2021 Model 3/Y Heating Issues

[Two-rocks]

Not sure if Canada has a lemon law…seems like a good case for it.

Our 21 SR+ The radiator iced up in a 2+ hour drive in a snowstorm. (in fact the complete front end including headlights). Fan blades even had ice on them causing an imbalance.

We purposely drove our ‘22 AWD in the coldest weather we have had so far (about 10f during the day). All worked fine. Might be different in wet weather. Any colder and I’m moving.

 

[Tam]

...design problem...

There needs to be a statistically significant number in order to assume there's a design flaw in Tesla's heat pump design. Heat pumps in cars are not new. Nissan Leaf has been using it with no reports of problems.

There might be a few numbers of Tesla heat pump that slipped through the Quality Assurance department that is defective but unless the problem is widespread, it is unlikely to be a design flaw.

If it is a design flaw, you would hear it from Canadian Transportation Agency or US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

[tm1v2]

@zhenghe Have you owned an older Model S before? I have one and it really struggles to keep the cabin warm at high speeds in the cold. And it's horribly inefficient when doing so. I would not recommend one if you're looking for better winter cabin heat.

Gasoline engines are still best for winter heating. My heat pump Model 3 has been great so far, much more effective and efficient heating than my S, but I haven't driven it in the snow or freezing temps yet so it's possible I'll be in for a rude surprise there.

 

[zhenghe]

Not sure if Canada has a lemon law…seems like a good case for it.

Our 21 SR+ The radiator iced up in a 2+ hour drive in a snowstorm. (in fact the complete front end including headlights). Fan blades even had ice on them causing an imbalance.

We purposely drove our ‘22 AWD in the coldest weather we have had so far (about 10f during the day). All worked fine. Might be different in wet weather. Any colder and I’m moving.

thank you for replay my post .... me to i drive 2 hours total to work but i live in quebec that is cold minimum in the winter average temps is -15 C degree celsius ..... make sure that your fan and radiator is clean if you have a heating garage your ok but if not make sure went are surper charging and charging at home because it cause a error to the heat pump because of fan blade imbalance ..... i will tell you what i ben truth extreme temperature in 1 hours driving from montpellier quebec to ottawa ontario and going back.... i try to help you and other people for my experience......

 

[zhenghe]

There needs to be a statistically significant number in order to assume there's a design flaw in Tesla's heat pump design. Heat pumps in cars are not new. Nissan Leaf has been using it with no reports of problems.

There might be a few numbers of Tesla heat pump that slipped through the Quality Assurance department that is defective but unless the problem is widespread, it is unlikely to be a design flaw.

If it is a design flaw, you would hear it from Canadian Transportation Agency or US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

thank you for your reply .... well driving extreme winter condition with the same problem only in the winter storm ... in one year ownership of the car ... i herd in British Columbia canada some owners have the same problem that i have ..... this is the reason why that decided to posted my experience and help other people .... don't forget my first replacement of the heat pump was the heat pump from the model s 2021 and for the second replacement will be a new generation of the heat pump with new program ...... and my still in the service centre garage .....i will tell you next winter storm if the new heat pump work or not ...

 

[zhenghe]

@zhenghe Have you owned an older Model S before? I have one and it really struggles to keep the cabin warm at high speeds in the cold. And it's horribly inefficient when doing so. I would not recommend one if you're looking for better winter cabin heat.

Gasoline engines are still best for winter heating. My heat pump Model 3 has been great so far, much more effective and efficient heating than my S, but I haven't driven it in the snow or freezing temps yet so it's possible I'll be in for a rude surprise there.

thank you for reply for my post.... the reason why i chose the model s is the radiator placement there is no problem for snow entering in the radiator i was surprise my first winter storm the heating was ok for the extreme winter condition....for my model 3 normal and extreme winter condition with no snow was perfect for heat the best..... but when i have a winter storm it was a disaster heat the cabin because the snow goes the radiator the fan right and left front suspension and right and left line gycol no joke....

 

[STS-134]

Not sure if Canada has a lemon law…seems like a good case for it.

Our 21 SR+ The radiator iced up in a 2+ hour drive in a snowstorm. (in fact the complete front end including headlights). Fan blades even had ice on them causing an imbalance.

We purposely drove our ‘22 AWD in the coldest weather we have had so far (about 10f during the day). All worked fine. Might be different in wet weather. Any colder and I’m moving.

