Hawaii Tesla Owners

[ddruz]

Charging question. If I take a trip and leave the car in the garage, does anyone know if it is better to leave the car charging or leave it unplugged and recharge when I return home? How much does the battery discharge daily if left sitting?

As others have noted, Tesla recommends leaving your car plugged in at all times when not in use.

 

[drtko147]

namimac, I think that would be a great idea. There are other car owner groups that get together to show off their rides. Definitely, it would be cool to have several Tesla Model S cars together to show off our rides. We should take a picture or video of that and submit it to Tesla to show off our support. Maybe we can get them to install SuperCharger stations in Hawaii.

hawaiikaiguy, am thinking of planning a meetup sometime in late July/early August. Was thinking we could even do a sunday drive and parade our teslas around Oahu

Also, maybe it's time we have our own forum group vs just a thread? Some of the other states have one.

Picking up my car Saturday morning! Was hoping to get it sooner but work is interfering with my tesla time

 

[SCW-Greg]

Charging question. If I take a trip and leave the car in the garage, does anyone know if it is better to leave the car charging or leave it unplugged and recharge when I return home? How much does the battery discharge daily if left sitting?

Tesla's current manual says (until some future update might improve idle loss) expect about 1% per day. Then can't quite remember the level it gets down to before it goes to a deep sleep mode, and in that mode it can last for several more months before serious damage can occur.

But best practice is to leave it plugged in, at some max SOC setting less than full (preferably, now that we can set it, to around 50%), and let the car take car of itself. You'll find this in the manual too.

For those of you who have reserved/ordered your car, you can download the various manuals and instructions from your "My Garage" profile at the TM site. When you get your car, they will have professionally printed versions in the glove box for you. They also have a 30 min instructional video, on getting to know your Model S. Video Walkthrough | Tesla Motors

 

[drtko147]

Great tip on the Quik Detail. I have to look at the vacuum. I have a car vacuum stored in my garage but maybe should keep it in my car. The problem is that it runs off the car battery.

Our blue 40 kWh superstar is great! Got tint job and deluxe paint protection kit done @ Protint. Opened her up a bit on H3. Even when going really fast in this car, it doesn't really feel like you're going too fast -- dangerous! In 1 week, we've put over 300 miles on it, but never had it below 60 rated miles remaining. Took her up the steepest parts of St. Louis Heights without any issues, plenty of uphill power (and coincidentally met a really cool guy up there who showed us an incredibly beautifully restored Shelby).

My almost-4-yo son loves the rear-facing seats. He's always asking to go for a ride, and alternates between calling the car a Tesla and a racecar. At red lights when we're the first car, he counts down "3-2-1-BLASTOFF!!!" Then I mash. The tinting really helps out in the back keeping him cool, but he still says he's hot sometimes; we're considering getting this fan for him (have to figure out where to clip it). Facing the middle row AC vents up also helps, and it blasts AC the best when only the forward-facing fan option is selected (no feet, no dash).

Our beauty has a tan interior (with obeche gloss). Our second child is 15-months old, so she doesn't fit in the 3rd row yet. As such, we put a car seat in the middle row. To protect the leather seats, we put down a spare tan bath towel that happens to be the same color as the tan interior, and it covers all parts of the car seat that go up against the Tesla's leather interior. From what I've read in my research, this is pretty much the best way to protect the leather; pretty much any other material would scratch/age the leather. We also have a strict no food/drink rule for the car

Barry recommends Meguires Quik Detail for spot cleaning (bird plop, etc) -- I opted for 22oz bottle -- while out on the road, and microfiber cloths/rags of course. Both available for reasonable prices at Don Quijote. I picked some up last night, and I keep them in the plug adapter bag in the 3rd row side well. Going to wash weekly @ home using the Junkman's 2 bucket method Does anyone have recommendations for portable/battery-operated mini vacuum?

