Defrost is now very weak

[MrBadger]

Whereabouts in the world are you? That sounds pretty intense just to get in and drive - have never experienced anything like this in either of our Tesla’s, but environmental factors and all that I guess

Surrey fringe… but on a hill. The area around here is has some weather conditions that attracts certain industries so possibly not run of the mill.

But that said, freezing is freezing but maybe we suffer more from sudden ‘wet’ freezing that might not affect others in quite the same way. But this morning (not even bothering to use car), as per yesterday when we needed that car, the problem is these beads of ice that lock the window and door handles like glue. It may also not help that some parts of car get low level sun, which may be enough to warm surface of ice into water which then quickly freezes again.

This is today, no preconditioning, but they were same yesterday after 30 mins preconditioning on high. All windows cleared quickly, just everything out of direct blowers path pretty much untouched. Eventually cleared by using deicer from other car, and a helping hand to protect the windows that wouldn’t budge from the trim. Difficult to judge before needing the car exactly what you will be up against even after 30 mins precondition potentially wasting energy. Got caught out yesterday even after think I had played it safe. As point of reference, worse in 3 years of ownership but non dropping windows always one to watch out for, just not normally this bad.

 

[Leejmoff]

Anyone got any ideas how to get rid of ice around the window wipers? Defrosting doesn't get rid of it because its below the heater

 

[spooksman]

I'm another where 10 mins using defrost makes the car easy to access, ready to drive, and snuggly warm (-9 in the North West yesterday)!

This is using the defrost though, not preconditioning - is that different, or is defrost actually preconditioning with a different name?

 

[ACarneiro]

I'm another where 10 mins using defrost makes the car easy to access, ready to drive, and snuggly warm (-9 in the North West yesterday)!

This is using the defrost though, not preconditioning - is that different, or is defrost actually preconditioning with a different name?

I think defrost is pretty much preconditioning on steroids…

 

[MrBadger]

Anyone got any ideas how to get rid of ice around the window wipers? Defrosting doesn't get rid of it because its below the heater

I normally put wipers in service mode if I know a freeze might cause issues.

This moves wipers up window into normal swept area that gets a full defrost.

Recent change seems not to automatically exit service mode so you need to exit service mode before driving off - car needs to be in park to do that.

 

[mjwojtukiewicz]

The point is, it’s often impossible to ‘just get in’ as doors and/or windows frozen solid.

After 29 minutes defrosting on max yesterday it took me another 10-15 minutes to gain full access to the car as windows were still frozen in up position.

Thankfully my ICE car opened straight away and I could take the de-icer can from it and use that.

I could have driven my ICE car within a few minutes. Took 40 minutes and frozen fingers to be in same position with Model 3. And this was after a reapplication of gummi pfkedge and WD40 within the last week.

Try some warm water on the doors

 

[MrBadger]

Try some warm water on the doors

Na, I can just open the door on my ICE and get the de-icer out.

 

[Zilla91]

Had my car defrosting for 30 mins this morning at 5, used up 10% of battery. Cleared the windows but doors were frozen shut and the bonnet wouldn’t open.

Boot lid wouldn’t fully open and I had to manually pull it up the rest of the way. Oh and the heated wipers were useless as I still had chunks of ice stuck on the wipers that I had to get off.

 

[Midnightsun]

Oh and the heated wipers were useless as I still had chunks of ice stuck on the wipers that I had to get off.

The wipers are not heated so yes they will accumulate ice. The lower part of the windshield is what is heated which prevents to wipers from sticking to the windshield in their parked position.

 

[mjwojtukiewicz]

The wipers are not heated so yes they will accumulate ice. The lower part of the windshield is what is heated which prevents to wipers from sticking to the windshield in their parked position.

There is something on the touchscreen that raises the wipers into an upright position so they don't freeze to the windshield

 

[Buzzliteyear]

I usually precondition the car but started my day a few minutes earlier today so it was fairly cold inside although preconditioning had just started.

The car was frozen and I manually pressed Defrost, setting it to Max, but on a 6 mile journey there was never a blast of hot air, the fan speed never went over 6 and parts of the windscreen remained frosted.

A three-fingered salute doesn't appear to have made any difference.

I will try defrost whilst on charge later to see whether that makes a difference but from previous experience it shouldn't.

I have noticed more of a problem with the rear not clearing fully , after 30 minutes it was on partialy clear.

 

[Leejmoff]

I drove to Paris this weekend. -5 to -8 Deg C.

