Hot floor after driving high speed

[RFernatt]

Took the 3 on a trip today from Martinsburg to Morgantown today. It's about 150 miles mostly on I68 one way. I noticed after driving for a while that my feet and even the seat bottom felt too warm. My passenger also commented.

I suspect it's heat from the battery during heavy load climbing mountains at interstate speed in cold weather, but it felt a bit excessive especially since temps in the 30s should keep everything cool.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[ngogas]

Nope. Consider it a nice heated floors. Lol.

 

[Candleflame]

probably and likely a feature.

 

[ecarfan]

Took the 3 on a trip today from Martinsburg to Morgantown today. It's about 150 miles mostly on I68 one way. I noticed after driving for a while that my feet and even the seat bottom felt too warm. My passenger also commented.

I suspect it's heat from the battery during heavy load climbing mountains at interstate speed in cold weather, but it felt a bit excessive especially since temps in the 30s should keep everything cool.

”Heat from the battery” radiating up through the floor when traveling at highway speeds with outside air temps in the 30’s? That seems implausible.

I’ve owned every model of Tesla ever built and have done lots of long uphills on mountain roads up to 8,000 ft in much warmer temperatures and have never experienced that.

Perhaps you had the floor heat and your seat heaters on?

 

[VT_EE]

That is mostly likely the floor vent which blows hot air in the foot wells. Seriously doubt it’s the battery you are feeling.

 

[BobAbooey]

Took the 3 on a trip today from Martinsburg to Morgantown today. It's about 150 miles mostly on I68 one way. I noticed after driving for a while that my feet and even the seat bottom felt too warm. My passenger also commented.

I suspect it's heat from the battery during heavy load climbing mountains at interstate speed in cold weather, but it felt a bit excessive especially since temps in the 30s should keep everything cool.

Anyone else notice this?

OMG how fast were you driving...yikes

 

[RFernatt]

Seat heaters definitely off. HVAC controls were on auto like always, but perhaps it was blowing hot air low. Speeds were only in the 70s, so nothing extreme. When leaving Morgantown the car was cold, but after driving for 90 mins or so we we're back to overly warm feet and seats. I'll keep an eye on it and check HVAC even when on auto.

 

[acoste]

The battery will get heated up to ~75F while driving. So if you felt anything higher than that, should come from another source.
If it is higher and really comes from the battery, contact Tesla.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Gotta be global Model 3 warming.

 

[RossComer]

RFernatt: Were you able to resolve this?

I have the same issue, where after traveling for a bit, the heat coming into the front foot-wells is excessively hot to the point that I have to turn off Auto climate control and turn off the foot heat.

 

[SSedan]

Given the fact the passenger compartment needs something of a firewall between it and the battery do you really believe it is battery heat?
If the heat was noticable the surfaces were likely 100+ . If the battery could radiate heat thru the floor how hot would it need to be to make the carpet that warm.
Then what would it do in summer? Oh yeah be cool because it is the HVAC is what is causing it.

 

[RossComer]

Agreed it's HVAC. Do you have a solution to the issue of excessive heat coming out of the HVAC in the driver foot-well?

 

[SSedan]

higher fan setting so the air temp isn't so hot to maintain cabin temp?

 

[Dante]

So I have a similar issue and have wondered if it’s the battery heat as well. Have done a few longer trips in the 3, and in cooler climates, after several hours, the floor/leg space feels quite warm. I had some chocolate that made it to the floor in the rear of the car and it completely melted. Heat on auto at 20.5°C. However, in the winter I usually aim the vents down, figuring that “hot air rises”, so if I aim the heat down, it will naturally come up and warm/circulate. In the summer I aim my vents up because cold air will fall, therefore doing the opposite. I wonder therefore If it is a venting issue? But still weird because my torso/head are not hot, just my feet. I don’t have the problem with the seats though.

