Tesla Roadster — Yellow Charge Cable Rebuild
The original Tesla 120 Volt Yellow Charge Cable supplied with the Tesla Roadster has a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) 15 amp plug. Modern homes already provide GFI protection upstream, so the bulky inline plug isn’t needed anymore.
Bulky cord-end GFI plugs cram a full GFCI board into a tight shell. Loose/compacted conductors raise resistance, heat soaks the PCB, cooks solder and plastic, and the relay/triac fails—leading to nuisance trips or burn-up. That poor connection creates heat, which damages the GFI circuitry and leads to intermittent charging or outright failure. These failures are a common cause of bricked Roadsters (packs rendered dead when left uncharged).
Additional reasons why the GFI plug is a weak link
- Daisy-chained household outlets and shared circuits run hot at 15 A continuous.
- Heat browns the GFI board and causes intermittent, hard-to-diagnose failures.
- Many units limp along delivering sub-standard current until they silently stop.
What our upgrade solves
- Eliminates the GFI plug: Removes the failure-prone GFI module and replaces it with a rugged molded plug (no internal PCB to overheat).
- Extends length 12 ft → 25 ft: Added reach without resorting to extension cords that trigger “Extension cord found” warnings.
- Upsizes conductors 12 AWG → 10 AWG: 30 A-rated cable runs cooler, delivers stable voltage, and improves durability.
- Charge Plug overhaul: We repair and recondition the proprietary Type 1 Roadster Charge Plug.
Service guidance
- We recommend including your yellow charge cable with the car whenever it visits our shop.
- GFI plugs typically last 5–7 years under average use—replace or rebuild proactively.
- Charge cables are out of production; new OEM units are unavailable.
How the rebuild works
- Send us your OEM yellow cable (even if inoperative).
- We refurbish, rebuild, and retrofit to the 25 ft / 10 AWG spec.
- We return your upgraded cable ready for service (same flat cost whether repair is required or not).
Shipping: Customer is responsible for inbound and return shipping.
Ship to
Gruber Motor Company
203 W. Lone Cactus Dr.
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Attn: Engineering Lab
Questions or Roadster tech support: 623-433-8500