There was 1 issue that I had to report to Tesla, and it was pretty strange: when in D, there was a loud clicking metal-on-metal sound coming from the driver-side rear wheel area when the car was moving forward. Sounded brake-related and the individual click would happen multiple times on a single wheel revolution, but Tesla's remote diagnostics found nothing wrong and no logged faults. Was advised by Tesla that I could still drive the car with no problem, though I noticed it was getting closer to 400 Wh per mile, instead of the usual 320 - 340 that we would average. (Co?)incidently, the problem just "went away" after the Tesla software update was installed overnight.

Question: Does anyone else's Model S drip A LOT of water after the car has been used and is off (probably just A/C condensation, but want to see if mine is dripping more than normal)? Even hours later, Our garage floor always seems wet under the rear driver side wheel where the dripping occurs, meaning there's significant amount of dripping. Just worried that it's the liquid surrounding the battery potentially, though Tesla has shown no logged faults.

So we're fully registered, safety check sticker (directly) on the bumper. Have to go in to the service center some point for the recall, and they have to replace a side chrome piece that was scratched on delivery, but we're in no rush to do so. No name yet, and that's fine too!

Any Tesla meetups planned?

 

[Sigreds]

Early in my ownership experience, I left my car in the garage for much longer than I had expected to, and discovered that there is an accessory battery that will (USED TO, that problem has been addressed) drain if the car was left unplugged too long.

There have been several software updates since that happened and many bulletins released to address thing that end users like me do to the car. The car was out of service a few days, because this was long before Barry was hired, let alone here. Now, I think the fix would take less than a day, if it is even possible at this point. That being said, I leave mine plugged in. However I recently made the mistake of leaving town for a few days with the car at 15%, and the problem did not reoccur. So, I suggest, as Greg did, leave it plugged, if at all possible. If not, I believe that a 50% charge should last a very long time in an idle S.

Barry could quiet any concerns you have if access to charging overnight is an issue.

 

[drtko147]

I watched the video for Junkman's 2 bucket method. Interesting technique. Other than the Glare treatment, do any of you know a good polish solution for protecting the paint and getting a good water protection? After the recent rains, I keep seeing water spots.

Our blue 40 kWh superstar is great! Got tint job and deluxe paint protection kit done @ Protint. Opened her up a bit on H3. Even when going really fast in this car, it doesn't really feel like you're going too fast -- dangerous! In 1 week, we've put over 300 miles on it, but never had it below 60 rated miles remaining. Took her up the steepest parts of St. Louis Heights without any issues, plenty of uphill power (and coincidentally met a really cool guy up there who showed us an incredibly beautifully restored Shelby).

My almost-4-yo son loves the rear-facing seats. He's always asking to go for a ride, and alternates between calling the car a Tesla and a racecar. At red lights when we're the first car, he counts down "3-2-1-BLASTOFF!!!" Then I mash. The tinting really helps out in the back keeping him cool, but he still says he's hot sometimes; we're considering getting this fan for him (have to figure out where to clip it). Facing the middle row AC vents up also helps, and it blasts AC the best when only the forward-facing fan option is selected (no feet, no dash).

Our beauty has a tan interior (with obeche gloss). Our second child is 15-months old, so she doesn't fit in the 3rd row yet. As such, we put a car seat in the middle row. To protect the leather seats, we put down a spare tan bath towel that happens to be the same color as the tan interior, and it covers all parts of the car seat that go up against the Tesla's leather interior. From what I've read in my research, this is pretty much the best way to protect the leather; pretty much any other material would scratch/age the leather. We also have a strict no food/drink rule for the car

Barry recommends Meguires Quik Detail for spot cleaning (bird plop, etc) -- I opted for 22oz bottle -- while out on the road, and microfiber cloths/rags of course. Both available for reasonable prices at Don Quijote. I picked some up last night, and I keep them in the plug adapter bag in the 3rd row side well. Going to wash weekly @ home using the Junkman's 2 bucket method Does anyone have recommendations for portable/battery-operated mini vacuum?

There was 1 issue that I had to report to Tesla, and it was pretty strange: when in D, there was a loud clicking metal-on-metal sound coming from the driver-side rear wheel area when the car was moving forward. Sounded brake-related and the individual click would happen multiple times on a single wheel revolution, but Tesla's remote diagnostics found nothing wrong and no logged faults. Was advised by Tesla that I could still drive the car with no problem, though I noticed it was getting closer to 400 Wh per mile, instead of the usual 320 - 340 that we would average. (Co?)incidently, the problem just "went away" after the Tesla software update was installed overnight.

