Just too dang hot?

[Msjulie]

My roadster joins me in disapproving of this weekend's weather - attempt to turn on AC and < 1 minute the car throws up a 'power train needs service' warning and needs to be pulled over, turned off and on again to continue

I'm looking to get an appointment at the SC but curious if others have seen this before?

 

[ecarfan]

Hi Julie: yesterday I drove from Willits to San Mateo. For the first hour of my drive it was 107 degrees, then it "cooled down" to around 100 until I got t Mill Valley. The AC was struggling for the first hour and a half: sometimes it would blow reasonably chilled air and then it would blow lukewarm. It cycled back and forth until temps got below about 90 and then it was okay. I have a 1.5 and the AC in the later Roadster is supposedly better.

What you describe sounds like a definite problem. Not normal.

 

[Msjulie]

What you describe sounds like a definite problem. Not normal.

Yeah ... I sent an email to the service folks in freemont that did the 3.0 battery.

Thanks

 

[thefortunes]

My roadster joins me in disapproving of this weekend's weather - attempt to turn on AC and < 1 minute the car throws up a 'power train needs service' warning and needs to be pulled over, turned off and on again to continue

I'm looking to get an appointment at the SC but curious if others have seen this before?

Sounds to me like your HVAC (which also cools the battery) may have an issue. Many potential reasons for this - low freon, inoperative pump, etc...

You can test my theory easily - go turn the car on and turn the AC on. If it blows cold air, your freon is fine. Check the battery temp - if it is above (30C?) then the pump should be running.

 

[Msjulie]

Sounds to me like your HVAC (which also cools the battery) may have an issue. Many potential reasons for this - low freon, inoperative pump, etc...

You can test my theory easily - go turn the car on and turn the AC on. If it blows cold air, your freon is fine. Check the battery temp - if it is above (30C?) then the pump should be running.

Car is in the garage, a balmy 91 (which is 18 degrees cooler than was I was out earlier today) and AC seems to run fine (only left it on a couple mins), I hear all the fans come up as well which is what I hear when the car charges at night and it's warmish in the garage so I think the fans for AC are running as needed too (they are quite loud when the lot of them are in full song).

I had the car in gear but the brake on during this test so not moving; car did this one time shortly after the 3.0 upgrade and honestly I have not used the AC since that time so I'm a little suspicious perhaps something not reconnected as I had been using it in the spring as part of defrost.

I'm hoping the SC folks can pick up the car from me in on Tuesday with a swap because I don't think cooler days are upon us just yet...

 

[wiztecy]

Remember that the battery pack cooling has priority over you when it gets hot out. When you hear the AC cycle or know its on but its not getting any cooler inside I'm betting the battery is getting the chill.

Julie, did you take any pics of the error messages? That's what is helpful to debug.

 

[Msjulie]

Remember that the battery pack cooling has priority over you when it gets hot out. When you hear the AC cycle or know its on but its not getting any cooler inside I'm betting the battery is getting the chill.

Julie, did you take any pics of the error messages? That's what is helpful to debug.

 

[Msjulie]

Same error as in May (last time I ran the AC)

Car basically stopped dead until the car was turned off completely and turned back on; that's the same thing it did in May and I had sent the SC folks the below image which they said they would keep on record.

today pics when I tried AC in the garage, the temp difference is obviously related as it did not toss the error in the garage

 

[AB4EJ]

Hot, just dang hot.

 

[Curt]

Sounds familiar, @Msjulie.

I've been getting the 972 errors on hot days since early June.

My Service Center replaced the PEM, though that was likely not the problem. The errors keep coming on hot days, and they haven't yet figured it out.

I have a 1.5 with the "3.0" ESS upgrade.

 

[Msjulie]

Sounds familiar, @Msjulie.

I've been getting the 972 errors on hot days since early June.

My Service Center replaced the PEM, though that was likely not the problem. The errors keep coming on hot days, and they haven't yet figured it out.

I have a 1.5 with the "3.0" ESS upgrade.

Does your car basically shut down like mine? When that (above) screen shows up, I have to turn the car all the way off (key out) and then I can continue on - as long as I don't turn the AC back on...

Car got charged yesterday and the AC came blasting on while charging so it's not specifically the AC I guess..

 

[Curt]

Does your car basically shut down like mine? When that (above) screen shows up, I have to turn the car all the way off (key out) and then I can continue on - as long as I don't turn the AC back on...

Car got charged yesterday and the AC came blasting on while charging so it's not specifically the AC I guess..

Yes - exactly the same.

And, on really hot days once it starts it may keep happening every few miles for the rest of the day. Frankly, it makes highway driving pretty scary, since I never know when my drive train will simply shut down and I will have no choice other than to switch the car off and back on again.

See my thread on this here.

 

[Msjulie]

hmm thanks - not completely encouraging...

 

[Msjulie]

I have an appointment with Palo Alto SC next week - fingers crossed

 

[Dwalker13]

Did anyone get the 972 error warning resolved on hot days?

 

[Curt]

Did anyone get the 972 error warning resolved on hot days?

I wouldn't say that it is resolved, but I have learned to manage the problem.

After the "PEM Correction", which was the fourth time they told me the problem was solved, the behavior changed. Now, the #972 error (almost) never occurs while driving, but instead while stopping or stopped. It also doesn't tend to happen unless the AC is running.

So, at this time of year with temps running above 95F (and 90% humidity), I keep the top off and count on motion rather than AC to keep cool. If I have to be out in rain or slow-moving traffic, I drive something else.

 

[Dwalker13]

I wouldn't say that it is resolved, but I have learned to manage the problem.

After the "PEM Correction", which was the fourth time they told me the problem was solved, the behavior changed. Now, the #972 error (almost) never occurs while driving, but instead while stopping or stopped. It also doesn't tend to happen unless the AC is running.

So, at this time of year with temps running above 95F (and 90% humidity), I keep the top off and count on motion rather than AC to keep cool. If I have to be out in rain or slow-moving traffic, I drive something else.

Thanks for the quick response…..I just started getting the error this year. My Roadster only has 22k miles on it. I think it’s the heat and my ac needs Freon. I will put in a call for T = S L A service.

 

[Bunnak]

I never use the AC...and just roll down both windows. Yeah ghetto...but works.