Tesla Service Mode: How to Access It and What It Does

Tesla's Service Mode

Not a Tesla App

Tesla ships a very detailed and comprehensive diagnostic and repair utility that is available in-vehicle, without requiring external plugs, adapters, or computers. It helps both Tesla and 3^rd party technicians service Tesla vehicles far more efficiently.

Who Can Access It?

Unlike many other vehicle manufacturers, who require OBD-2 ports, service subscriptions, and other external utilities, anyone can access Tesla’s service mode. All owners and 3^rd party technicians can access Service Mode by simply entering a special mode in the vehicle.

What Features Does It Have?

Service Mode is a special hidden app in the vehicle that provides various diagnostics tools that let you test various vehicle subsystems and components. Remember that if you’re exploring service mode on your own, you’ll want to be careful. Many of the features kept inside Service Mode are intended for debugging or repair – and not for the average user, however, Tesla provides a very user-friendly interface.

The options available will vary based on the vehicle and the systems available in that vehicle. For example, the Model S will have a diagnostic tool to troubleshoot its door handles, while the Model X will have one for its falcon-wing doors, but most tools will apply to a wide range of vehicles.

The Vehicle Info section of Service Mode

Not a Tesla App

How to Access Service Mode

Tesla’s Service Mode is accessible via the touchscreen with just a few taps. Go to the vehicle controls button (the car icon), and tap the Software tab. After that, locate the vehicle model badge, (e.g. MODEL Y Long Range), directly beneath the vehicle image.

Tap and hold the word “MODEL” for 2 seconds, until you see a small ripple then let go. A menu and on-screen keyboard will pop up, prompting for an access code. Type the access code “service”.

Once you do this, it will bring up the SERVICE menu and a new app in the dock that’s red with a wrench. The entire display will also have a red border around it, indicating the vehicle is in Service Mode. Do NOT drive the vehicle in Service Mode, as many safety features are disabled while Service Mode is active.

How to Exit Service Mode

Once again, you can disable Service Mode from the primary display. If you’ve gone into another app, locate a bright red icon with a wrench in the dock or in the All Apps menu.

Once you bring up the Service Mode app, tap on the last icon in the left column. It’s red and shows a door with an arrow. Simply tap and hold this icon for several seconds to exit Service Mode. You’ll know once Service Mode is exited because the red border around the screen will be removed.

If you can’t find the Service Mode app, start Service Mode again by going to Controls > Software and holding the badge icon to enter Service Mode mode again. Once you’re back in the menu, tap and hold on the red exit icon.

Vehicle Info

Tesla breaks Service Mode into various sections which we’ll go through below. The Vehicle Info section provides most of the same information available in the vehicle’s Software menu, showing you things such as VIN, Autopilot computer, software version and more. At the bottom, you also have access to Service Alerts, Service Settings, Software Reinstall, and a Touch Screen check to confirm your display is working correctly. There is also a button for Additional Resources, which takes you to your vehicle’s Service Guide online.

Driver Assist

This tab has two menus – Cameras and ECU. The Cameras menu provides nominal information on the vehicle cameras, including pitch information – useful for technicians working on the windshield. You can also clear camera calibration from here – but you can also do that within the regular vehicle menus and get a full preview of all cameras.

The ECU tab provides information on the vehicle's electronic control unit and GPS/GNSS.

Infotainment

Infotainment section of Service Mode

Not a Tesla App

The Infotainment tab has two menus – Connectivity and Software. The Connectivity menu provides information on Wi-Fi and Cell connectivity and the status of the vehicle’s modems. You can run tests on either modem from here.

The Software tab provides information on the vehicle’s downloaded software and backup banks. Here, you’ll see that both the infotainment and Autopilot systems have 2 side-by-side banks – one keeps the previous update. Map info is also available here. These will be blank or display “—” while updating.

High Voltage

High Voltage section of Service Mode

Not a Tesla App

The High Voltage section is one of the most useful menus – it provides you with the ability to conduct Battery Health tests. The UI here provides information on the entire high-voltage system, including the battery, inverter, motors, vehicle charger, as well as the contactor and high-voltage pyro fuse.

The second tab in the high voltage menu displays the temperature of the battery and details on connected charging apparatuses.

Low Voltage

The Low Voltage system is all the other electronics in the car, and it provides information on the various low voltage components, including the 16v Lithium-Ion (or 12v Lead-Acid, for older vehicles).

This UI is drastically different in the Cybertruck – where it does not run on 16v, but rather 48v.

The last piece of the Low Voltage UI is Homelink. If you purchase Homelink – an add-on module – Tesla will install it for you. If you choose to install it yourself, you can commission the Homelink module through this menu. In the menu, you can also see how many devices are programmed and how many codes have been transmitted with HomeLink.

Thermal

The Thermal menu displays the status of the HVAC system, as well as the battery’s portion of the loop. It’s one of the coolest-looking menus since its animated.

It provides options for self-tests, as well as several options for the coolant and thermal pumps. This UI is for vehicles with heat pumps – legacy vehicles will have an A/C compressor and resistive heating.

This is also where you can view the status of your cabin and HEPA filters, and you can see if they need to be replaced.