Wow, Tesla didn't design a de-icing cycle for the radiator fins? I was wondering how this worked, because on a traditional air source heat pump, you just have to reverse the refrigeration cycle briefly to melt the ice off of the outdoor coils. But Tesla has a glycol loop, with a ton of heat capacity in the glycol itself. I suppose they could use the compressor at COP=1 plus stall the drive unit to heat the glycol and thus melt the ice but that would take time. You have to first heat up the glycol to above freezing and then let it heat up the radiator fins. I guess the good news is that you can recover a lot of that heat later on as the glycol gets chilled back down, but depending on how cold it is outside, this could reduce efficiency quite a bit because the glycol is radiating heat to the outside for the entire time it's melting the ice.

 

[Two-rocks]

Wow, Tesla didn't design a de-icing cycle for the radiator fins? I was wondering how this worked, because on a traditional air source heat pump, you just have to reverse the refrigeration cycle briefly to melt the ice off of the outdoor coils. But Tesla has a glycol loop, with a ton of heat capacity in the glycol itself. I suppose they could use the compressor at COP=1 plus stall the drive unit to heat the glycol and thus melt the ice but that would take time. You have to first heat up the glycol to above freezing and then let it heat up the radiator fins. I guess the good news is that you can recover a lot of that heat later on as the glycol gets chilled back down, but depending on how cold it is outside, this could reduce efficiency quite a bit because the glycol is radiating heat to the outside for the entire time it's melting the ice.

There were many many ‘cold weather improvements’ added over the year we owned it. Even iced up the cabin was warm and had no issues staying that way. Not saying it was ideal. Also no saying they didn’t fix it with a reverse heat cycle. Don’t usually drive in sh!t weather (a choice I have) so never got a retest.

Having owned an off road Jeep ‘rock crawler’ to a diesel F350, I’d say these cars (sports sedan) are as far from an adventure vehicle as it gets. Do they need to make it work? Absolutely. But you have to ask when it’s really nasty out, is it the right tool for the job?

 

[STS-134]

There were many many ‘cold weather improvements’ added over the year we owned it. Even iced up the cabin was warm and had no issues staying that way. Not saying it was ideal. Also no saying they didn’t fix it with a reverse heat cycle. Don’t usually drive in sh!t weather (a choice I have) so never got a retest.

Having owned an off road Jeep ‘rock crawler’ to a diesel F350, I’d say these cars (sports sedan) are as far from an adventure vehicle as it gets. Do they need to make it work? Absolutely. But you have to ask when it’s really nasty out, is it the right tool for the job?

Sure, the Model 3 isn't ideal for really nasty ice storms. But the heater should never fail even if it gets stuck. My concern is that a hardware fix will be required and it seems to be the a defective supermanifold, and given where I drive most of the time, I am unlikely to actually see the issue. But cars are mobile and I still want it fixed so I'm not left without heat if I take my Tesla to a cold area when there's an ice storm.

 

[obliojim]

If it is a design flaw, you would hear it from Canadian Transportation Agency or US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Well, you wouldn't hear about it from them if they hadn't heard about it. They have now heard about it, and are now in the early stages.

Kind of a circular logic thing you have happening here.

Transport Canada Investigates Tesla Model 3/Y Heat Pump Failures • iPhone in Canada Blog

The government regulator has received 16 complaints of climate control failures from Tesla owners as of Thursday.

www.iphoneincanada.ca

 

[HeatLoss]

My model 3sr+ made in china made terrible noise from new sometimes, build 7/2021. I had heat problem notice even Summer time. Everybody said its normal time to time no heat because software is so head of time and heat goes somewhere more ilmportant place… Now in middle of winter (-20C) error code came and couldnt preheat car not even Seat heaters on because climate error. Seat heaters went on after starting car but just cold air and Windows on thick ICE inside moisture. I call Tesla and they towed car and took care rental car for me. Diagnose time is middle of next month and hope they get it fix first time. My car hvac intake has been clean behind bumper and windshield, no snow, everyday wash and tidy. I know this problem is connecting somehowe to scroll pump get too moist gas and pump starts eat metal parts and first fine metal block sensors and then finally heatpump is totaled… Have seen pictures online and i have done with these heatpumps. Hope they will chance all pipes etc because that ”chrystals” what they talk will damage new heatpump too. Do you know will they fix car right or will they try first sensor and after that manifold and after few trips they will put it right finally? I have read that 2-5 times have to wait for fix because heat lose again… I will trade car or ask Tesla to by car back if service cycle starts to me too..

