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Tesla Model 3/S/X diagnostics: module scan, reading faults from the "Alerts" menu and "Live values"

On a Tesla, diagnostics do not work like on a conventional car: classic DTCs are not always meaningful and there is no fault clearing as we know it. The real faults are read in the "Alerts" menu, which works as live monitoring. This guide explains how to run the scan and read the "Alerts" and "Live values".

Procedure

1. Connect the AVDI to the vehicle following the ZN087 procedure (CB027 on the BCM for Model 3, ZN071 on the diagnostic socket for Model S/X) and make sure you have a stable internet connection: the software is server-based.
2. Start "Abrites Diagnostics for Tesla": at startup choose the make and model (Model 3, Model S or Model X). The vehicle protocol is detected automatically and the "General Diagnostics" screen opens.
3. Run the scan from the "General Diagnostics" screen to build the list of modules present on the vehicle (Module Identification). Use it to identify the modules you want to work on.
4. Bear in mind that on Teslas the information in the module list and in the "DTC" read this way is not always reliable: it is there to point you in the right direction, not to close the diagnosis.
5. To read the real faults press the "Alerts" button on the left-hand side of the main screen: that is the correct way to "read DTCs" on a Tesla.
6. In the "Alerts" menu select the module you want on the left: all the parameters monitored for that module appear on the right.
7. Read the values: "0" means no fault on the monitored parameter, "1" means there is a problem. The values are dynamic, so if for example you are monitoring a blown bulb (value 1) and you replace it, the value goes to 0 on its own.
8. Do not look for a fault clearing function: on Teslas it does not exist the way it does on other cars. Faults disappear automatically as soon as the problem is fixed, so there is nothing to clear.
9. Tesla does not provide the text description of the codes in diagnostics: note the fault code down and then look it up in the Tesla fault code database on their site.
10. For live data press "Live values" and then select the module whose parameters you want to see: use them to check sensors and actuators during the repair.

Reference screenshots