It started in the morning, Defrost the car, plugged in, it took 20 minutes to melt the ice, but I still had to clear it with a scraper. The lights needed fully scraping off.
Door handles, still completely frozen over. So I give them a little tap and they open. The door opens, but the window it stuck to the top seal and the window does drop down. I nearly break the window/door. Thankfully the drivers side was ok.

I decide to drive to Folkstone from Essex. Only 15 minutes in the salt/wet means I need to use the wipers/washers as its full of muck. Press the button, nothing comes out. Its fully iced up (-8 Deg C at this point). I manage to drive with my head bent under a patch of dirty screen and drive like an idiot for 5 minutes until I give in.
I pull over onto the hard shoulder, get out a spray and clean the windscreen. I tried scraping off some ice off of the washers on the wipers. No luck.

I manage to get to Folkstone without using them again, mainly by not driving behind another car if I could help.

Get to France. Its Dense Freezing Fog, side mirrors freeze over, can't see anything at all on the motorway, Complete nightmare. Only clears after coming out of the fog. Wiper washers still not working 4 hours into the drive. I get frustrated, stop and charge and use a cup of tea to pour onto the washers to melt them.

It works and I can carry on. But honestly, it made me realise how bad this car is in cold conditions. In fact its bloody useless. Along with the above, the battery took a hammering from the cold. I got 150 miles out of what I normally get 250 in normal conditions. Go to charge and even with preconditioning for most of the journey, it wouldn't charge more than 50kw.
Definitely made me realise how lucky we are in the UK with weather, because I basically would be selling this car if I lived in a country with snowy/cold conditions like we had recently.

 

[mjwojtukiewicz]

I drove to Paris this weekend. -5 to -8 Deg C.

It started in the morning, Defrost the car, plugged in, it took 20 minutes to melt the ice, but I still had to clear it with a scraper. The lights needed fully scraping off.
Door handles, still completely frozen over. So I give them a little tap and they open. The door opens, but the window it stuck to the top seal and the window does drop down. I nearly break the window/door. Thankfully the drivers side was ok.

I decide to drive to Folkstone from Essex. Only 15 minutes in the salt/wet means I need to use the wipers/washers as its full of muck. Press the button, nothing comes out. Its fully iced up (-8 Deg C at this point). I manage to drive with my head bent under a patch of dirty screen and drive like an idiot for 5 minutes until I give in.
I pull over onto the hard shoulder, get out a spray and clean the windscreen. I tried scraping off some ice off of the washers on the wipers. No luck.

I manage to get to Folkstone without using them again, mainly by not driving behind another car if I could help.

Get to France. Its Dense Freezing Fog, side mirrors freeze over, can't see anything at all on the motorway, Complete nightmare. Only clears after coming out of the fog. Wiper washers still not working 4 hours into the drive. I get frustrated, stop and charge and use a cup of tea to pour onto the washers to melt them.

It works and I can carry on. But honestly, it made me realise how bad this car is in cold conditions. In fact its bloody useless. Along with the above, the battery took a hammering from the cold. I got 150 miles out of what I normally get 250 in normal conditions. Go to charge and even with preconditioning for most of the journey, it wouldn't charge more than 50kw.
Definitely made me realise how lucky we are in the UK with weather, because I basically would be selling this car if I lived in a country with snowy/cold conditions like we had recently.

Judging how godawful hot it got in London this summer I'm not so sure your weather patterns won't change and you'll start seeing colder/snowier weather

 

[Leejmoff]

Judging how godawful hot it got in London this summer I'm not so sure your weather patterns won't change and you'll start seeing colder/snowier weather

absolutely. It wasn't much better in the height of the summer. With the air con blowing out it reduced range again. It works fine in any other conditions but extreme. Very cold or very hot, the car is bloody useless in my opinion.

 

[MashinBenzin]

I drove to Paris this weekend. -5 to -8 Deg C.

It started in the morning, Defrost the car, plugged in, it took 20 minutes to melt the ice, but I still had to clear it with a scraper. The lights needed fully scraping off.
Door handles, still completely frozen over. So I give them a little tap and they open. The door opens, but the window it stuck to the top seal and the window does drop down. I nearly break the window/door. Thankfully the drivers side was ok.

I decide to drive to Folkstone from Essex. Only 15 minutes in the salt/wet means I need to use the wipers/washers as its full of muck. Press the button, nothing comes out. Its fully iced up (-8 Deg C at this point). I manage to drive with my head bent under a patch of dirty screen and drive like an idiot for 5 minutes until I give in.
I pull over onto the hard shoulder, get out a spray and clean the windscreen. I tried scraping off some ice off of the washers on the wipers. No luck.

