THE ELON MUSK FREE VACATION BONUS PACKAGE!

[DarickHemphill]

Within a mile of my house and 2 tenths of a mile of my business are two different banks that I use that offer free EV charging. It has actually worked out well for these banks because I now keep decent deposits at their banks. I do use them quite a bit at night to top off my truck. I have asked the managers at each bank and both seem to be appreciative of the fact that I am an actual customer and not just a random person taking advantage of the free electricity. So when I found out my PCS had finally failed at 45k miles I was pretty bummed out. It means charging at my "free spots" now takes way to long. Tesla, today got back to me and diagnosed the cars failed PCS remotely AND told me I now have FREE SUPER CHARGING!

My parents always taught me to make lemonade out of lemons, so I am proposing the following competition:

Who can go to the coolest place or longest trip on Tesla's dime? I have always wanted to drive to the drive in diner in California and this is the anniversary of the birth of ROUTE 66, (I am based in Springfield, MO) so I thought maybe combining the two would be a fun way to kill the remainder of my warranty AND and see a part of the country I have mostly just flown over. For those of you that have made this trip or something similar to it is there any particular points of interest we should not miss? I am going to try to fundraise for St. Jude while doing it. I am going to try to get my wife to ok this trip tonight or tomorrow. I am hoping to let the Cybertruck drive the entire route. I do want to make sure I avoid charging the truck at 24 V, so supercharger routes are gonna be heavily prioritized.

Appreciate your thoughts!

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[UberNoob]

Yea, Elons gonna be paying for a trip to MS, then home for a week or so then prolly Cedar Point see what’s changed there, maybe I sneak in something else after.

 

[MCraft99]

Does the 120V outlets in the cab work for you at all?

 

[DarickHemphill]

Yea, Elons gonna be paying for a trip to MS, then home for a week or so then prolly Cedar Point see what’s changed there, maybe I sneak in something else after.

I would think that would make you a definite contender for first place! Safe travels!

 

[DarickHemphill]

Does the 120V outlets in the cab work for you at all?

I honestly haven't tried it, but from what I have read they should work just fine.

 

[UberNoob]

Does the 120V outlets in the cab work for you at all?

my PCS has already been repaired, but I never lost 120v capability even my bed outlets was fine. However randomly they would be toggled off in the menu when I used low power mode, I’d just turn it back on. I have Apple 30w brick plugged in there with a MagSafe circle I use to speed charge my iPhone. Also my PCS issues wasn’t standard, couldn’t charge at home with errors “charging equipment not providing power” vs the standard “ac charging unavailable” message.

 

[Cincycyber]

I’d avoid AC charging altogether. I too am at 24A meaning that 1/2 of the PCS has failed. Free supercharging while economical has also vastly increased my degradation from .75 to 3.5% in 5 weeks. Essentially I’m cooking my battery with “free” BS charging.

Per Grok losing the remaining 1/2 of the PCS could render our trucks a brick:


Yes, if the other half of the PCS fails completely (both the AC charging and DC-DC converter portions), you will lose the ability to charge/maintain the 48V battery from the high-voltage pack.11


What the PCS Does in the Cybertruck


The Power Conversion System (PCS) integrates:

• Onboard AC-DC charger (for Level 1/2 home charging, Mobile Connector, Wall Connector). It’s designed with redundancy — one half failing typically drops you from ~48A to ~24A charging, which matches what you’re seeing.12
• DC-DC converter(s) that step down high-voltage battery power to charge and sustain the 48V low/mid-voltage system (the Cybertruck uses a 48V lithium-ion auxiliary battery instead of traditional 12V).10

The 48V system powers critical components like steer-by-wire, screens/displays, door locks, safety sensors, computers, and more. It has some redundancy (e.g., dual DC-DC paths in the PCS and a small 48V battery buffer), but it’s not fully independent long-term.25