 

[GregD60]

So I have a similar issue and have wondered if it’s the battery heat as well. Have done a few longer trips in the 3, and in cooler climates, after several hours, the floor/leg space feels quite warm. I had some chocolate that made it to the floor in the rear of the car and it completely melted. Heat on auto at 20.5°C. However, in the winter I usually aim the vents down, figuring that “hot air rises”, so if I aim the heat down, it will naturally come up and warm/circulate. In the summer I aim my vents up because cold air will fall, therefore doing the opposite. I wonder therefore If it is a venting issue? But still weird because my torso/head are not hot, just my feet. I don’t have the problem with the seats though.

I'd say that there's pretty much zero chance of it being battery heat unless there's something wrong with your car. This summer, on a day in the mid 80s, I went on I-70 west from Denver which gets up over 11,000 feet with some serious grades, I notice no floor heating. On the same trip going through Las Vegas with an outside temperature of 115, there was no noticeable floor warming either.

 

[jamnmon66]

So I have a similar issue and have wondered if it’s the battery heat as well. Have done a few longer trips in the 3, and in cooler climates, after several hours, the floor/leg space feels quite warm. I had some chocolate that made it to the floor in the rear of the car and it completely melted. Heat on auto at 20.5°C. However, in the winter I usually aim the vents down, figuring that “hot air rises”, so if I aim the heat down, it will naturally come up and warm/circulate. In the summer I aim my vents up because cold air will fall, therefore doing the opposite. I wonder therefore If it is a venting issue? But still weird because my torso/head are not hot, just my feet. I don’t have the problem with the seats though.

Nothing wrong with what you're doing and it doesn't really matter. But in such a small space with air movement from the HVAC, the "hot air rises" phenomenon will likely be negligible. If it makes you comfortable, then keep doing it but I'd argue that you should just aim it for maximum personal comfort.

 

[jamnmon66]

I'd say that there's pretty much zero chance of it being battery heat unless there's something wrong with your car. This summer, on a day in the mid 80s, I went on I-70 west from Denver which gets up over 11,000 feet with some serious grades, I notice no floor heating. On the same trip going through Las Vegas with an outside temperature of 115, there was no noticeable floor warming either.

Ditto on same drive. Also 2 road trips from Denver to central PA and one to Sacramento in the middle of the summer without noticing any heat from the floor. And... I have serious lead foot. Either it's the HVAC (more likely) or there's something really wrong (less likely but plausible).

It would have use a lot of extra energy to heat the entire battery to that point, regardless of how it happens. Is there excessive battery usage when you notice the heated floor?

 

[ecarfan]

Seat heaters definitely off. HVAC controls were on auto like always, but perhaps it was blowing hot air low. Speeds were only in the 70s, so nothing extreme. When leaving Morgantown the car was cold, but after driving for 90 mins or so we we're back to overly warm feet and seats. I'll keep an eye on it and check HVAC even when on auto.

With your HAVC set to Auto, it seems very likely that warm air was coming out of the footwell vents. Apparently, it was more warm air down there than you prefer. The Auto setting is not going to create perfect conditions to suit everyone’s preferences. Try turning off Auto and, if your have the footwell vents on and your feet are getting too warm, turn off those vents.

It seems wildly implausible that the battery pack could get hot enough to radiate heat into the car while you are driving and air is flowing over the lower surface of the pack enclosure. And of course the BMS works to monitor and regulate pack temperature.

 

[Garlan Garner]

The battery is covered in a metal shell with liquid moving throughout the pack to regulate the temp.

The battery temp alarm would have fired off ( and shut the car down ) long long before you can feel the entire battery packs heat through your shoes.

It would be more plausible that you didn't know you had heated shoes.

 

[Silver Ghost]

Took the 3 on a trip today from Martinsburg to Morgantown today. It's about 150 miles mostly on I68 one way. I noticed after driving for a while that my feet and even the seat bottom felt too warm. My passenger also commented.

I suspect it's heat from the battery during heavy load climbing mountains at interstate speed in cold weather, but it felt a bit excessive especially since temps in the 30s should keep everything cool.

Anyone else notice this?

I drive about 90 miles one way to work. Average velocity is about 80 mph. I have never noticed any heat issues even when the temp is 100 F outside.