I manage to get to Folkstone without using them again, mainly by not driving behind another car if I could help.

Get to France. Its Dense Freezing Fog, side mirrors freeze over, can't see anything at all on the motorway, Complete nightmare. Only clears after coming out of the fog. Wiper washers still not working 4 hours into the drive. I get frustrated, stop and charge and use a cup of tea to pour onto the washers to melt them.

It works and I can carry on. But honestly, it made me realise how bad this car is in cold conditions. In fact its bloody useless. Along with the above, the battery took a hammering from the cold. I got 150 miles out of what I normally get 250 in normal conditions. Go to charge and even with preconditioning for most of the journey, it wouldn't charge more than 50kw.
Definitely made me realise how lucky we are in the UK with weather, because I basically would be selling this car if I lived in a country with snowy/cold conditions like we had recently.

I drove mine for 200 motorway miles on Sunday. Temp never below 2 degrees. Speed only peaked at 75. Left home at 98% and had to nurse it to the finish line by sitting behind a lorry at 55mph for the last 50 miles. Got home with 4% in hand.

Like you, I couldn’t see anything in the mirrors and they just got filthy in the first 20 miles.

Superchargers worse than useless. In 100 miles there was one bank of 8, all taken. With three tired passengers and one stroppy child there was no hope of waiting. (Hence nursing it at 55mph) I should have ignored all the hype over the supercharging network and charged up at one of the other providers I’d driven past.

It’s a decent car, with big flaws. But my god it’s over hyped by the fan boys.

 

[15Peter20]

Was the Defrost icon blue or red?

Red.

Things seem to be back to normal now. As mentioned upthread there could have been a frozen flap. It has been damp, accompanied by extreme cold so I wouldn't be surprised if ice is forming where it shouldn't. The charge port latch stuck a few times, the door windows stuck to the seals. It'd probably be fine somewhere dry and cold, but damp ole England at -7C is not exactly SoCal.

 

[Leejmoff]

I drove mine for 200 motorway miles on Sunday. Temp never below 2 degrees. Speed only peaked at 75. Left home at 98% and had to nurse it to the finish line by sitting behind a lorry at 55mph for the last 50 miles. Got home with 4% in hand.

Like you, I couldn’t see anything in the mirrors and they just got filthy in the first 20 miles.

Superchargers worse than useless. In 100 miles there was one bank of 8, all taken. With three tired passengers and one stroppy child there was no hope of waiting. (Hence nursing it at 55mph) I should have ignored all the hype over the supercharging network and charged up at one of the other providers I’d driven past.

It’s a decent car, with big flaws. But my god it’s over hyped by the fan boys.

I think this is it, I'm happy with the car, but in cold or hot weather, its pretty rubbish in all honesty. Yes the Tesla network is fantastic, but driving with no windscreen wash/misted up mirrors for 3 hours because its below zero, its not really on. I've never had problems in other cars.

 

[ACarneiro]

I think this is it, I'm happy with the car, but in cold or hot weather, its pretty rubbish in all honesty. Yes the Tesla network is fantastic, but driving with no windscreen wash/misted up mirrors for 3 hours because its below zero, its not really on. I've never had problems in other cars.

Well, I’ve driven with -8 for a couple of hours during the last cold snap and it was perfectly fine (“Auto Defogging” notwithstanding). I wonder there is a fault with your car?

 

[init6]

I drove to Paris this weekend. -5 to -8 Deg C.

the wipers/washers as its full of muck. Press the button, nothing comes out. Its fully iced up (-8 Deg C at this point). I manage to drive with my head bent under a patch of dirty screen and drive like an idiot for 5 minutes until I give in.

Wiper washers still not working 4 hours into the drive.

Sounds like you were caught out by the very low temps and didn't have washer fluid suitable for the temps. Most of the pre-mixed stuff only goes down to -5C.
I had to buy stuff that went down to -18 to get to Aberdeenshire last weekend.

 

[Leejmoff]

Sounds like you were caught out by the very low temps and didn't have washer fluid suitable for the temps. Most of the pre-mixed stuff only goes down to -5C.
I had to buy stuff that went down to -18 to get to Aberdeenshire last weekend.

I didn't know it went down that low to be honest, so its probably my fault. I'll have to make sure I have some of that for next time the temps drop that low.