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How I Recovered Half of my Battery's Lost Capacity

Discussion in 'Model 3: Battery & Charging' started by SomeJoe7777, Aug 27, 2020.

  1. BrownOuttaSpec

    Joined:
    May 13, 2019
    Messages:
    431
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    "If the battery has a large depth of discharge to a low state of charge (Red zone), allowing the battery to rest for a few hours before recharging will minimize stress on the cells..."

    That is new information for me, I'll have to try that next time. I just got back home from a trip and was at 19% and plugged it in and charged right away because I didn't want it sitting at a low SoC. Next time I will let it rest like pulling steaks off the grill before eating them :D

    Thanks for the info!
     
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  2. mviens

    mviens New Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2019
    Messages:
    1
    Location:
    Folsom, CA
    Hey WattBeatsGas - I have also reluctantly joined you in this demographic. I am still an engineer, though my ability (and desire) to continue doing so is cut in half each and every day. There is very little left in my (human) gas tank for this type of work.

    As for the name of the car you are asking for, you were practically giving it away with your description! If we (older) people need a nap, than surely the model Elon should be making for us is the Model Zzzzzzzzzz. :)
     
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  3. Firebird 2.0

    Firebird 2.0 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2020
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Simi Valley
    Very good discussion. I spoke with several Tesla people and got slightly different reply’s each time so the best I found is to go down to about 20% often and let 3 sit for at least an hour before charging to 90%. It will take months to see improvement but this seems to be common solution approach. I have just started and hope to see improvement by year’s end.
     
  4. erb2000

    erb2000 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2020
    Messages:
    13
    Location:
    Bedford, MA
    Pro tips:
    1. Press the button on the turn signal stalk to run the wipers to wash off a bug on the windshield
    2. Press the right steering wheel button to activate voice command and say "open glove box" to open the glove box
    3. If you're not driving very much set the charge limit to 50% to increase battery life
    I'm only 63 but my engineering skills have declined. Yet they still pay me the same!
     
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  5. john1gross

    john1gross New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2020
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    2
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Ummmm. You know that you can use voice commands without taking your eyes off the road, right? (Press Right Steering wheel button)
     
    • Like x 1
  6. jweichel

    jweichel New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2019
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Naperville, IL
    I am also in your age group but am not really having a problem with the Tesla. For example, if you want to get a bug off the windshield, just press the button at the end of the left steering wheel stalk. Press it harder, and it will also wash the windshield very similar to cars that you may be used to. No menus or screens need to be used. For the glovebox, you can press the right scroll wheel (like you want to tell the navigations system where you want to go) and say "Open the Glovebox". So that is way less distracting leaning over to press the glovebox button on any other car I have ever owned. By the way, there are many things you can just tell it to do, like change the temperature.
     
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  7. ewoodrick

    ewoodrick Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2018
    Messages:
    5,285
    Location:
    Buford, GA
    Lot's of decent information here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not all quite correct.
    While I question the impact of levelling resistors on Vampire drain, I can definitely say that it isn't the biggest impact on phantom drain, especially in the past. For if it was, how could Tesla have made it better with a software update. Phantom drain's biggest impact comes from the computers. If you let them go into deep sleep, drain becomes really low. < 1mile per day.

    I still highly disagree with the sitting at 100% is bad, it's bad ONLY if you leave if there for a long time, like months, or years.

    And I still question how you would expect the OCV to be correct when the battery isn't fully charged? What you are effectively doing, instead of measuring it at 80%, (which doesn't allow the best calibration) you have it 95% (which is better, but not 100%).

    As an Electrical Engineer, 100% battery charge can only be measured when the battery has been accepting effectively no charge and then let the battery temperature settle down and then measure the OCV.

    BUT, the biggest thing is that you don't gain any battery charge. Nothing in this makes the battery 30%, 50% better. It is ONLY setting the guess-o-meter values.

    What you read on the guess-o-meter is pretty much only guaranteed to be wrong. Maybe better put, as accurate as a stopped watch, which is accurate for 2 seconds a day.

    There was no capacity gained
     
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  8. SonicF9

    SonicF9 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2019
    Messages:
    8
    Location:
    Cen Cal
    Does leaving climate controls on cause the battery not to sleep and any thoughts on what to do when I have to park outside with no shade and a month straight of temps near or over 100 degrees.

    I have seen a significant loss in displayed range and I can’t help but feel like it is from my vehicle running the air to keep the computers cool. Any thoughts or input on this?
     
  9. TLLMRRJ

    TLLMRRJ Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2019
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    1,622
    Location:
    Houston
    Uh, too much to read and do. Not the Tesla way. Need to send this thread to Tesla so they can fix their software instead.
     
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  10. Brock-WI

    Brock-WI Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2020
    Messages:
    58
    Location:
    Green Bay, WI
    I was going to ask this, but really this is just to let the car recalibrate what it thinks it has capacity wise. It has no actual effect on capacity or health of the pack, just how it is reported, is that correct?
     
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  11. Tintin825

    Tintin825 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2019
    Messages:
    24
    Location:
    England
    One option would be to use the voice activation to do the air con and glove box opening. For the bug on the windscreen issue, can you not tap the button at the end of the left stick - hold down if you need fluid to help clear it?
     
    • Helpful x 1
  12. Battpower

    Battpower Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2019
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    1,950
    Location:
    Uk
    I'm sure that while battery chemistry can go some way to reducing problems from high SOC, it undoubtedly pushes cells and causes stress that can have long term consequences. So why not avoid when ever possible?

    While batteries are older design, S85 owners don't get the choice if Tesla decides to limit their max brick voltage. So sooner or later your car could (likely to) need its max charging voltage (and therfore charge capacity) limited / revised.