 

[zhenghe]

Hear is the latest update from my heat pump problem i have dis car from 14 december 2020 the mileage is now 51000km model 3 standard range plus ....

hear is the list of parts change for the problem of the heat pump..
- 3 heat pump replacement ( the first replacement of the heat pump lasted 6 month , the second heat pump replacement lasted another 6 month because of the tesla supercharging station, and thirds heat replacement lasted 2 month because of the tesla surpercharging station could be that cause that .....
- one manifold
- one replace of the of the supermanifold chiller EXV VALVE BODY AND COIL EXCESSIVE PRESURE BUILD UP AND CAUSED THE COMPRESSOR PRESSURE RELIEF TO BLOW OUT ...AND REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR THAT COMPRESSOR LASTED 2 MONTH ...
- one radiator fan
- one radiator censor
- one radiator
- 21 update for winter package
- 4 new major program for the heat pump system.
- now i am having the same problem with the heat pump when the temperature is between form 2 degrees celcius to - 17 degrees celcius .....
- now having problem with the battery pack i am losing range like crazy because of the error it's creating her is the error (((( battery over heat or over charging )))) but the battery is not charging and the battery is veary cold - 13 degrees celcius ..... and i have the tesla charger plug in ...

AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING .... THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME THAT WILL BUY ANOTHER TESLA WITH THE HEATPUMP IT DOES NOT WORK IN MY CLIMATE IN MONTPELLIER QUEBEC CANADA .....AND DO TRAVEL TO MONTPELLIER AND OTTAWA AND BACK EVERY DAY OF MY WORK THE DISTANCE IS 190 KM ....I WOULD HOPE THIS MESSAGE WILL HELP YOU AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL TESLA OWNERS ....

 

[father_of_6]

AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING .... THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME THAT WILL BUY ANOTHER TESLA WITH THE HEATPUMP IT DOES NOT WORK IN MY CLIMATE IN MONTPELLIER QUEBEC CANADA .....AND DO TRAVEL TO MONTPELLIER AND OTTAWA AND BACK EVERY DAY OF MY WORK THE DISTANCE IS 190 KM ....I WOULD HOPE THIS MESSAGE WILL HELP YOU AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL TESLA OWNERS ....

I live in New York state, US... we also have very cold winters. Heat pump works fine for me. Vastly better than my previous vehicle (an internal combustion sedan).

 

[STS-134]

Hear is the latest update from my heat pump problem i have dis car from 14 december 2020 the mileage is now 51000km model 3 standard range plus ....

hear is the list of parts change for the problem of the heat pump..
- 3 heat pump replacement ( the first replacement of the heat pump lasted 6 month , the second heat pump replacement lasted another 6 month because of the tesla supercharging station, and thirds heat replacement lasted 2 month because of the tesla surpercharging station could be that cause that .....
- one manifold
- one replace of the of the supermanifold chiller EXV VALVE BODY AND COIL EXCESSIVE PRESURE BUILD UP AND CAUSED THE COMPRESSOR PRESSURE RELIEF TO BLOW OUT ...AND REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR THAT COMPRESSOR LASTED 2 MONTH ...
- one radiator fan
- one radiator censor
- one radiator
- 21 update for winter package
- 4 new major program for the heat pump system.
- now i am having the same problem with the heat pump when the temperature is between form 2 degrees celcius to - 17 degrees celcius .....
- now having problem with the battery pack i am losing range like crazy because of the error it's creating her is the error (((( battery over heat or over charging )))) but the battery is not charging and the battery is veary cold - 13 degrees celcius ..... and i have the tesla charger plug in ...

AND THIS IS THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING .... THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME THAT WILL BUY ANOTHER TESLA WITH THE HEATPUMP IT DOES NOT WORK IN MY CLIMATE IN MONTPELLIER QUEBEC CANADA .....AND DO TRAVEL TO MONTPELLIER AND OTTAWA AND BACK EVERY DAY OF MY WORK THE DISTANCE IS 190 KM ....I WOULD HOPE THIS MESSAGE WILL HELP YOU AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL TESLA OWNERS ....

Well there was this issue with the expansion valve, for which a recall was issued: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCLRPT-22V050-2023.PDF

Did you have all of the heat pump components replaced AFTER the issue in the software was fixed? If not, the damage was probably done prior to the recall being issued.

 

[thinger]

Still waiting that they are fixing my. Some times getting hot but usually very cold even I preheat car. Started before December and not yet solution how they will fix it.