[Solved!] Cabin Overheat Protection not working when car sits

[brianh321]

I've researched the issue of cabin overheat protection not working if you leaving your car sitting for 2+ days. Sometimes I drive a lot and sometimes I work from home a lot. This leads me to having to go out in the morning, unplugging my Tesla, putting it in Drive, putting it back in park, and plugging it back in just so that cabin overheat protection will turn on that day.

I got frustrated one morning and I decided to just turn on my AC through the app and leave it on (I was plugged in so I wasn't worried about draining my battery). I got the normal "cabin reached desired temp" notification. Then I got a couple notifications about my AC being on and a final one that the AC was being turned off. Shortly after that I got a notification that cabin overheat protection turned on due to cabin temperature! This worked out great when I was recently out of town.

Solution: Turn your AC on through the Tesla app and just leave the AC on. After about 2 hrs the AC will be turned off automatically and Cabin Overheat Protection will be activated. (Note: Not recommended if your Tesla will not be charging during this process.)

Hope this helps!

 

[ewoodrick]

The car doesn't need overheat protection. It is quite happy to bake in the southern sun. And even worse, the Arizona sun.

 

[Ctuna]

Can cabin overheat or preconditioning use the charger as oposed to the main battery
and not decrease the range by using the main battery?

 

[brianh321]

Can cabin overheat or preconditioning use the charger as oposed to the main battery
and not decrease the range by using the main battery?

I mostly work from home. So, I'm plugged when doing this. If not plugged in, yes it will reduce your range because it will drain the battery.

 

[Kenneth Cyrus]

I've researched the issue of cabin overheat protection not working if you leaving your car sitting for 2+ days. Sometimes I drive a lot and sometimes I work from home a lot. This leads me to having to go out in the morning, unplugging my Tesla, putting it in Drive, putting it back in park, and plugging it back in just so that cabin overheat protection will turn on that day.

I got frustrated one morning and I decided to just turn on my AC through the app and leave it on (I was plugged in so I wasn't worried about draining my battery). I got the normal "cabin reached desired temp" notification. Then I got a couple notifications about my AC being on and a final one that the AC was being turned off. Shortly after that I got a notification that cabin overheat protection turned on due to cabin temperature! This worked out great when I was recently out of town.

Solution: Turn your AC on through the Tesla app and just leave the AC on. After about 2 hrs the AC will be turned off automatically and Cabin Overheat Protection will be activated. (Note: Not recommended if your Tesla will not be charging during this process.)

Hope this helps!

In south Florida, interior can reach 145 to 150 degrees F. My steering wheel "melted" in several places, and I had to get a replacement steering wheel cover.

 

[ewoodrick]

In south Florida, interior can reach 145 to 150 degrees F. My steering wheel "melted" in several places, and I had to get a replacement steering wheel cover.

Your steering wheel melted or your steering wheel cover melted.

150F should be no big deal to a steering wheel. 150F isn't really that warm. To a human yes, to a car no.

 

[drdumont]

Your steering wheel melted or your steering wheel cover melted.

150F should be no big deal to a steering wheel. 150F isn't really that warm. To a human yes, to a car no.

I fain would disagree. the interior of the car, mostly plastics, will outgas at those elevated temperatures. Even if you are a non smoker, ever wipe the interior glass and see you have removed a film? That's the outgassing of the synthetics in the car, outgassing is accelerated in high heat. Plastics will also begin to deteriorate and change color. Seating fabric - either plastic, the Tesla Unborn Naugahyde or leather will certainly deteriorate or fail earlier.
Additionally, other objects in the car will suffer from such high temperatures. I have a battery power pack for recharging cell phones, etc. Of two I bought simultaneously, one which lived in the car died early, while the one which lives in my office is still going strong. Forget about my box of mints or chewing gum, even my sunglass frames.

 

[ewoodrick]

I fain would disagree. the interior of the car, mostly plastics, will outgas at those elevated temperatures. Even if you are a non smoker, ever wipe the interior glass and see you have removed a film? That's the outgassing of the synthetics in the car, outgassing is accelerated in high heat. Plastics will also begin to deteriorate and change color. Seating fabric - either plastic, the Tesla Unborn Naugahyde or leather will certainly deteriorate or fail earlier.
Additionally, other objects in the car will suffer from such high temperatures. I have a battery power pack for recharging cell phones, etc. Of two I bought simultaneously, one which lived in the car died early, while the one which lives in my office is still going strong. Forget about my box of mints or chewing gum, even my sunglass frames.

My answer was in response to a steering wheel melting. There isn't any way that elevated interior temperatures is going to do that. Steering wheel plastics would probably have to go well above 400F before having any issues.

I never talked about outgassing, nor plastics deteriorating.

But automotive parts are built to a different standard than other things, built to withstand elevated temperatures, since that's a standard occurrence.
Automotive plastics are also built to a higher standard as well, they expect to live in hot (and cold) temperatures.

Your battery pack was built to a completely different standard.

 

[drdumont]

My answer was in response to a steering wheel melting. There isn't any way that elevated interior temperatures is going to do that. Steering wheel plastics would probably have to go well above 400F before having any issues.

I never talked about outgassing, nor plastics deteriorating.

But automotive parts are built to a different standard than other things, built to withstand elevated temperatures, since that's a standard occurrence.
Automotive plastics are also built to a higher standard as well, they expect to live in hot (and cold) temperatures.

Your battery pack was built to a completely different standard.

400 degrees? Where did you get that figure? Perhaps for an instantaneous effect, sure. The long term effects of temps from the 130-150s cannot have a salubrious effect on any plastic/organic matter, however.

The same outgassing issue occurred in my MIL's Olds. It was left for years in New Orleans Summer heat, often not driven for a week at a time. Steering wheel plastic crumbled,dashboard padding buckled and cracked. You could scrape plastics with a fingernail and get a layer of plastic under your nail. Inside glass coated with film which took a mild solvent to remove. Whether or not Tesla uses different plastics, my 30 year trusted mechanic agrees with me, as does a Chem prof I asked. I also asked Dallas SC about the issue and was roundly agreed with.

Since I no longer have to make the schlep to work each day I just cycle the system in the morning as part of my routine. It's a small price to pay, My charger and the Internet hotspot et al remain in good condition. (Cars live in an AT&T dead zone).