TMC is an independent, primarily volunteer organization that relies on ad revenue to cover its operating costs. Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. For more info: Support TMC
  1. TMC is currently READ ONLY.
    Click here for more info.

MASTER THREAD: Battery drain while parked or car in storage

Discussion in 'Model 3: Battery & Charging' started by starmanj, May 29, 2019.

  1. starmanj

    starmanj Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2018
    Messages:
    10
    Location:
    Islamorada, FL
    I'm worried about leaving my Model 3 parked for 3 months in my garage. If I leave it plugged in, won't the constant charge damage the batteries? Is it safer to leave it unplugged and let it drain the car?
     
  2. Tha_Reaper

    Tha_Reaper Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2019
    Messages:
    89
    Location:
    Belgium
    the car will just shut off the charging connection when it reached the set charge. If it drops enough, it will start charging again up to the same point.
    For long term storage, set teh charging limit to 70%, plug it in and leave it plugged in, set cabin overheat protection to on, and it should be totally fine

    EDIT: to clarify: its not the charging current thats harmfull for li-ion batteries. its staying for long periods at a very high, or a very low state of charge. Thats why you shouldnt charge to 100% unless you are about to take a long drive, and thats why you shouldnt park the car for a couple of days when its almost empty.
     
    • Like x 2
  3. banned-66611

    banned-66611 Guest

    Isn't the best thing to charge to about 70% and then do a full shut-down to completely turn the car off while stored?

    If you leave it plugged in it won't keep using the wall power. It will charge, drain the battery a bit, charge, drain the battery a bit...
     
  4. Eno Deb

    Eno Deb Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2018
    Messages:
    2,598
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    AFAIK it's not possible for the user to fully shut down the car (if you use the option on the screen it wakes up again as soon as you open the door to get out or lift your weight from the driver seat).

    Set the charge limit to 50% and leave the car connected. It'll top up the battery every few days. This is also optimal for battery life since it'll maintain a medium SoC. Do *not* let the battery drain, that can permanently damage it.
     
    • Like x 2
  5. banned-66611

    banned-66611 Guest

    Tesla's official advice when e.g. going through the Channel Tunnel is to use the emergency shutdown option.
     
  6. wdolson

    wdolson Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2015
    Messages:
    7,416
    Location:
    Clark Co, WA
    When I changed my 12V battery, I shut down from the screen and the car stayed shutdown until I got the new battery hooked up. It did automatically boot as soon as the new battery was in the circuit, but it stayed shut down until then, even with the old battery still connected.

    To the OP, I agree with the other advice here. Leave the car plugged in and it will maintain the level you set it to down to a couple percent below. So if it's set to 70% the charge will vary from about 68% to 70%, probably charging back up every few days. The battery will be quite happy in that state. My car spends all its time in the garage sitting at 90% and it's been that way for three years. My 90% is essentially the same as when the car was new.

    I work from home so the car sometimes sits for days at a time. Sometimes it's down to about 265 miles when I get in due to a couple of day's vampire drain.
     
    • Like x 1
  7. Wennfred

    Wennfred Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2019
    Messages:
    2,907
    Location:
    San Diego
    #7 Wennfred, May 30, 2019
    Last edited: May 30, 2019
    To keep it from constant charging as the battery drains, you can do 4 things.

    1. Disable Data Sharing
    2. Make sure Sentry mode is off
    3. Make sure TeslaCam is off
    4. Turn off any cabin cooling.

    As far as the 12volt Battery, what I did is connect a battery tender to trickle charge it and keep it topped off.

    The only thing different that I did from the Statements above was that I kept the battery limit at 80% and I didn’t do any type of shutdown.

    I went on vacation for 11 days and I kept the car plugged in, there were no issues.

    Fred
     
    • Informative x 1
  8. MrMassTransit

    MrMassTransit Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2019
    Messages:
    299
    Location:
    Washington, DC
    As some others have mentioned, leave it plugged in and set the state of charge to 50%. This is in alignment with Tesla's guidance in the manual and the best practices for storing lithium ion batteries long term. I routinely let my Model 3 sit for a week or more without driving and it is absolutely fine plugged in. I'd just make sure sentry mode and cabin cooling is off.

    Unplugging the car and creating a situation where it could be at risk of the battery completely draining could actual damage the batteries - if you have an outlet nearby, keep it plugged in. There is zero harm that can result from this - Teslas are designed to be constantly plugged in, but you want the batteries to be set to keep the charge at 50% of capacity. Letting the battery sit at a high state of charge is not great for the battery either.
     
    • Like x 2
  9. dhrivnak

    dhrivnak Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2011
    Messages:
    4,387
    Location:
    NE Tennessee
    No Tesla clearly recommends that one keep your car plugged in. This is especially important if one is away for months. This is coming from one who has had a Tesla for 8.5 years now.
     
