Your Tesla has two motors, one on the front and one on the rear. Each of these motors is capable of propelling the car independently. However, the performance of your Tesla can drop if one of the motors is disabled.
So, why is your Tesla front motor disabled? Battery problems or software issues can disable the front motor temporarily. Your car will still be driveable with just one motor. But the speed and acceleration will be reduced.
Let’s learn what you can do when you get the front motor unavailable alert to complete your drive safely.
Tesla Front Motor Disabled: What Causes This?
Tesla uses an AC induction motor in the front. This motor is liquid-cooled and has a variable frequency drive. Depending on the motor type of your vehicle model, front motors can generate a maximum power of 137-202 kW at 5,000-6,380 RPM.
The maximum torque of this motor is 219-404 Nm with an output voltage of 320V. Sometimes, you will get an alert on the main screen. The alert code is DI_w138. It shows the message “Front motor disabled.” Here are the reasons for this problem.
Low Battery Power
If the battery power isn’t enough to run both motors at the same time, the intelligent control system of Tesla can disable the front motor. You can go to Controls > Display > Energy Display to check the battery level. The rear motor on your Tesla is powerful enough to drive the vehicle at speeds of about 30-50 mph. For further assistance with issues like the ‘Tesla Low Voltage Battery Warning,’ our comprehensive guide offers invaluable insights and solutions, ensuring optimal vehicle performance.
The front motor aids in speed and acceleration. When the front motor is disabled, you will experience sluggish acceleration and lower speed with your Tesla.
Software Issues
Sometimes, a software bug can cause the front motor to be disabled. If you haven’t updated the software in a bit or the updated software has a glitch, this problem can happen.
If the problem is related to outdated software, updating the software will resolve the issue. Otherwise, you need to download the latest security patch to remove the glitch.
What Can You Do If the Tesla Front Motor Is Disabled?
Tesla has some clear instructions in the owner’s manual about this alert code and its consequences. I will explain everything for your convenience.
Tesla says that you need to do nothing in this situation. The front motor being disabled is a temporary condition that may go away automatically. You should continue driving with caution as the power is reduced. You can also try charging the vehicle.
If the alert doesn’t clear itself after some time, you should try turning the vehicle off and starting it again. Also, you can try resetting the vehicle to get rid of the issue.
Encountering rear motor issues? Find solutions in our guide: Troubleshooting Tesla Rear Motor Disablement.
How to Reset Your Tesla to Activate Front Motor?
If the soft reboot doesn’t solve the problem, you can try powering off the system. Here are the steps.
- Step 1: Go to “Controls.” Then, tap on the “Safety & Security” tab.
- Step 2: Tap the “Power Off” button. The system will now shut down.
- Step 3: Wait for about 2 to 5 minutes before doing anything. Then, press the brake pedal to turn the system on.
- Step 4: After resetting the system, the front motor disabled alert may go away. If not, you need to contact the Tesla service center for a front motor inspection.
How to Update Tesla Software to Fix Disabled Front Motor?
Updating the software on your Tesla may solve the issue. Follow the steps below to update the software.
- Step 1: Go to “Software” on the main screen of your Tesla. The “Software Update” section will be on the right side of the screen.
- Step 2: Tap on “Check for updates” and see if any software update is available.
- Step 3: Download the update and install it.
- Step 4: After the update, you need to perform a soft reboot on your Tesla. Press the brake pedal and hold it.
- Step 5: Press both scroll wheels on the steering at the same time and hold them for about ten seconds.
- Step 6: The screen will turn off. Release the scroll wheels and the brake pedal.
- Step 7: Wait until the screen turns on again. After rebooting the system, the front motor disabled alert may go away, and you can drive normally.
FAQs
Check the answers to some commonly asked questions about disabled front motors on Tesla.
You can drive as long as the battery level isn’t too low. As the front motor is disabled, the battery range may increase. But the power delivery will be lower.
Not exactly. A disabled front motor reduces the power and speed, so it should be safer to drive. Other controls of the system won’t be affected due to the disabled front motor.
No. The computerized system on your Tesla controls the motors and power delivery. So, you can’t manually activate a disabled front motor.
Conclusion
Getting the front motor disabled alert on the screen is panicking for many Tesla owners. I want to assure you that there is no huge risk if the front motor gets disabled. But you might want to know why the Tesla front motor is disabled.
I mentioned the most common reasons and showed how you can solve the issue. There can be underlying problems with the front motor or the system that only Tesla technicians can figure out. If the solutions mentioned here don’t work, you should contact the Tesla service center as soon as possible.
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