Manually enable battery cooling

[No2DinosaurFuel]

I am not sure if this is covered but is there a way to manually turn on the battery cooling? It will be extra hot the next few days here in SD and I would like to protect my battery.

I know tesla says they have that all covered autonomously but I was wondering if there is a way to do it manually because we know lithium battery will last longer if they are in cooler temperature.

 

[jeffro01]

Not that I'm aware of... Besides, Tesla is right, they have it all covered and you shouldn't need to worry at all about it.

Jeff

 

[ICETOO]

What is interesting is that according to Tesla's posted "Range Per Charge", battery efficiency continues to improve as outside temperature increases, all the way up to 110 degrees.

 

[jeffro01]

What is interesting is that according to Tesla's posted "Range Per Charge", battery efficiency continues to improve as outside temperature increases, all the way up to 110 degrees.

That's due to how lithium batteries operate, the hotter they are (up to a limit) the "easier" the energy flows... For those of you who are more technical, yes I realize that's not the best way to explain it...

Jeff

 

[Canuck]

While colder temperatures generally don't harm lithium ion batteries, if you cool it too much, and then charge it, including by way of regen, it can cause faster degradation. That's why Tesla limits regen in colder temperatures until the battery warms up. So it's best to leave it to the BMS to determine proper temperatures since it accounts for all of this.

 

[ecarfan]

is there a way to manually turn on the battery cooling? It will be extra hot the next few days here in SD and I would like to protect my battery.

There is no "manual" user control over battery temp. The Tesla BMS (Battery Management System) is constantly monitoring battery temp and heating or cooling it as it sees fit. Not something you need to worry about except remember "A happy Tesla is a plugged in Tesla" when the car is not being driven.

 

[Rocky_H]

It will be extra hot the next few days here in SD and I would like to protect my battery.

While other people addressed the answer (Don't worry about it.), I'm going to address the question. San Diego is a coastal city. It just DOESN'T get really hot. I just looked up the high temperatures for San Diego for the next several days, and they are 88, 80, 80, 77, 74, etc. Anything less than 100 doesn't matter in the slightest. So don't worry--be happy.

 

[No2DinosaurFuel]

Well my point is really for when the car is parked in the sun. I know I won't be driving it so no regen or what not. Moreover there is a heat wave going on so I know it is going to be hot. Finally I don't really care about remaining energy because I know I have enough capacity to make it home to charge. Lithium like cool temperature when idling.

Yes I agree it is nice to have it automated but tesla should give power users the ability to manually control it.

 

[No2DinosaurFuel]

While other people addressed the answer (Don't worry about it.), I'm going to address the question. San Diego is a coastal city. It just DOESN'T get really hot. I just looked up the high temperatures for San Diego for the next several days, and they are 88, 80, 80, 77, 74, etc. Anything less than 100 doesn't matter in the slightest. So don't worry--be happy.

It is hot if you live inner part of san Diego. What you are looking at is san Diego city. There is a lot of county in hotter regions of san Diego county.

 

[BigMskiman]

There is no "manual" user control over battery temp. The Tesla BMS (Battery Management System) is constantly monitoring battery temp and heating or cooling it as it sees fit. Not something you need to worry about except remember "A happy Tesla is a plugged in Tesla" when the car is not being driven.

Always "plugged-in" is opposite of what I do, Have HPWC at home but use it infrequently. I live and work near the factory & Dublin, and DC charge mostly before lunch hour when below 10%. So is this "all-the-way down & up" approach not making a happy battery? AC or DC, it's you're approach that I'm challenging.

 

[trils0n]

Deeper depth of discharge (letting it run low and then refilling) is generally harder on the battery than topping up every night with you HPWC.

 

[whitecotton]

Remember range mode was found to divert battery cooling as long as possible. Up to 50 Celsius if I remember correctly. This is the main way they get that stretch the energy out as long as possible.

 

[BigMskiman]

Deeper depth of discharge (letting it run low and then refilling) is generally harder on the battery than topping up every night with you HPWC.

Yer right, thanks

From the manual I think:
"Model S has one of the most sophisticated
battery systems in the world. The most
important way to preserve the Battery is to
LEAVE YOUR MODEL S PLUGGED IN
When you are not using it."

 

[Boatguy]

I am not sure if this is covered but is there a way to manually turn on the battery cooling? It will be extra hot the next few days here in SD and I would like to protect my battery.

I know tesla says they have that all covered autonomously but I was wondering if there is a way to do it manually because we know lithium battery will last longer if they are in cooler temperature.

Not to worry, Tesla will cool the battery. I've seen large "vampire" losses when parking my car in the sun on a hot day and came back to find puddles under my car from the condensation on the cooling system. If you have the pano roof, opening it to the vent setting will help. And I think the windshield reflectors are also helpful.

But no manual setting that I know of, Tesla just cranks up the venting and AC as needed.

 

[apacheguy]

My car never activates the chiller while parked. Needs to get above 50 C in order for that circuit to trip which is really difficult to achieve. Only while supercharging in hot weather.

 

[mhan00]

Well my point is really for when the car is parked in the sun. I know I won't be driving it so no regen or what not. Moreover there is a heat wave going on so I know it is going to be hot. Finally I don't really care about remaining energy because I know I have enough capacity to make it home to charge. Lithium like cool temperature when idling.

Yes I agree it is nice to have it automated but tesla should give power users the ability to manually control it.

Unmmmmm, no, they shouldn't. Tesla actually knows the best way to manage the batteries, users would just be guessing.

 

[Lloyd]

Remember range mode was found to divert battery cooling as long as possible. Up to 50 Celsius if I remember correctly. This is the main way they get that stretch the energy out as long as possible.

With this in mind, when I am using range mode, I turn it off about 5 to 10 miles from the next supercharger in order to allow the battery to cool back to normal BEFORE I heat the battery with supercharging. Not sure it makes a lot of difference, but it makes sense to me.

 

[whitecotton]

I would be interested to see how long it takes to cool back down after turning range mode off.

 

[Boatguy]

My car never activates the chiller while parked. Needs to get above 50 C in order for that circuit to trip which is really difficult to achieve. Only while supercharging in hot weather.

My experience was obviously different than yours. The 8.0 release notes say that the car will maintain 40C, though I haven't figured out of that is a option of something that will be done in all cases.

 

[Rocky_H]

My experience was obviously different than yours. The 8.0 release notes say that the car will maintain 40C, though I haven't figured out of that is a option of something that will be done in all cases.

Two different things--the 50C is talking about battery temperature. The 40C thing is preventing the temperature inside the car from getting too high to prevent deaths of pets left in the car.