First 30 days in my used 2014 P85 with 130,735 Miles

[CUBldr97]

People are still complaining about other issues. Do you think it’s better than V8? I have AP2 and I still don’t see a compelling reason to upgrade.

i cant comment on a car with AP and V9, as i have no experience, since I'm pre-AP. as for my experience with the pre-ap v8-v9, while its a lot different, i have figured it out... it just took some time to get used to.

 

[Trailblazer]

Thank you so much for your positive story about your Tesla experience. Too often on these forums people complain. I think it is cool that your learned from your mistakes and hopefully we all will benefit from your experience.

I too have run my model 3 down to about 15 miles but made it to my home docking station. Won't let that happen again. BTW I am using a Tesla power source and get 44 miles/hour of charging. Not sure why you are only getting 26 miles/hour on 220 volt power.

A model 3 will get more miles/hour of charging than a model S because it is a more efficient car (it can travel more miles on the same amount of energy). A model S typically gets 25-30 miles/hour of charging on a 220 volt outlet.

 

[JoRey]

One would think the BMS would have calibrated after two shut down events, possibly triggered by a low voltage scenario. You could try charging to 100% and draining the pack to 0%.

 

[skhenry81]

I think you need to change your charging habits on long trips. Start by leaving with 100% charge. Try to let the car hit 100% just before you plan on leaving. When you're trip requires multiple SC stops charge to as much as possible before heading to the next one. I make sure that it says I will arrive with at least 30% at the next stop so I know I have a 30% buffer to work with. (I have a lead foot) I did a trip from Toronto Canada to Manhattan NY and only needed to charge twice to make it into Manhattan. The weather was around -5 Celcius the entire trip. Basically leave full and spend an extra 15 minutes charging at an SC to always make sure you won't run into problems down the road. PS: Have Tesla take a look at your battery to make sure everything is in good shape.

 

[voltaren]

Miles or battery percentage remaining is an algorithm as well. I’ve been down to zero miles on a few occasions in different Teslas. Adrenaline pumps but simple hypermiling can get you to the destination. My advice to any new Tesla owner is to test hypermiling techniques.

Quick story. There a no-charging zone between Evansville, IN and Louisville, KY. It was snowing and windy, and I left my origin with the exact miles needed to reach Louisville. Obviously cold and wind destroy your range. I had to draft off trucks, drive 50MPH, and leave the heat and radio off to make the destination. Battery at zero for the last 2 or 3 miles. Fun.

 

[SMAlset]

Love your car and photo! Really sharp configuration. Enjoyed reading your post. Sorry your first trips were so eventful in such a negative way but certainly a teaching moment and glad it didn’t dampen your enthusiasm for your Tesla. And you are right, there’s nothing like experiencing a Tesla first hand. Thought my husband was crazy for ordering a car at this price point (he bought new) but once I drove it, I was in love. I’m driving a Model 3 now and honestly it still leaves you with that Tesla feeling . I hope you have sent off your registration info. We ordered my car under my husband’s account to get owner priority at order time and requested the change of ownership for the car from his account to mine so I can see all the info for it. Given you need the change made asap to enable them to “talk” to you (whereas we’re in the same family), I hope yours comes through quickly. Unfortunately mine hasn’t transferred yet and wondering if it’s due to EOY coming up soon and they are pressing to get cars to new owners so that department is so busy. In any event welcome to the family and hope your travels are all fun. Glad your girls love Dad’s new car.

BTW we’ve only once pushed our range to the amber zone, don’t recall what we started charging at but that light does get your attention.

 

[ArbitrageMan]

Love the positive attitude and being congruent with what the universe threw at you.

 

[trini0t3y]

Miles or battery percentage remaining is an algorithm as well. I’ve been down to zero miles on a few occasions in different Teslas. Adrenaline pumps but simple hypermiling can get you to the destination. My advice to any new Tesla owner is to test hypermiling techniques.