Question: Does anyone else's Model S drip A LOT of water after the car has been used and is off (probably just A/C condensation, but want to see if mine is dripping more than normal)? Even hours later, Our garage floor always seems wet under the rear driver side wheel where the dripping occurs, meaning there's significant amount of dripping. Just worried that it's the liquid surrounding the battery potentially, though Tesla has shown no logged faults.

So we're fully registered, safety check sticker (directly) on the bumper. Have to go in to the service center some point for the recall, and they have to replace a side chrome piece that was scratched on delivery, but we're in no rush to do so. No name yet, and that's fine too!

Any Tesla meetups planned?

 

[Akikiki]

SCW-Greg, wow, thanks for the excellent explanation. You covered a lot in a small reply.

- - - Updated - - -

Sigreds, Aloha, didn't know you were here with a Signature model. Welcome to the forum. We'd enjoy hearing more about your experience. And tell us about your configuration. Are all the Signature configured exactly the same? How many miles do you have. When did you get yours? Hpw's your tire wear with how many miles, please?

 

[Jkam]

I watched the video for Junkman's 2 bucket method. Interesting technique. Other than the Glare treatment, do any of you know a good polish solution for protecting the paint and getting a good water protection? After the recent rains, I keep seeing water spots.

I use Zaino, and someone else on the board does too. After the initial application, it is pretty easy to maintain and it looks great - show room fiinish. The water beads pretty well. When I drive around 35mph, all the water just blows off.

 

[StephenM]

I use Zaino, and someone else on the board does too. After the initial application, it is pretty easy to maintain and it looks great - show room fiinish. The water beads pretty well. When I drive around 35mph, all the water just blows off.

I second Zaino. You can pick it up from PakShak on Sand Island. The guys there really know their stuff and can give you advice on detailing your car. They keep strange hours though so check if they're open before you go.

 

[jeffdhood]

namimac, I think that would be a great idea. There are other car owner groups that get together to show off their rides. Definitely, it would be cool to have several Tesla Model S cars together to show off our rides. We should take a picture or video of that and submit it to Tesla to show off our support. Maybe we can get them to install SuperCharger stations in Hawaii.

fyi, this is the reply I got when I answered their recent email offering to sell me supercharging capabilities... Sound like we just have to keep asking in enough numbers and eventually we'll get some. Maybe even one on the Big Island someday.
Hi Jeff,


My name is William and I’m a part of the Ownership Experience team at Tesla Motors. Thanks for contacting us about our upcoming Supercharger locations.

While I cannot confirm future locations of the Supercharger locations, I can say that the Supercharger locations are being created to address range concerns for our owners, specifically when attempting to take road trips or travel distances beyond the ideal range of the batteries. In Hawaii, there may not be the same demand on long range drives. That being said, we have not yet announced all of the locations in the mainland United States, so there’s always a possibility if there becomes enough demand.

If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to email [email protected] or me directly.

Best Regards,
William Masterson | Ownership Experience Advocate
3500 Deer Creek Rd. | Palo Alto, CA 94304
p 877.79.TESLA (877.798.3752) | e [email protected]

 

[spleen]

I can't imagine that Tesla would put money into superchargers in Hawaii until the rest of the network on the mainland gets built out (arguably, they need it more). Even a 40 KWh car can go around Oahu without issues. If anywhere, maybe on the Big Island.

 

[spleen]

I second Zaino. You can pick it up from PakShak on Sand Island. The guys there really know their stuff and can give you advice on detailing your car. They keep strange hours though so check if they're open before you go.

I used to love Liquid Glass in the old days. The newer products such as Glare, Zaino, Opti-coat, etc are supposedly better. I think you really can't go wrong as long as you spend the money / effort in doing the upkeep of the paint job.