The Thermal Menu on 2024.14

Not a Tesla App

Chassis

The Chassis menu provides you with steering options – and the ability to view or adjust your steering wheel offsets, look at suspension information on the Model S and X, re-calibrate the steering column, and confirm each of the buttons on the steering wheel and its stalks are working as expected.

It also provides you with some details on the vehicle’s brakes – showing some test and brake bleed options. An option for Brake Burnishing option is also available here.

Closures

The closures menu shows the status of windows, or automatic doors as well as the status of the front and rear defrosters. You can recalibrate each window and confirm it’s working properly. On the Model S it displays information on the automatic door handles, on the Model X it has a test for the gull-wing doors and for the Cybertruck you can test the tonneau cover.

Safety & Restraints

Safety & Restraints section of Service Mode

Not a Tesla App

This menu simply displays the status of airbags, seat restraints, occupancy sensors and the pyro fuses in them, letting you confirm that each item is working properly and doesn’t have any faults.

Service Mode+ and Toolbox3

Of course, Tesla does have their own way of getting even more data than what is provided in Service Mode, through Service Mode+ and Toolbox3 – a subscription-access service similar to other vehicle vendors.

Service Mode+ is an additional set of tools that are internal to Tesla and require a Toolbox3 setup and subscription to access. It provides further information to fleet owners, collision centers, and Tesla technicians to diagnose and repair vehicles, as well as providing the capability to easily enable or disable Service Mode on vehicles remotely.

Toolbox3 is a subscription service that Tesla offers 3^rd-party technicians and collision centers for around $3,000 per year or a hefty $500 for 30 days. Toolbox3 is installed on a computer and uses a special vehicle interface cable connected to the vehicle. If you’re a technician looking for details on how to set up or use Toolbox3, Tesla’s Online Service Manuals provide a per-vehicle and per-hardware spec guide on how to set it up.

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Tesla Model Y Project Juniper Rumor Roundup - Production Set to Begin Next Month

@DominicBRNKMN on X

Tesla’s Model Y refresh - codenamed Juniper - is the source of a lot of rumors. It is also one of the most hotly anticipated vehicle refreshes ever. Given that it’s been the best-selling vehicle globally for several years now, this should come as no surprise.

We’ve seen a lot of leaks of Juniper’s new front and rear lightbars. We’ve also made a wishlist of features we’d love to see for the Model Y refresh. It’s certainly going to be something special that will cause the Model Y to dominate sales charts globally.

We did some investigation into all the different things we’ve heard recently - and we’ll give you our take. We spent some time diving deep into some of the Chinese sources that reported all of these different details, so we’re hoping to get as close as possible to the truth.

Production Starting in January

LatePost, a media outlet from Shanghai, recently reported on the departure of Song Gang, director of Tesla’s Shanghai factory. This report said that the Model Y Juniper would go into production next month — January 2025.

This seems in line with previous news we’ve heard - namely that Giga Shanghai was reducing Model Y production capacity to run a prototype line of the Model Y. It seems that Giga Shanghai won’t need as much time to retool as with the Model 3 Highland, as Highland and Juniper likely share many similarities.

Additionally, this matches the same timeline for the Model 3 Highland’s launch, where Tesla launched it in China first and then later launched it in Europe and North America once Giga Shanghai worked out all the kinks in production. While the Highland 3 began shipping in October 2023, we feel like we can expect the first ship date for the Juniper Y to begin sometime in Q1.

Front and Rear Lightbar

This is one of the most credible rumors we’ve seen - and it makes sense. We’ve seen photos of the Model Y Juniper that’s covered up, and most of them have front and rear lightbars - or what looks like lightbars, anyway. We’re pretty sure the vehicle will arrive with lightbars on both ends, and it’ll be just as visually striking as the Cybertruck and Cybercab.

We love Tesla’s lean into the Cyber aesthetic, especially given the slick new style of the Cybercab that was shown off at this year’s We, Robot. Given the Model Y is more of a mass-market vehicle that needs to appeal to everyone, we’re sure that Tesla is going to strike a fine balance between futuristic and modern. It’ll definitely be a vehicle that turns heads.

❗️JUNIPER SPOTTED TESTING IN RAIN pic.twitter.com/odWwhlHICZ

— DennisCW | wen juniper (@DennisCW_) December 16, 2024

Performance Upgrades

We’ve also heard plenty of stuff on performance upgrades, which are also likely to be true. The Model 3 Highland saw a fairly big boost in performance, even for the Rear Wheel Drive and Long Range Variants. The Performance variant saw a ludicrous uplift, and we’re hoping to see the same pan out for Juniper.

4th Gen Motors

Some reports have mentioned that Tesla will introduce a fourth-gen motor with Juniper - but we think this is relatively unlikely. The Model 3 Highland and the Model Y Juniper are expected to share many parts, and the motors will likely be one of them. 

This similarity in parts helps Tesla scale and offer cheaper prices to customers around the world. Changing to a new motor would eliminate one of the biggest advantages provided by having Model 3 and Model Y production in the same facility.