Quick story. There a no-charging zone between Evansville, IN and Louisville, KY. It was snowing and windy, and I left my origin with the exact miles needed to reach Louisville. Obviously cold and wind destroy your range. I had to draft off trucks, drive 50MPH, and leave the heat and radio off to make the destination. Battery at zero for the last 2 or 3 miles. Fun.

Great story and great advice. I honestly didn’t think about the semi following technique but for future in a bind situations (which I really plan on not encountering) I will attempt.

 

[trini0t3y]

Love your car and photo! Really sharp configuration. Enjoyed reading your post. Sorry your first trips were so eventful in such a negative way but certainly a teaching moment and glad it didn’t dampen your enthusiasm for your Tesla. And you are right, there’s nothing like experiencing a Tesla first hand. Thought my husband was crazy for ordering a car at this price point (he bought new) but once I drove it, I was in love. I’m driving a Model 3 now and honestly it still leaves you with that Tesla feeling . I hope you have sent off your registration info. We ordered my car under my husband’s account to get owner priority at order time and requested the change of ownership for the car from his account to mine so I can see all the info for it. Given you need the change made asap to enable them to “talk” to you (whereas we’re in the same family), I hope yours comes through quickly. Unfortunately mine hasn’t transferred yet and wondering if it’s due to EOY coming up soon and they are pressing to get cars to new owners so that department is so busy. In any event welcome to the family and hope your travels are all fun. Glad your girls love Dad’s new car.

BTW we’ve only once pushed our range to the amber zone, don’t recall what we started charging at but that light does get your attention.

All is well and thanks for the comments. Once I finally figured out what the hold up was on the transfer (I had not sent a photo of the temp registration for VA) it really was just a matter of days when Tesla sent me an email stating - “Model S #P41253 has been transferred to your Tesla account. You can manage your profile online or using the Tesla app.” That was a cool feeling. And there are so many little intangibles that are super cool like the app and streaming radio (Miles Davis Radio is an all time favorite) over the 3G network.

 

[skhenry81]

All is well and thanks for the comments. Once I finally figured out what the hold up was on the transfer (I had not sent a photo of the temp registration for VA) it really was just a matter of days when Tesla sent me an email stating - “Model S #P41253 has been transferred to your Tesla account. You can manage your profile online or using the Tesla app.” That was a cool feeling. And there are so many little intangibles that are super cool like the app and streaming radio (Miles Davis Radio is an all time favorite) over the 3G network.

You should look at upgrading to LTE I think it's $500 and you will get better reception. I had issues with 3G buffering and not being available all the time.

 

[JoRey]

Kman Auto just released a video covering this exact same issue and mechanics behind it.

 

[trini0t3y]

Kman Auto just released a video covering this exact same issue and mechanics behind it.

That was extremely detailed, well put together and highly educational. Thanks for sharing that. The faulty cells, bricks and bleeding off power was great information. And the brain of the battery pack (BMS) was great to understand how it is supposed to manage the battery. I am going to have to rewatch it too Lots of information. I do have an appt. on 12 Dec at Tyson’s Corner Tesla Service Center. Going to check the 12V, calibration of the BMS and SOC calculation effectiveness. We will see what happens.

 

[nativespinner]

I had a slightly better experience with my 2013 S60 I bought from a private owner. I traveled from Oklahoma to NYC in a one way rental with the hope that the car was as described and no surprises. The owner did share some high resolution pics and that helped ease my concerns but still you never know until you see it in person. As he pulled around the corner my jaw dropped. This car was beautiful with no dents or scratches. Took it for a test drive in all places Queens . Yeah I was a nervous wreck. LA traffic is bad but NYC? So anyways we did the bank paperwork and got a temporary NY registration. Went to dinner and charged the car to 100% and later on left NYC. I plugged in my hometown and went home with no issues. All chargers were within range and it was an uneventful trip. But yeah that was a lot of faith and jumping in with both feet and it everything worked out. PS car still has CPO warranty until 2021 and 98k miles. Options Midnight Silver, Tech PKG, free supercharging, upgraded audio, air suspension, black leather, rear facing seats, 19" wheels (roads are horrible here) solid roof (rains a lot and hot summers) love the car.

