Has anyone else froze their a$$ off

[X.l.r.8]

-20 degrees, carbon fibre body shell, heating designed in California!!!!! I must be nuts
Anyone else had to double layer to get in the car. The first 50km is okay, but after 120km at 100km/hr the heating seems less and less effective. This time last year was riding my e-bike everywhere and I think I may be getting soft, but is there a limit to the heating. Does the battery steel heat like it steals AC when its hot, because i think my battery could run a few degrees cooler if thats the case. Seriously, does the heat go to the battery/motor like the AC in summer, because that would explain a lot.

 

[dhrivnak]

No mine heats well. Range takes a hit but heat is fine as low as 20F.

 

[backmost]

For mine the heat is great at lower speeds like around town,but once I get on the highway and hit like 75 mph it doesn't work as well. It'll keep the cabin lukewarm at best, though I notice it works slightly better with the hard top vs soft top.

If it's like 30s to 40s F it's not too bad, but any colder like it's been the last few days, at high speeds the heat barely keeps things warm. I rely more on the heated seats and bundling up.

 

[dhrivnak]

I did add the sound proofing 1 and 2 and I have the hard top on for winter, all of which I think helps.

 

[spaceballs]

I noticed the lower floor vents are not very powerful, and in the debug HVAC menu seems to support that theory. As I see some heater element throttling when just using the floor vents, but I don't see the same heater element throttling when blowing out the 4 mid level vent. I then aim the the two closest vents to blow hot air over my legs, this seems to works fine enough for me in Seattle winters.

 

[gregd]

I noticed the lower floor vents are not very powerful, and in the debug HVAC menu seems to support that theory. As I see some heater element throttling when just using the floor vents, but I don't see the same heater element throttling when blowing out the 4 mid level vent. I then aim the the two closest vents to blow hot air over my legs, this seems to works fine enough for me in Seattle winters.

Wait, you can aim the lower (foot well) vents? Where?

 

[hcsharp]

-20 degrees, carbon fibre body shell, heating designed in California!!!!! I must be nuts
Anyone else had to double layer to get in the car. The first 50km is okay, but after 120km at 100km/hr the heating seems less and less effective. This time last year was riding my e-bike everywhere and I think I may be getting soft, but is there a limit to the heating. Does the battery steel heat like it steals AC when its hot, because i think my battery could run a few degrees cooler if thats the case. Seriously, does the heat go to the battery/motor like the AC in summer, because that would explain a lot.

What version is your Roadster? The 2.5 has a much stronger HVAC system, both heating and cooling. I've taken a lot of drives at -20F and felt comfortably warm. You have to be sure to engage the recirc button which recycles 80% of the air from the cabin. My feet used to get cold until I insulated the cabin as part of a soundproofing project (thank you drhivnak). Tesla used to sell a kit that improved floor heating. It was simply a small hose that carried warm air from the passenger footwell heater to the driver's side.

 

[spaceballs]

Wait, you can aim the lower (foot well) vents? Where?

I meant to say to aim the two closest mid level vents to my upper legs, to the point they are start restricting air flow. I then aim the two midlevel air vents that are farthest away at my chest/head.

 

[X.l.r.8]

recirc works! I never used it before on previous cars as it always fogged up the windows.
Mines a 2.0, its only been the -20 C and long distance drives on highways that have been a problem.

 

[PV-EV]

At -21F the display of temperature wigs out

 

[GJVR]

In Holland is it not that cold, but still I have to confess that I have been driving my model S the last days...

Recirc works perfectly, as long as you keep the airco on.

I have also bought a small radiator that I plug in the 12v outlet and aim at the windshield.
Then you activate it by waking up your car with the OVMS app from your kitchen table in the morning.
This will give power to the radiator for 30 mins, providing you with a pre heated roadster and defrosted windshield.

Model S 0.0 style.

 

[gregd]

View attachment 373885I have also bought a small radiator that I plug in the 12v outlet and aim at the windshield.
Then you activate it by waking up your car with the OVMS app from your kitchen table in the morning.
This will give power to the radiator for 30 mins, providing you with a pre heated roadster and defrosted windshield.

Interesting idea to use a 12v heater, but all the ones I see require too much power (15A). We only have 8A, I think. What product do you use?

 

[hcsharp]

One of these days I'm gonna start a thread called Roadsters in Snow. With pics.

 

[backmost]

View attachment 373885 In Holland is it not that cold, but still I have to confess that I have been driving my model S the last days...

Recirc works perfectly, as long as you keep the airco on.

I have also bought a small radiator that I plug in the 12v outlet and aim at the windshield.
Then you activate it by waking up your car with the OVMS app from your kitchen table in the morning.
This will give power to the radiator for 30 mins, providing you with a pre heated roadster and defrosted windshield.

Model S 0.0 style.

Does that work?? Which heater do you use since someone mentioned the amperage issue from the 12V socket.

Today I went out for a 2 hour round-trip drive and using the air recirculation it kept the cabin nice and toasty! I'm so used to keeping the vents open in ICE vehicles.

 

[Marius]

Half an hour before I leave I put my wife's hairdryer on 2000W on 230v in the cabin and the cabin is preheated

 

[GJVR]

Obviously as seen in the picture I forgot to test it on the first snowy day.

However it does blow hot air as seen in these pictures. (Normally I do not post functional pics, just pretty ones @hcsharp)

I threw out the box, so I do not remember the brand.

 

[backmost]

Waking the car on OVMS turns on power to 12V? I gotta get myself one of these.

 

[GJVR]

I tested this morning; heater was activated with OVMS app: wake up car button.
In 20 mins the windshield was mostly defrosted.
Cabin was not really pre heated. Heater has too little capacity.

However: less work on the windshield.

 

[wycolo]

I fondly recall endlessly sneaking home one poorly-planned day across the wide Wyoming wilderness on cruise at 36 mph with my feet tucked up to the seat mount and covered by blanket saving precious KWHs on a day when the snow was certainly not in any mood to melt. I only needed to reach the last summit which I did manage to do; the last 12 miles was a net 600 ft drop so I arrived home on fumes, as they say in the ICE world. [shivver]
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