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Constant +12v in rear trunk area?
- Thread starter samppa
- Start date
ATPMSD
Active Member
From the manual:
Power is available whenever the vehicle is
considered "awake". The vehicle may be awake for many
reasons. For example, when using features such as
Summon, or when features such as Preconditioning,
Cabin Overheat Protection, Keep Climate On, Dog Mode,
Camp Mode, Sentry Mode, etc. are enabled. The vehicle
is also awake whenever the low voltage battery is being
charged or is in use, during HV charging, when the
vehicle is communicating with the mobile app, etc.
Leaving an accessory plugged in does not deplete the
low voltage battery.
And
NOTE: For vehicles manufactured after approximately
November 2021, power inverters plugged into the low
voltage power socket must support 16V DC input to
function.
Power is available whenever the vehicle is
considered "awake". The vehicle may be awake for many
reasons. For example, when using features such as
Summon, or when features such as Preconditioning,
Cabin Overheat Protection, Keep Climate On, Dog Mode,
Camp Mode, Sentry Mode, etc. are enabled. The vehicle
is also awake whenever the low voltage battery is being
charged or is in use, during HV charging, when the
vehicle is communicating with the mobile app, etc.
Leaving an accessory plugged in does not deplete the
low voltage battery.
And
NOTE: For vehicles manufactured after approximately
November 2021, power inverters plugged into the low
voltage power socket must support 16V DC input to
function.
ATPMSD
Active Member
Pretty sure the only way to do this is to tap power from the "penthouse" which is really something you should not do. How about using a 12v battery power supply, such as something like a motorcycle battery?
ATPMSD
Active Member
Some additional considerations:
- The 16v battery has a capacity of just 6.9 Ah!
- The BMS monitors the LV battery and it may see the unexpected drain as a problem, and may generate errors
- Tesla will void the warranty if you make an "improper" connection. I know, that statement is kind of vague but if, for example, you short out the LV battery Tesla will not cover the repair or damage caused to anything else impacted.
My car is 2021, it still has the lead-acid battery.. and I'm over 80k kms so no warranty either to worry about
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
The easiest way to do this is use the existing 12v socket and enable sentry or camp mode when you want the fridge continuously powered.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
I asked a similar question for Model 3 a while back. Short answer is no, especially if talking about a constant source.My car is 2021, it still has the lead-acid battery.. and I'm over 80k kms so no warranty either to worry about
12V source in trunk in 2021 Model 3 without amp
I'm trying to look for a 12V source in the back (can be switched or unswitched) that can be tapped into. Did a search and didn't find anything, only sources for those with the subwoofer and amp, but mine is a SR+. Was able to do trailer harness according to this thread, but looking for another...
teslamotorsclub.com
Easy, but not really efficient.. keeping the car awake will consume a lot of power.
Did you look into the trunk strut power? I think the strut is connected to constant power.I asked a similar question for Model 3 a while back. Short answer is no, especially if talking about a constant source.
There is a source in the rear view mirror area that provides 9V, but it's only enough current to run a dashcam, definitely not enough for a fridge.12V source in trunk in 2021 Model 3 without amp
I'm trying to look for a 12V source in the back (can be switched or unswitched) that can be tapped into. Did a search and didn't find anything, only sources for those with the subwoofer and amp, but mine is a SR+. Was able to do trailer harness according to this thread, but looking for another...
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
How much does the fridge draw? I doubt it’s a huge difference between continuously drawing down and recharging the 12v and just keeping the car powered. Especially when factoring in the wear and likely early demise on the ~$150 12v.
Fridge specs say it draws 200wh / 24h operation. Max current draw 3A but since its a compressor fridge its intermittent. Just keeping the car powered uses around 200-250wh/h.
Issue is really just if I'm camping somewhere far away from any chargers and want to keep a fridge powered.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Nope, since no one suggested it. I presumed any power connections to the back would be like the taillights where power is only provided when it is activated.
I didn't end up making a backup connection, I just put more LFP batteries into my subtrunk. I got 3 of these 30Ah variants in parallel (bought them on eBay though, not the manufacturer website). I stumbled on them after looking up a LFP replacement for my jumpstarter's lead acid (which happened to match the 10Ah variant) and but ended up deciding to use them externally.
LiFePO4 12V 10Ah 20Ah 30Ah Lithium Battery | ECO-WORTHY
I opted to get multiple small batteries instead of one large one because it allows me to do swaps and charge each of them separately (while keeping the system online), which gives me more flexibility.
They are good enough so far to power my security camera system for 6 days (total average power draw is around 7 watts). When it runs out, I turn on Sentry remotely (now possible because app supports doing so).
Last edited:
ATPMSD
Active Member
Not really. If you turn off Sentry, Overheat Protection, the radio and the HVAC, very little is still consuming power. I suggest you test this.