 

[hiroshiy]

Congrats @trini0t3y for your P85! I also owned 2014 P85 before (now an X).

I spent battery to under 3% many times and I have some suggestions.

- charge to 100% the night before when you plan to do a long distance trip. That would save your charging time significantly.
- try to time the charge at home to finish before you leave. You can leave home at 99% too. This will give you a warm battery so your car won't need battery heater at departure.
- if your trip leg is long start from speed limit plus 5mph and never go above 75. The consumption will be progressively worse if you speed up from there. Keep that speed up to the half point. Then you can speed up if the car has enough range.
- try to target 10% or more at arrival at superchargers.
- if you're under 20%, never mash the accelerator. The battery voltages drop harder if the battery is under high stress from acceleration. This means the battery groups (there are 96 battery groups in a pack) with least charge may give up, causing the car to shut down. Remember BMS tries to save the weakest group.
- if you think you're cutting it close, reduce your speed. This is the best technique to save your energy. Also drafting a semi would save as much as 10%. Enable range mode in your settings. In cold weather, if it's acceptable, reduce AC temp settings, and set to recirculation.
- climbing hills increase battery usage significantly. If you are running low, switch the map to satellite mode and see if there is elevation change to the next charger. If so expect higher consumption.
- be extra careful on night trip and very cold weather trip. Bring warm cloths for insurance.

 

[dabbler]

You have had some very important learning experiences. I recently reached 143,000 miles as of last week. Most of those miles have been long trips averaging about 350 - 400. Some great member advice has been shared in the above posts. Here are some of my tips and tricks for long distant trips:

I always 100% charge before a long trip.

Always charge to a 25% buffer to your next charge stop before you leave.

Always set "Range Mode" to ON.

Use seat heaters and wear extra clothes and warm shoes when winter driving.

Keep A/C around 72 in summer if needed and use "recirculate".

Run blower under 3 unless you have to defrost front windscreen.

Moderate your acceleration from stops.

When charging overnight in cold temps, keep range mode "off" and preheat 20 min prior to departure. This will heat battery and cabin.
Keep a thin plastic scraper in the frunk or trunk during times when the power windows could freeze to the door seals. Before opening door, run the scraper between the glass and the door seal to break the ice bond. Do all of the windows.

The Tesla app will alert you when you can continue on to your next stop. Add extra time to get that 25% buffer.

Purchase a 50' RV power extension cord and an adaptor from a 110vt outlet to a NEMA 1450. Keep in car for emergencies.

Set Regen to LOW when the roads are slippery. This keeps the rear wheels for skidding when you are slowing down.

Keep an extra set of 2032 batteries in the car for the key fob. These batteries can die without warning.

19" rims are more energy efficient than 22" and can handle most major pot holes. Save the 22" for summer / in town short trips.

Rotate tires every 4-5k miles and check for wear and foreign objects stuck in the tread.

Wipe off back up camera lens before backing up ( if possible) if it has been raining or snowing.

Enjoy!

 

[trini0t3y]

Congrats @trini0t3y for your P85! I also owned 2014 P85 before (now an X).

I spent battery to under 3% many times and I have some suggestions.