We’d instead expect any motor improvements to launch quietly, similar to how Tesla normally does under-the-hood hardware changes. We’ll see a number updated on their site, and until the first vehicle ships with a new motor, we won’t even know it's there.

95kWh Battery

We’re not sure that any version of a Model Y will get a 95kWh battery. The Long Range variant currently ships with a 75kWh battery, with a range of approximately 310 miles. A 95kWh battery could potentially push that range closer to 350-375 miles, but we’d see diminishing returns from the additional weight.

Instead, we could potentially see Tesla using the new Cybercell or one of its new battery variants that it has been exploring - either the CATL 6M packs that we’ve heard about or one of the new and mysterious NC20 cells. We did mention that we don’t believe Tesla will shift to new motors, but Tesla has previously shipped the Model Y with 4680 cells, so we could potentially see them shipping the Juniper Y with a different battery other than the current 2170 packs in the Model 3.

However, Tesla is still focusing on scaling the Cybercell at Giga Texas for the Cybertruck, and they’ve previously mentioned that they don’t want to take away production from the Cybertruck’s line to use the cell in the Tesla Semi - which is still running on the older 2170 cell. As such, its likely the Juniper will ship using the same 2170 or LFP packs that the Model 3 Highland currently utilizes.

A Juniper concept from @DominicBRNKMN on X

@DominicBRNKMN on X

Bigger, Better, Tiltable Screen

Another set of reports mentioned that Juniper would receive a larger screen with a higher resolution and the ability to tilt — very similar to the Model S and Model X. Consider this one to unlikely. Tesla has previously said they want to simplify parts of the vehicle that people don’t use - and the Cybertruck, Tesla’s current flagship vehicle, shipped with the biggest display to date and didn’t include the ability to tilt the screen.

Using the same argument earlier on the parts compatibility between the Highland and Juniper, we fully expect the refreshed Model Y to arrive with the same screen as the Model 3 Highland, but we’d be happy to be surprised.

6 Seater Variant

LatePost’s report also mentioned that a 6-seat variant of the Model Y would begin production in late 2025. This lines up smoothly with Reuters’ report on the 6-seat variant, which could potentially be exclusive to China. Reuters mentioned that the 7-seat Model Y was fairly unpopular in China, as the third row was cramped, although Chinese families liked the idea of having at least 6 seats.

We’d expect this 6-seat variant to launch in late 2025, sometime after the expected Late Spring/Early Summer launch of the Juniper’s performance variant.

That’s everything we know about the Model Y Juniper so far. In short, production could start as early as next month, with front and rear lightbars, performance upgrades, and a 6-seat variant later down the line. We wouldn’t expect new generation motors, a different battery, or even a fancier screen.

Be sure to check out our full wishlist of features we’d love to see in Juniper.

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Tesla Introduces Year-End Energy Awards to the Tesla App – Are FSD Awards Next?

Alex Guichet

If you have a Tesla Powerwall or Tesla Solar installed, Tesla rolled out a new feature in the Tesla app that gives you a great overview of your past year with Tesla Energy. The feature highlights how you and your home benefited from Tesla Energy by displaying various statistics and giving you an award based on your system’s activity, but it looks like this may soon apply to more than just Tesla Energy.

Tesla Energy

Tesla calls this year-end-recap Tesla Recharged - kind of similar to Spotify’s Unwrapped annual recap. And that is really what it is - it’s a look back at how your Tesla Energy system performed over the course of 2024.

Recharged shows you how often you were Self-Powered, how much energy you saved, how much solar was generated, and how much your solar system offset your grid usage. It also lets you compare how many times you went off the grid in comparison to other users.

It’ll list the day of your longest outage and how many outages you had. It’ll also show the number of times your Tesla Powerwall went into Storm Watch - and the hours of protection you had. There’s also a lot more, including the total amount of energy stored, your month with the highest solar generation, the month with the most money saved, and when your average peak load times. It’s a lot of information presented in a neat package, and we’d love to see more of this type of stuff in the Tesla app.

Awards - Trophies

Not a Tesla App

The final item is the trophies. Your Tesla Energy archetype is listed - and going off-grid was called “the party trick,” according to Alex Guichet. The archetype he won was Trickster - but he didn’t say how many archetypes there are. In addition to Trickster, we’ve seen archetypes of Solar Punk, which is awarded to high levels of energy generation, and Team Player, given out to Virtual Power Plant leaders.

The trophy characterizes your use of Tesla’s Energy features, so let us know what trophies you got! We’d love to see all the unique archetypes.

These stats are so cool!! Here is ours! https://t.co/XfPF243ire pic.twitter.com/oJhjwyyfC3

— TeslaFamOnBoard - Jose Negron⚡️🚙🇵🇷 (@TeslaFamOnBoard) December 20, 2024

FSD Awards Coming?

Yun-Ta Tsai, a member of Tesla’s FSD Engineering Team, mentioned that Tesla should do this for FSD miles driven, too - and Alex agreed. There’s a good chance that we may get a Tesla FSD wrap-up next year.

We’d love to see the number of miles driven on FSD versus regular driving, and be able to compare how often you used it versus other users. It would be a really cool way to let the community compete on FSD miles.

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