    Remember that balancing is happening all the time (well, most of the time) based on historic performance of bricks. The energy needs to be evenly balanced between bricks at any SOC otherwise one low energy brick would halt discharging with unused energy sitting in all the others.

    So when the battery is at rest (oc) the parallel cells continue to even out charge based on what balancing / charging duration allowed them to absorb during charging. The volts settle oc and you then see where you are at.
     
  13. scottf200

    scottf200 Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2013
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    3,759
    Location:
    Chicagoland ModelX S603
    Have you tried voice commands? There are quite a few now.
    Tap and let go; then speak after a moment or two. (old way was tap and hold).
    See this list:
    V10.2 Tesla Voice Commands
     
    • Informative x 1
  14. zannman

    zannman Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2019
    Messages:
    128
    Location:
    Ohio
    Nothing special done here except upgrade to 2020.28.6 on 8/6 and the large jumps start after 8/8 charge... I did have a full pack usage down to 4% on 8/22 but can't see any data correlated to that.

    Annotation 2020-08-28 174657.png
     
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  15. FRE0

    FRE0 Member

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    Apr 3, 2020
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    Location:
    San Diego, California, United States of America
    I also think that there are too many simple functions which require using the touch screen and that doing so while driving is dangerous. With my previous car I could adjust the temperature and fan speed without taking my eyes off of the road. Same with operating the wipers. Then too there is the problem having the type size too small to read while wearing distance glasses. I really to like the car, but the controls are likely to cause a crash.
     
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  16. Futuresystem

    Futuresystem Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2017
    Messages:
    89
    Location:
    Brisbane, Australia
    This saddens me a little, because I’m also getting on a just a little, (though maybe not as much as you), yet absolutely adore the functionality of my “computer on wheels“. My wife is also perhaps one of the least technical people on this side of the world, (Australia) but she’s also more than happy to drive it.
    FIRSTLY, in your case I would say don’t touch the screen unless you have A/P engaged- which will keep you in your lane and also from running in to the car in front of you.
    SECONDLY, I would say you just simply don’t actually NEED to touch the screen 99% of the time. I can do most things by voice, something which you should consider practicing. Sit in your car when parked and try it. Fan speed, temp, seat heaters, A/C, wipers, glovebox and so much more can be done with voice alone. Sure, it’s not always perfect in understanding you but is slowly getting better.
    THIRDLY, you most certainly don’t need to touch the screen for wipers, like that idiot recently in Germany who crashed his car allegedly adjusting the wipers, (but more likely doing something else such as using his phone and using that as an excuse).
    Leave them on auto and they’re fine. If the first wipe is later than you’d really like just give the button on the end your stalk a jab, and all will be fine. If there’s bugs on the window, repeatedly hold the button in for your windscreen washer. Too easy, and certainly easier than my other car, a 2014 SUV without 47 functions on one stalk. (Yes, I am exaggerating a little.... not quite 47.)

    It’s very easy to almost never need to touch the screen while driving, but if I do, I am on autopilot so I won’t ever wander out of my lane.
     
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  17. jmichaels

    jmichaels Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2020
    Messages:
    40
    Location:
    Orange County, Calif
    One of the most helpful posts I've seen and I have read a lot of them. I have a 2 month old LR Model Y and my battery range readings don't make any sense and the Tesla folks don't seem to know how to answer my questions. I have provided a bunch of data, charts, spreadsheets and basis analysis related to drop in range and no answers/explanations have been provided. Frankly, its been very frustrating. I am going to try what you are suggesting and hopefully it will help. Attached is my chart from Teslafi. My EPA range is 316 but reported max range has mostly been between 305 and 309 since I've owned the car. My gut says not likely I've lost that much range in 2 months. Hopefully this exercise will get me back to a reported 316 mile range. Fingers crossed.
     

    Attached Files:

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  18. Knittingemmy

    Knittingemmy New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2019
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Winston Salem, NC
    Would you please explain how to put my M3 into sleep mode? I love my car and have been following many of the battery maintenance tips you listed - particularly, varying charge levels and not charging daily. But, I want to be sure I understand what you mean by letting it sleep.
    Thank you.
     
  19. erthquake

    erthquake Active Member

    Joined:
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    Messages:
    1,191
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    California
    Correct.
     
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  20. Retired in AZ

    Retired in AZ Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2020
    Messages:
    16
    Location:
    SUN CITY WEST
    Great information in this post. Here's how I think it applies to my situation, given this background:

    I have a 2019 M3LR AWD (Scarlett) that started its life with my wife and I in July, 2019. When I drove out of the parking lot, its range showed 315. In the year that we have driven it, we have covered just over 7,000 miles. We're seniors, and retired - no jobs or daily driving unless we want to go somewhere. Scarlett gets a lot of 'garage time', with Scarlett sleeping roughly 10 hours per day. I charge when the range gets down to between 45 and 85 miles indicated, and charge up to 80%. I've charged to 100% only four or five times so far, and always just before a trip. And, since we live in the Phoenix area, we have some 'VERY' hot weather (50 days this year over 110), which affects not only people, but Scarlett's battery. When we return home from errands, the temperature in the garage is still in the mid to high 90's, so Scarlett cools down slowly and uses quite a bit of energy for extended periods to cool down the battery. [Incidentally, the Cabin Overheat Protection feature is awesome.]

    Following the logic we're discussing, BMS has plenty of time to recalculate range. So, I believe that Scarlett is telling me as close to the truth as it can. I charged last night, and 80% tells me that I have 268 miles. If we start with the 315 number, times 80%, that number should be 252. So, Scarlett is saying I really have 85%. Nice!

    Any holes in the logic here?
     
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