- charge to 100% the night before when you plan to do a long distance trip. That would save your charging time significantly.
- try to time the charge at home to finish before you leave. You can leave home at 99% too. This will give you a warm battery so your car won't need battery heater at departure.
- if your trip leg is long start from speed limit plus 5mph and never go above 75. The consumption will be progressively worse if you speed up from there. Keep that speed up to the half point. Then you can speed up if the car has enough range.
- try to target 10% or more at arrival at superchargers.
- if you're under 20%, never mash the accelerator. The battery voltages drop harder if the battery is under high stress from acceleration. This means the battery groups (there are 96 battery groups in a pack) with least charge may give up, causing the car to shut down. Remember BMS tries to save the weakest group.
- if you think you're cutting it close, reduce your speed. This is the best technique to save your energy. Also drafting a semi would save as much as 10%. Enable range mode in your settings. In cold weather, if it's acceptable, reduce AC temp settings, and set to recirculation.
- climbing hills increase battery usage significantly. If you are running low, switch the map to satellite mode and see if there is elevation change to the next charger. If so expect higher consumption.
- be extra careful on night trip and very cold weather trip. Bring warm cloths for insurance.

Great points. Thanks for taking the time to share them.

 

[trini0t3y]

You have had some very important learning experiences. I recently reached 143,000 miles as of last week. Most of those miles have been long trips averaging about 350 - 400. Some great member advice has been shared in the above posts. Here are some of my tips and tricks for long distant trips:

I always 100% charge before a long trip.

Always charge to a 25% buffer to your next charge stop before you leave.

Always set "Range Mode" to ON.

Use seat heaters and wear extra clothes and warm shoes when winter driving.

Keep A/C around 72 in summer if needed and use "recirculate".

Run blower under 3 unless you have to defrost front windscreen.

Moderate your acceleration from stops.

When charging overnight in cold temps, keep range mode "off" and preheat 20 min prior to departure. This will heat battery and cabin.
Keep a thin plastic scraper in the frunk or trunk during times when the power windows could freeze to the door seals. Before opening door, run the scraper between the glass and the door seal to break the ice bond. Do all of the windows.

The Tesla app will alert you when you can continue on to your next stop. Add extra time to get that 25% buffer.

Purchase a 50' RV power extension cord and an adaptor from a 110vt outlet to a NEMA 1450. Keep in car for emergencies.

Set Regen to LOW when the roads are slippery. This keeps the rear wheels for skidding when you are slowing down.

Keep an extra set of 2032 batteries in the car for the key fob. These batteries can die without warning.

19" rims are more energy efficient than 22" and can handle most major pot holes. Save the 22" for summer / in town short trips.

Rotate tires every 4-5k miles and check for wear and foreign objects stuck in the tread.

Wipe off back up camera lens before backing up ( if possible) if it has been raining or snowing.

Enjoy!

Congrats on the 143K milestbonne. The member advice hcas been excellent. The range mode to off overnight is something I would have never figured out or preheat 20 min prior to departure (I have been jumping right in and taking off, it hasn’t been too crazy cold yet though but it’s coming). Great advice. The 50' RV power extension cord and adaptor I will look into that and purchasing extra 2032 batteries for the key fob. I also liked the Regen to LOW when the roads are slippery. Something I will try out. Thanks again for these tips. Really good.

 

[Eevee]

Additionally what’s really cool are my kids, especially my three youngest girls for which are in elementary, middle and HS. At all three schools their friends and other classmates are so excited about the Tesla. They aren’t asking does your dad have a Porsche or Audi. Nope, the future is Tesla and the ten year olds are excited.

My kiddo is 8 and it's the same at his school. There are a handful of us Tesla owner parents and the kids all know and like the Teslas

As someone who drives long distances A LOT. if you're getting the warning don't just slow down, if you see a semi nearby going the speed you need to stay under (or slower) get behind them, I've seen my battery range go up from doing this. At highway speeds the drag from high speed wind is a huge range killer with a truck taking that load you'll go further.

This works and I used to do it all the time in my tiny little ICE Toyota that I had in college. Drafting saved lots of gas on long drives. BUT this can be incredibly dangerous. Driving near large Semi trucks is dangerous, period, and now that I'm older and wiser I just avoid them as much as possible.

Best way, IMO, to explain energy-saving driving is to pretend your passenger has a full cup of hot coffee and you don't want to spill it. So that means no quick acceleration, no sudden deceleration, and defensive driving to reduce need for sudden braking.