    • Like x 1
  10. Watts_Up

    Watts_Up Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2019
    Messages:
    3,092
    Location:
    In a galaxy far, far away
    #10 Watts_Up, May 30, 2019
    Last edited: May 30, 2019
    >> 2. Make sure Sentry mode is off

    Also there is a "Security" mode that get activated when using Sentry, so turn if off, otherwise your 12 V might stay ON all the time.

    Note: The "Security" mode is only visible on the inside 15" display panel, not on the smartphone App.


    I noticed some recommendation to use Race Ramps (RR-FS-10) 10" Wide Flatstopper

    You could instead put some Jack Stand or 2-T scissors jack under the 4 car's lifting points to avoid getting your tires deformed.

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like x 2
    • Informative x 1
  11. TexasEV

    TexasEV Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2013
    Messages:
    7,637
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    @starmanj, have you read the manual? Tesla specifically says to leave it plugged in. By the way, it doesn’t “constantly charge”. When charge level drops by 3% then it charges back up again. Set the slider to 50% charge and don’t worry about it. You don’t need to do anything @Wennfred said. Give Tesla a little credit for having figured this out— the battery management system is more sophisticated than you realize and there’s six years experience with it in hundreds of thousands of cars.
     
  12. Accentcreate

    Accentcreate Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2017
    Messages:
    79
    Location:
    France and Australia
    I'm leaving my car in the garage for six months while overseas but I really want to leave Sentry Mode active for security.
    What effect will this have on battery longevity?
     
  13. dstasse

    dstasse Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2018
    Messages:
    42
    Location:
    NJ
    Can I assume that by keeping it plugged in while away for months, the 12 v battery charge is maintained?
     
  14. WarpedOne

    WarpedOne Supreme Premier

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2006
    Messages:
    4,326
    Location:
    Slovenia, Europe
    Don't try to be smarter than Tesla.
    Set target SOC at 60%, live it plugged in and go away.

    >> Can I assume that by keeping it plugged in while away for months, the 12 v battery charge is maintained?

    Yes, don't try to be smarter than Tesla.
     
  15. jelarv

    jelarv Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2018
    Messages:
    11
    Location:
    Chicago
    Sorry if this has been explained in other posts. I park at O'Hare Airport while traveling and over the past month for each trip, when I come back my car has lost 15-25 miles charge for each day I'm gone. I'm getting concerned that for a long trip, I'll come back to a car that has not enough range to drive home. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!
     
  16. Rocky_H

    Rocky_H Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2015
    Messages:
    5,809
    Location:
    Boise, ID
    • Helpful x 1
    • Informative x 1
    • Like x 1
  17. Akikiki

    Akikiki A'-Lo-HA ! y'all

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2012
    Messages:
    6,275
    Location:
    Kaneohe, HI
    Model 3? Sounds like you have Sentry mode turned on, and I bet you are frequently checking the status of your car. When you wake it to check it, its going to start the car's functions and that drains the battery.

    And Rocky_H is correct too.
     
    • Like x 1
  18. hugh_jassol

    hugh_jassol Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2019
    Messages:
    708
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    - Sentry Mode
    - Keep Climate On
    - Cabin Overheat Protection
    - Dog Mode
    - Summon Standby Mode
    - Software that "polls" the car for status (TeslaFi, Stats, etc.)
    - Opening the app frequently (when you open the app it wakes the car)

    If all of those are turned off, then you shouldn't be losing more than a mile or two a day.
     
    • Helpful x 1
    • Like x 1
  19. timk225

    timk225 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2016
    Messages:
    2,013
    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    I just returned from a 9 day vacation to Los Angeles, and left my 3 at the airport during that time. I made sure to disable sentry mode from the in-car screen, as turning it off on the phone app doesn't work if it's on in the in-car screen. I even went to the extreme of removing the Tesla icon from my phones' home screen so I wouldn't accidentally bump it on and wake up the car.

    I parked the car with 252 miles, and returned 9 days later to have 228 remaining! :)

    24 mile loss in 9 days, I think that's pretty good. And it sat in freezing conditions for at least a day or 2 of that time.
     
    • Like x 3
  20. Akikiki

    Akikiki A'-Lo-HA ! y'all

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2012
    Messages:
    6,275
    Location:
    Kaneohe, HI
    Best answer - e-v-e-r. Well done.
     

Share This Page

  • About Us

    Formed in 2006, Tesla Motors Club (TMC) was the first independent online Tesla community. Today it remains the largest and most dynamic community of Tesla enthusiasts. Learn more.
  • Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.


    SUPPORT TMC