the drive motor and HV pack, it seems pretty much all other parts are over the counter. Prices would be nice though lol.


Ditto, it would be helpful if they posted some sort of pricing. I know of a handful of little items I will likely have to purchase from Tesla, I guess I will have to make friends with the guy at the parts counter. hopefully he likes donuts :laughing:


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## Pepe (2 mo ago)

Hi all, I also purchased a salvage M3 (2020) for an education project. It too was bent in the charge port fender. I have the errors: HVP_w015 and PCS_a023 as you did before repairing your ECU. It seems like from this discussion that getting the ECU back to life is my first step towards being able to charge. I have a question trying to read the parts catalog page for the M3 charge port. I have the assembly everything to the left of part 19, and have acquired a salvage charge port door (3) - do I need any of the parts 16 - 19? I don't see that I have any of those or traces of those...


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

Pepe said:


> Hi all, I also purchased a salvage M3 (2020) for an education project. It too was bent in the charge port fender. I have the errors: HVP_w015 and PCS_a023 as you did before repairing your ECU. It seems like from this discussion that getting the ECU back to life is my first step towards being able to charge. I have a question trying to read the parts catalog page for the M3 charge port. I have the assembly everything to the left of part 19, and have acquired a salvage charge port door (3) - do I need any of the parts 16 - 19? I don't see that I have any of those or traces of those...
> 
> 
> View attachment 45922


Random guy on the internet observation: did you select this parts diagram just for simple illustration purposes only?

Reason I ask: the diagram you used appears to have a CCS style connector, not a Tesla North America style connector. Not sure if that would have any impact on parts nomenclature, etc.


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## Pepe (2 mo ago)

Right you are! Thanks 
Same question though - do I need all of these parts and they fit together somehow, or are there 2 different versions represented here? I see they each have a manual release.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Pepe said:


> Right you are! Thanks
> Same question though - do I need all of these parts and they fit together somehow, or are there 2 different versions represented here? I see they each have a manual release.


Strange. The version shown on the left doesn't have an item number associated with it. My guess is that it's a picture of the older, original version, and for some reason they decided to just add the new version to the right instead of creating a new diagram.

Model Y only shows the new version:


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