What Happens When the Full PCS Fails

• AC charging (home/Wall/Mobile) becomes unavailable or severely limited.
• DC-DC conversion stops, so the 48V battery is no longer recharged from the main HV battery.
• The 48V battery will gradually drain over time (hours to days, depending on usage, parasitic draw, and whether the truck is “awake” or in a deep sleep state).
• Once the 48V battery depletes: The truck can become a “brick” — unresponsive, unable to unlock via app/key, screens blank, no “start,” and critically, steer-by-wire fails. You won’t be able to drive or even maneuver it into tow mode easily.11

Many owners report that Supercharging (DC fast charging) often still works even with partial or full PCS failure (as it bypasses the AC charger side), but if the 48V system is dead, you may not be able to initiate a session or the vehicle may enter protective limp mode or shutdown.46 Tesla has provided free Supercharging as a workaround for affected owners while parts are sourced.


Drivability Impact

• Short-term (one half failed, as now): Minimal impact beyond slower AC charging. The truck remains fully drivable.
• Full PCS failure + 48V drain:
  • Progressive warnings, reduced features (e.g., PowerShare/V2L issues, screen glitches).
  • Loss of steering assist/control once 48V is too low — this is a major safety/drivability issue since Cybertruck is steer-by-wire with no mechanical backup.50
  • Potential complete immobilization. Some cases require a 12V jump/boost to the 48V system (via a special procedure) to regain access and tow mode.59

This is a known issue on early/mid Cybertrucks (warranty-covered; Tesla is replacing PCS units). Service can take time due to part availability, so monitor for worsening symptoms and contact Tesla Service promptly — mention your current 24A limitation for priority.16


Recommendation: Get it diagnosed/replaced soon via the Tesla app or service center. Avoid letting it sit for long periods without monitoring, and rely on Superchargers if needed. If you’re planning travel, have a contingency (e.g., roadside with 48V jump capability). Let me know if you need help checking service status or related details!

 

[Cyberham]

Im doing the same. Driving across Canada to the Atlantic

 

[DarickHemphill]

I asked for a ballpark estimate of when the PCS would be available. I was told 8 weeks. How many times can I cross America in 8 weeks?

 

[DanK]

Places to go on your Route 66 trip??
--Painted Desert
--Meteor Crater
--Monument Valley
--Grand Canyon (definitely)

 

[Known-Background]

I’d avoid AC charging altogether. I too am at 24A meaning that 1/2 of the PCS has failed. Free supercharging while economical has also vastly increased my degradation from .75 to 3.5% in 5 weeks. Essentially I’m cooking my battery with “free” BS charging.

Per Grok losing the remaining 1/2 of the PCS could render our trucks a brick:


Yes, if the other half of the PCS fails completely (both the AC charging and DC-DC converter portions), you will lose the ability to charge/maintain the 48V battery from the high-voltage pack.11


What the PCS Does in the Cybertruck


The Power Conversion System (PCS) integrates:

• Onboard AC-DC charger (for Level 1/2 home charging, Mobile Connector, Wall Connector). It’s designed with redundancy — one half failing typically drops you from ~48A to ~24A charging, which matches what you’re seeing.12
• DC-DC converter(s) that step down high-voltage battery power to charge and sustain the 48V low/mid-voltage system (the Cybertruck uses a 48V lithium-ion auxiliary battery instead of traditional 12V).10

The 48V system powers critical components like steer-by-wire, screens/displays, door locks, safety sensors, computers, and more. It has some redundancy (e.g., dual DC-DC paths in the PCS and a small 48V battery buffer), but it’s not fully independent long-term.25


What Happens When the Full PCS Fails

• AC charging (home/Wall/Mobile) becomes unavailable or severely limited.
• DC-DC conversion stops, so the 48V battery is no longer recharged from the main HV battery.
• The 48V battery will gradually drain over time (hours to days, depending on usage, parasitic draw, and whether the truck is “awake” or in a deep sleep state).
• Once the 48V battery depletes: The truck can become a “brick” — unresponsive, unable to unlock via app/key, screens blank, no “start,” and critically, steer-by-wire fails. You won’t be able to drive or even maneuver it into tow mode easily.11

Many owners report that Supercharging (DC fast charging) often still works even with partial or full PCS failure (as it bypasses the AC charger side), but if the 48V system is dead, you may not be able to initiate a session or the vehicle may enter protective limp mode or shutdown.46 Tesla has provided free Supercharging as a workaround for affected owners while parts are sourced.


