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The area with the umbrella valves isn't the first area to tackle but it should be cleaned thoroughly and the valves replaced whenever the pack is out of the car. Just don't forget to order the parts from Tesla because they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. Take a look at the Parts To Purchase tab to see the various versions available and read here and below to help inform the choice. As mentioned in the earlier pages, I really don't know the best combination of vents/breathers/plugs. If anyone would like to weigh in or start a discussion to build a consensus, I will be happy to include it here. In the meantime, get the parts on the way and get cleaning!
Getting the covers off should be easy but can be frustrating depending on the environment your pack has lived in. There are 10x T25 bolts down each side. Be deliberate removing these because they like to bind up and several could be full of debris which makes it more likely to strip the bolt head or your T25 bit. A couple seconds with a pick to remove any gunk and forceful push of an impact drill is a good idea. Have some extra bits. The last time I did a set of these I twisted the head off 3 or 4 bits.
A note on the order of things... if you are going to put Gore Breathers in the ski rails, it will be better to leave them out until the pack if sealed and you have completed your pressure test. In the meantime, you can reuse some of the umbrella valves that are in the best condition for the pressure test.
The cover is held in with tabs slid into a channel in the pack and the 10 bolts you just removed. The array of umbrella valves will be visible. You will want to remove them. You can either pry them down from the bottom (use a plastic tool that doesn't damage the surface) or push them out from inside the pack if the modules are out of the way. If you pry them down, you will break some clips but as mentioned, I recommend simply replacing them all anyway. If you want, you can soak the unbroken ones in dish soap to use as emergency spares if you need. When they are out of the way, wipe the area down and run a pick through the channel where the back tab slides in so it will seat correctly when you reinstall. Once everything is cleaned up, you are ready to pop the new valves/caps/breathers into the pack.
Umbrella Valve Options
Umbrella Valve Options
Install the array of umbrella valves you are choosing to use.
Three Options
Three Options
The original packs had just umbrella valves. Later, they installed 2/3 'plugs' with 1/3 umbella valves. The latest version includes 1 Gore Breather per bay except for the front bay on each side which is only plugs.
Strips
Strips
These are laid out in groups of six and can be installed connected but I like to separate them so the o-ring can be rotated a couple of degrees once it is in place. That takes longer but ultimately helps eliminate pinched or out of place o-rings.
Ski Rail Covers
Ski Rail Covers
The ski rails are fastened to the car using 10 T25-head bolts per side. The inboard side slides into a groove in the pack. The area gets filthy from road spray/debris and should be cleaned out more frequently than a pack fails...
Plugs Installed
Plugs Installed
The original design had 6 umbrella valves in each of the 14 module bays. That really is overkill. The 2nd design places 6 blanks/plugs in the front bay which get the worst road spray from the front wheels and 4 plugs plus two umbrella valves after that. Essentially, 84 umbrella valves down to 24. Progress! The most recent version adds a Gore Breather in place of a plug in 12 of the bays and eliminates the silicone valve.
Gunk Collector
Gunk Collector
The debris seen here is after about one full season and 15,000 miles. You can see how packed with gunk this can get after several years and why it is a good idea to have just the plugs at the front of the pack.
8 Years and 70,000 miles
8 Years and 70,000 miles
These live in a dirty, wet, yucky environment. If anyone has a good tutorial on how to remove the rocker panels with the battery in the car, refreshing this area every couple of years would be a great maintenance project for the weekend warrior who might not want to remove a working pack to do this. Send the info or a link and I'll put it here.
The covers are always filled with gunk. Shop Vac first, then a garden hose in the driveway worked for these...
Bottom line on these is they should be cleaned and updated whenever you have a chance. Opinions will vary on having the Gore breathers in the rails vs. just plugs and umbrella valves but everyone will agree the addition of some plugs is a good thing and everyone will agree it is good to clean the area.
Leave the covers off until you complete the pressure test. This will allow you to swap out the old umbrellas for the Gore Breathers if you choose or at least look for any umbrella valves or o-rings that are leaking badly. If one is leaking, you should have some spares to replace it.
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