How to Jump-Start a Tesla With a Portable Jump Starter
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When a Tesla has no low-voltage power, you cannot open the front trunk with the touchscreen or the mobile app, and the Model Y page adds the key fob. This guide follows the Model 3 and Model Y pages of Tesla's manuals in our own words, then covers what to look for in a jump starter. Your own manual is always the final word.
Before you start
- Open the Jump Starting page of your own manual. This guide follows Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y pages. Other models and other model years can differ.
- Never use a Tesla to jump another vehicle. Tesla's manuals say this can result in damage.
- Avoid short circuits. Tesla warns that connecting a cable to the wrong post, or letting the leads touch each other, can damage the car. Keep the positive cable away from other metal parts.
- Take care with the doors. The Model 3 manual says that if you open a door with the manual release, its window will not lower automatically, and the window or the trim can be damaged. Use the manual release with caution.
Step 1: Open the hood with no power
With no low-voltage power, the front trunk will not open from the touchscreen or the app. Tesla provides two wires behind the front tow-eye cover for exactly this case. Tesla adds that these steps do not open the hood if the car is locked and still has low-voltage power.
- Get an external low-voltage power supply, such as a portable jump starter.
- Release the tow-eye cover. Press firmly on the top right edge of the cover on the front bumper until it pivots inward, then pull it out to reveal the wires. One is red and one is black. Use only the front cover. The Model 3 manual says a cover near the rear bumper, if your car has one, is for transporting the car and does not have the right wires.
- Pull the two wires out of the opening so you can reach both terminals.
- Connect the clamps. Red clamp to the red (+) terminal, black clamp to the black (−) terminal.
- Switch on the jump starter, following its own instructions. The hood latches release at once.
- Disconnect both cables, black first. Tesla says not to leave them connected for more than 30 seconds, so remove them as soon as the hood unlatches. These terminals only release the latches. They cannot charge the low-voltage battery.
- Open the hood. Then fit the tow-eye cover back by feeding the wires into the opening and snapping the cover into place. If the car is going onto a flatbed truck, leave the cover off for now.
Step 2: Jump-start at the jump posts
Opening the hood does not wake the car. Next you connect the supply to the low-voltage jump post or battery terminals in the front trunk, under the maintenance panel.
- Remove the maintenance panel. Pull it up gently but firmly to release its trim clips. On a Model 3 with a lead-acid battery, Tesla also has you remove the cabin intake trim panel the same way.
- Reach the post. On a Model Y, carefully fold the HEPA filter gasket toward the front of the car, if your car has one.
- Connect the clamps. Red clamp to the positive (+) post, black clamp to the negative (−) post, using the table below. On the red post, take off the red cover first. On a Model Y, pull back the black seal to reach it.
- Switch on the jump starter and touch the touchscreen. This wakes the car. Tesla says it may take several minutes.
- When you no longer need the power, disconnect both cables, black first.
- Refit the maintenance panel (and the cabin intake trim panel, if you removed it) by pressing it down until it is secure, then close the hood.
| Car | Positive (+) | Negative (−) |
|---|---|---|
| Model 3 with a lithium-ion low-voltage battery | The red jump post under the maintenance panel. Take off the red cover. | The grounding bolt next to the brake fluid reservoir. |
| 2020–2024 Model Y with a lithium-ion low-voltage battery | The red jump post under the black seal. Take off the red cover. | The HEPA filter bolt. |
| 2025 and newer Model Y | The red jump post under the black seal. Take off the red cover. | The HEPA filter bolt, found under the black plastic trim piece that extends from the top of the front trunk. |
| Model 3 or Model Y with a lead-acid low-voltage battery | The battery's red (+) terminal. Keep the cable away from other metal, such as the battery tie-down bracket. | The battery's black (−) terminal. |
Which battery does your car have? Tesla's 2017–2023 Model 3 and 2020–2024 Model Y manuals say cars built at Gigafactory Shanghai before about October 2021, and at the Fremont factory before about December 2021, have a lead-acid low-voltage battery. Cars built after those dates have lithium-ion. To check yours, touch Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information. Tesla's newest Model 3 and Model Y manuals show only the lithium-ion steps.
What to look for in a jump starter for a Tesla
- Check what Tesla says about the supply. The pages we read give a portable jump starter as an example and do not list a required rating. If you want to be sure, ask Tesla Roadside Assistance or a service center before you buy.
- Protection against mistakes. Tesla warns about short circuits and the wrong post, so look for clamps and a unit whose listing mentions short-circuit or reverse-polarity protection.
- Keep it in the cabin, not in the front trunk. Without low-voltage power, the front trunk is the part you cannot open.
- Keep it charged. A jump starter with a flat battery cannot help, so check its charge from time to time.
- Extras that earn their place. A light, USB ports for your phone, or an air pump for tires are useful on the road.
One option: our portable jump starters
We list four portable jump starters: a 2000A unit with wireless phone charging, USB ports and an SOS light, a 7000A all-in-one with an air compressor, OBD2 reader and camping light, a 20,000 mAh jump starter and power bank, and a 1500A unit with a 150 PSI air pump. According to the seller, each is a general-purpose unit for 12 V vehicles, not made for a specific car. Tesla's pages do not give a required rating, so check your manual or ask Tesla before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Can I jump-start another car with my Tesla?
No. Tesla's manuals say the car cannot be used to jump start another vehicle, and that doing so can result in damage.
Can I use any portable jump starter on a Tesla?
Tesla's manuals ask for an external low-voltage power supply, such as a portable jump starter, and tell you to follow that device's own instructions. They do not list a required rating, so if you are unsure, ask Tesla before you buy.
Does the connection at the tow-eye wires charge the battery?
No. Tesla says power at those terminals only releases the hood latches and cannot charge the low-voltage battery. Do not leave the cables connected for more than 30 seconds.
How long does the screen take to wake up?
Tesla says it may take several minutes after you switch on the supply and touch the touchscreen.
What if the car does not wake up?
Give it several minutes first, because Tesla says waking can take that long. If it still does not wake, disconnect the cables, black first, and contact Tesla Roadside Assistance or a service center. The 30-second limit applies only to the tow-eye wires, which just release the hood. If your car has a lithium-ion low-voltage battery, also read the note on the 20-second steps in Step 2.
Next steps
Browse the Tesla Roadside & Emergency collection for jump starters and other roadside gear.