Unfortunately water spots are going to be unavoidable to some extent, especially on dark paint. Polish may allow the water to bead more and run off the car but if there's any standing water on the car and it dries, it'll leave water spots - more visible on darker paint.

 

[Akikiki]

nanimac, Solar powered, I wanted to say it was a pleasure to get to meet you two today at the SC. I wish others could have seen her smile, it was 6 inches wider than her face. Oh my goodness Wow, That was fun seeing and meeting you and your husband. I think he's two drives away from becoming an owner himself. We will see.

 

[spleen]

nanimac, Solar powered, I wanted to say it was a pleasure to get to meet you two today at the SC. I wish others could have seen her smile, it was 6 inches wider than her face. Oh my goodness Wow, That was fun seeing and meeting you and your husband. I think he's two drives away from becoming an owner himself. We will see.

We'll give her a few days of driving around before expecting to see any posts from her :biggrin:

 

[Jkam]

I can't imagine that Tesla would put money into superchargers in Hawaii until the rest of the network on the mainland gets built out (arguably, they need it more). Even a 40 KWh car can go around Oahu without issues. If anywhere, maybe on the Big Island.

While I agree with the premise - maybe the Big Island - I don't think there is enough numbers or critical mass on the Big Island to merit a Super Charger. Out of the roughly 100 or so Model Ses (my estimate) in the state right now, the bulk of them are obviously on Oahu. I bet there are less than 10% on the Big Island and that's being generous. Tesla isn't going to build a Super Charger for 10 cars. I realize the number could grow, but it would have to be a pretty significant number for Tesla to devote resources to building a station. Maybe I will eat my words, but I doubt we'll ever see a Super Charger in Hawaii.

 

[jeffdhood]

While I agree with the premise - maybe the Big Island - I don't think there is enough numbers or critical mass on the Big Island to merit a Super Charger. Out of the roughly 100 or so Model Ses (my estimate) in the state right now, the bulk of them are obviously on Oahu. I bet there are less than 10% on the Big Island and that's being generous. Tesla isn't going to build a Super Charger for 10 cars. I realize the number could grow, but it would have to be a pretty significant number for Tesla to devote resources to building a station. Maybe I will eat my words, but I doubt we'll ever see a Super Charger in Hawaii.

Of course, I have an agenda... Here's my reply to William ("Build it and they will come"):

Aloha William,

Have you been to Hawaii Island? If you’ve been to other Hawaiian islands but not this one, you might not think it’s a big deal, but the Big Island is twice the size of all the other Hawaiian islands combined. With a land mass of 4,028 square miles, it’s about as big as Connecticut. It is 92 miles long and 76 miles wide as the crow flies. Driving distances are significantly higher and of course round trip doubles them. There are plenty of people on this island that can afford a Tesla, but most of them worry about not having a place to recharge quickly in Hilo and Kona.

Respectfully,

Jeff

 

[nanimac]

nanimac, Solar powered, I wanted to say it was a pleasure to get to meet you two today at the SC. I wish others could have seen her smile, it was 6 inches wider than her face. Oh my goodness Wow, That was fun seeing and meeting you and your husband. I think he's two drives away from becoming an owner himself. We will see.

Akikiki, great finally meeting you in person and thanks for the awesome pics and the license plate and safety check ideas/goodies Was totally engrossed in the car that only had a few pics of my own nice meeting leeward too and seeing solar powered again..it was a like a mini tesla meet up! I loved hearing all of your experiences in person!

didn't get too much driving in today...did the safety check thing then a few showings of the car to family and friends..but did play with the acceleration a few times after I left the service center! Also, drove like a grandma going up driveways and reversing..lol
Totally LOVE the car so far! will report back next week with my driving experiences...may even let the hubby drive it..LOL

 

[StephenM]

...may even let the hubby drive it..LOL

Fair warning, you may not get it back. :biggrin:

 

[Akikiki]

naw, SHE won't have any problem getting HER car back from HIM. Naw.

 

[solar powered]

Nanimac: we are so happy for you! Don't worry, you won't be driving so cautiously after a week.
Akikiki: great to finally meet you in person. I am grateful for all of your guidance & help.