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Well this makes our discussion about charging station locations obsolete...
Whatever you do, don't send that pic to that "searcher" fellow on the Tesla Motors forums...
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Charging the Roadster
- Thread starter malcolm
- Start date
Whatever you do, don't send that pic to that "searcher" fellow on the Tesla Motors forums...
I have heard this suggested hundreds of times before and I'm surprised it took so long for Tesla to implement it. The company's namesake would be proud.
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
strider
Active Member
Hey everyone, have a random question. My car is set to charge at 12am when my cheap power rate kicks in. When I first got the car I stayed up the first few night to make sure it kicked on but I quickly realized I could trust it 
However, a few nights ago I happened to be up just after midnight and needed something from the garage. I walked out and the car wasn't charging. I thought it was odd, hit the "Start Now" button and off it went. The next night I just let it go and sure enough it was charged the next morning.
So I'm wondering, did the car not make the switch to daylight savings and is now starting to charge at 1am instead of 12am? I adjusted the clock the day after the switch and the car still says that charge will begin at 12am but it's definitely not starting at 12am. Has this happened to anyone else?
However, a few nights ago I happened to be up just after midnight and needed something from the garage. I walked out and the car wasn't charging. I thought it was odd, hit the "Start Now" button and off it went. The next night I just let it go and sure enough it was charged the next morning.
So I'm wondering, did the car not make the switch to daylight savings and is now starting to charge at 1am instead of 12am? I adjusted the clock the day after the switch and the car still says that charge will begin at 12am but it's definitely not starting at 12am. Has this happened to anyone else?
My car did not adjust to British Summer Time (I'm based in the UK) so maybe it's a bug...
When we transitioned to daylight savings, I changed the setting in the VDS to make the display show local time correctly. The charge time moved from 1am to 2am. Sounds like the charge time is recorded in GMT not local time.
tomsax
Member
I have found the charge timer to behave randomly in a variety of situations: after a recent settings change, after the daylight savings transition, and even when it's been set the same for multiple drive/charge cycles.
I've heard reports that the start time sometimes doesn't stick if you change it manually with the car off and/or don't cycle the charge port door. I try to change the time while the car is still on at the end of a drive, then turn the car off, then open the charge port door to plug in.
I've also had some issues where it just decides to start early, like I've had it set to midnight, with the display saying it's going to start at midnight, and then noticed it charging at 11:30. That happened multiple times in a row last fall.
Although it's never caused a big problem, it does make me a little nervous when I need a full range charge for an early morning departure and want it to finish up fairly close to when I'll be ready to leave. I have had it screw up and start the charge early so that I have to top it off after I wake up in order to leave with a full charge.
I've noticed these problems across multiple firmware versions and have reported the issue to Tesla, but have never heard anything back.
I've heard reports that the start time sometimes doesn't stick if you change it manually with the car off and/or don't cycle the charge port door. I try to change the time while the car is still on at the end of a drive, then turn the car off, then open the charge port door to plug in.
I've also had some issues where it just decides to start early, like I've had it set to midnight, with the display saying it's going to start at midnight, and then noticed it charging at 11:30. That happened multiple times in a row last fall.
Although it's never caused a big problem, it does make me a little nervous when I need a full range charge for an early morning departure and want it to finish up fairly close to when I'll be ready to leave. I have had it screw up and start the charge early so that I have to top it off after I wake up in order to leave with a full charge.
I've noticed these problems across multiple firmware versions and have reported the issue to Tesla, but have never heard anything back.
benji4
Roadster 2.5 #0476
I have not noticed any problems with the timer yet although I have not watched it that closely yet. You are saying that you had to top off in the morning because it started charging early, but wouldn't that be the case if it started changing late rather than early? Have you ever seen it start charging later than the time you set it to start? That would definately be a bigger problem...
tomsax
Member
I had to top it off because it started early and therefore finished early, hours before I needed it, so it lost some charge. If it had started late, it would have still been charging when I checked it first thing in the morning.
I don't recall having noticed it starting late, which would definitely be a bigger problem.
You can see when charging starts and stops by looking at the log file, although then you're depending on the log to be correct. It's best to see it first hand (not always convenient), or record activity with TED or similar.
Perhaps it is starting heating or cooling early in order to start the charge cycle as scheduled? Is this possible?
tomsax
Member
No, not in a garage that never gets over 90 F on a hot summer day or below freezing during the coldest winter night. Besides, if someone is on time-of-use rates and sets the start time to save money, or has two EVs and sets the start time to avoid blowing a breaker, it doesn't matter what the power draw is being used for, it shouldn't start until the set time.
benji4
Roadster 2.5 #0476
How much charge are you losing by having the charge cycle finish a bit early? I'm not noticing any loss -- even though my charge cycle is finishing up in the middle of the night sometime, I still see 193 ideal miles every morning when I get in the car. Am I missing something?
tomsax
Member
It's only an issue with a range mode charge, as described in the original post (#687 in this thread).
strider
Active Member
Thanks for the responses - glad to hear I'm not alone. It guess the car is keeping its own time for system functions regardless of what the VDS says which makes sense to log continuity, etc but for charge start times I'd expect it to use the VDS as then it's on me to make sure the clock is correct for the area I'm in.
I'm trying to get a hotel to install a charger so I can recharge while I'm there. What should I ask them to install if they'll do it? I have a HPC that I could install but that will quickly be out of date and only useful to Roadster drivers so doubt they'd do that. I would suggest Coulomb Tech chargers since they have the billing software but they only go up to 30A. Was it the Clipper Creek J1772 chargers that go up to 70A (I realize I'd need the adapter that's not out yet)? Or simply see if they could install a NEMA 14-50R outlet so I can use my mobile charger. Thanks.
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That should probably be the "default" request. Since RV spots and campgrounds tend to use that there tend to be more mobile adapters made for that than any other plug type.
It is probably the cheapest and easiest for the Hotel too. Plus they can just call any electrician with the request and it will be understood. Trying to install an HPC or J1772 could be a lot more involved. But wait... some of the public infrastructure projects might have monies to offer to put in free or reduced cost J1772... But then they might start charging for its' use someday, so there is that consideration.
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