Drivability Impact

• Short-term (one half failed, as now): Minimal impact beyond slower AC charging. The truck remains fully drivable.
• Full PCS failure + 48V drain:
  • Progressive warnings, reduced features (e.g., PowerShare/V2L issues, screen glitches).
  • Loss of steering assist/control once 48V is too low — this is a major safety/drivability issue since Cybertruck is steer-by-wire with no mechanical backup.50
  • Potential complete immobilization. Some cases require a 12V jump/boost to the 48V system (via a special procedure) to regain access and tow mode.59

This is a known issue on early/mid Cybertrucks (warranty-covered; Tesla is replacing PCS units). Service can take time due to part availability, so monitor for worsening symptoms and contact Tesla Service promptly — mention your current 24A limitation for priority.16


Recommendation: Get it diagnosed/replaced soon via the Tesla app or service center. Avoid letting it sit for long periods without monitoring, and rely on Superchargers if needed. If you’re planning travel, have a contingency (e.g., roadside with 48V jump capability). Let me know if you need help checking service status or related details!

This degradation is definitely something we should be pissed about! Standard Tesla recommendations tell us not to over super charge, and how the best practice is to keep you vehicles plugged in when not in use, which we can’t do now, and we will get nothing for this known issue that is ruining the life of our batteries but free super charging!! I wish they could let us control the amps of the DC charging for those of us that are affected!! It’s all BS, also the way you framed it suggests the PCS failure is a safety issue and should be recalled!! I’m filing with NHTSA I hope everyone else can use what the above post wrote to include in their report.

 

[MCraft99]

Don't be silly. You didn't go from 0.75% to 3.5% so quickly just by SCing a few times... Where are you getting your data? I've 100% SC'd for 30k miles, I still get 320+ estimated miles on a full charge. The battery pack uses a reserve anyways that you don't get access to, similar to how SSDs work. You can't charge the full 123KW. I think the most we get to use is ~116KW.

 

[Known-Background]

Don't be silly. You didn't go from 0.75% to 3.5% so quickly just by SCing a few times... Where are you getting your data? I've 100% SC'd for 30k miles, I still get 320+ estimated miles on a full charge. The battery pack uses a reserve anyways that you don't get access to, similar to how SSDs work. You can't charge the full 123KW. I think the most we get to use is ~116KW.

It’s funny how people want to defend this issue or justify it or deny other people’s experience, before asking the person that posted their concerns what model year and battery chemistry version they have, or what super chargers they are using. This is not FUD getting spread, it’s a real issue that Tesla should be handling much better with less variation across service centers in how it gets handled. The biggest problem is that no one regardless of mileage should have to pay for this replacement let alone, the fact we won’t get anything for the mistreatment of our batteries. Who’s side are you on dude, protect the company not the people that are the strongest supporters and early adopters that are dealing with a real issue potentially effecting the entire fleet of trucks?

 

[MCraft99]

It’s funny how people want to defend this issue or justify it or deny other people’s experience, before asking the person that posted their concerns what model year and battery chemistry version they have, or what super chargers they are using. This is not FUD getting spread, it’s a real issue that Tesla should be handling much better with less variation across service centers in how it gets handled. The biggest problem is that no one regardless of mileage should have to pay for this replacement let alone, the fact we won’t get anything for the mistreatment of our batteries. Who’s side are you on dude, protect the company not the people that are the strongest supporters and early adopters that are dealing with a real issue potentially effecting the entire fleet of trucks?

Who's side am I on? No one's. Just the facts.

Show proof the battery health dropped that much over a couple SCing. I've done nothing but SC mine almost every day with a half dozen 100% charges on long trips. I'm not saying that it doesn't suck having to get the PCS replaced though.

 

[shurley1975]

OH the outrage!! jfc dude. Can you clutch your pearls any tighter??

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