Tesla Powerwall › Problems
Powerwall stuck in standby, won't discharge to power the house
The Powerwall sits in standby or holds its charge while the house runs on the grid. This page covers what the lights and codes mean, what to check first, and the causes behind it.
What the lights mean
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Powerwall 2 light solid | The Powerwall is enabled and communicating with the Gateway. |
| Powerwall 2 light pulsing | The Powerwall is enabled and charging or discharging. |
| Powerwall 2 light flashing | The Powerwall is enabled but is not communicating with the Gateway. |
| Powerwall 2 light off | The Powerwall is not enabled or is switched off. |
| Powerwall+ light blinking once every 4 seconds | The Powerwalls cannot talk to the Gateway. |
| Powerwall 3 light solid white | Normal operation. |
| Powerwall 3 light flashing white | Idle. It will go to sleep if nothing is in progress. |
| Powerwall 3 light flashing red | Inverter fault. |
Error codes that go with this problem
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| Load Meter Fault, or the warning Load meter may be configured incorrectly | The Gateway's load meter readings look wrong. The warning shows as a yellow triangle on the Gateway's local page. The fault has been seen when the Powerwalls are full and solar is high. |
| Grid_Qualifying, with PINV_a008_vfCheckRocof warnings | The system is still trying to qualify the grid connection, and the grid keeps failing the rate-of-change-of-frequency check, so it won't discharge in self-consumption mode. |
| max panel current error | House load went over the Gateway's Panel Maximum Current setting, and solar or Powerwall output was cut. |
| Meter Offline | Part of the power flow is missing in the app. The battery may sit at 0% for days, or under 10% and not charging. |
| IEEE1547Trip, PCH_a014_basicAcChecksUV or PCH_a078_VFTripsUV | Tesla One diagnostics logged a grid-protection trip, a failed AC undervoltage check, or a voltage and frequency undervoltage trip. |
What to check first
- Check the backup reserve in the app. At 100% the battery is held for backup only and won't discharge while on the grid. Tesla suggests 20% as a starting point so the battery cycles daily.
- If the app is on Time-Based Control, switch to Self-Powered and watch whether the battery starts powering the house. Switching back and forth can restart a stuck charge or discharge.
- Check the rate plan and price settings in the app, and that Energy Exports is set to Everything. If it started after a rate plan change, switch back to the original plan, wait about 15 minutes, then select Time-Based Control again.
- Turn on a large load you know the size of, such as the EV charger, and watch whether the app's home usage rises by about that much. Compare the app's grid figure with the utility meter at the same time.
- If the app shows zero solar in full sun, check whether the panels are really producing, for example on a separate production meter.
- Call Tesla or the installer if it still won't discharge, if the app doesn't match the meter, or if a Powerwall 3 goes into standby at the same time every morning. Tesla support can check the meter setup and limit settings remotely.
The causes and the fixes
Partners see the causes behind this problem, most common first, the checks that tell them apart, and the fix for each, with part numbers and recent prices when a part is involved.