Model X maintenance when in storage

[Chazz1]

We are snowbirds and recently drove from Phoenix to New York City (Queens).I found the driving and street parking in the city so wild that I have decided not to risk damaging the car and I'm using a Toyota Highlander which has countless dents and scratches that occurred while it was parked on the street.

The Tesla is safely parked in the driveway in the back of my house and has ample charge of 210 miles. Fortunately I have very low phantom drain. I read on the forum recently about the 12 V battery discharging completely while there was ample charge on the main battery. Is there a danger of this happening because the car is not driven?

We will be here another four months. Should I periodically drive it (on safe streets) just to keep things maintained? Should I top off the charge to 90% using 125v home charging or free Supercharging very close to home?

Is there anything else I need to be doing to keep the car in shape?

 

[Rocky_H]

I read on the forum recently about the 12 V battery discharging completely while there was ample charge on the main battery. Is there a danger of this happening because the car is not driven?

Where did you read something like that? That doesn't happen if the car isn't broken in some way. The car always monitors the state of the 12V battery, and when it gets low, the car will wake up, reconnect the main battery to refill the 12V, and then go back to sleep. The 12V should never go dead while there is still energy in the main pack, whether the car is being driven or not.

 

[Chazz1]

Where did you read something like that? That doesn't happen if the car isn't broken in some way. The car always monitors the state of the 12V battery, and when it gets low, the car will wake up, reconnect the main battery to refill the 12V, and then go back to sleep. The 12V should never go dead while there is still energy in the main pack, whether the car is being driven or not.

You relieved me of a potentislly big worry. Thank you very much.

 

[mxnym]

We are snowbirds and recently drove from Phoenix to New York City (Queens).I found the driving and street parking in the city so wild that I have decided not to risk damaging the car and I'm using a Toyota Highlander which has countless dents and scratches that occurred while it was parked on the street.

The Tesla is safely parked in the driveway in the back of my house and has ample charge of 210 miles. Fortunately I have very low phantom drain. I read on the forum recently about the 12 V battery discharging completely while there was ample charge on the main battery. Is there a danger of this happening because the car is not driven?

We will be here another four months. Should I periodically drive it (on safe streets) just to keep things maintained? Should I top off the charge to 90% using 125v home charging or free Supercharging very close to home?

Is there anything else I need to be doing to keep the car in shape?

When 12V dies while HV is charged, it is because the 12V battery is failing, not because the BMS isn't charging it (once HV is below some low percentage, it may stop charging the HV, but that's a separate discussion). You should be OK to leave it sit without much concern, as it should wake to charge the 12V. Driving it wouldn't have any effect here, because there is no alternator or other mechanism leading to 12V charging only during driving. While I don't think you really need to worry about it, you could also leave it plugged in (the abc's of charging = always be charging / "a plugged in Tesla is a happy Tesla"), or if you can't leave it plugged in, but charging is convenient enough for you and you do have any concern, checking on it with the app will wake it and allow you to see the current HV percentage (I should imagine this would also trigger 12V charging if it were necessary). The more frequently you do wake it with the app, the more it will cost you in terms of phantom drain, because the sleep cycles will reset and there will be less deeper/longer ones.

ETA: I'm leaving this post for posterity, but it was apparently completely unnecessary. For some reason I was only seeing the OP even though there are two replies above mine that are 14-15 hours old.

 

[Chazz1]

When 12V dies while HV is charged, it is because the 12V battery is failing, not because the BMS isn't charging it (once HV is below some low percentage, it may stop charging the HV, but that's a separate discussion). You should be OK to leave it sit without much concern, as it should wake to charge the 12V. Driving it wouldn't have any effect here, because there is no alternator or other mechanism leading to 12V charging only during driving. While I don't think you really need to worry about it, you could also leave it plugged in (the abc's of charging = always be charging / "a plugged in Tesla is a happy Tesla"), or if you can't leave it plugged in, but charging is convenient enough for you and you do have any concern, checking on it with the app will wake it and allow you to see the current HV percentage (I should imagine this would also trigger 12V charging if it were necessary). The more frequently you do wake it with the app, the more it will cost you in terms of phantom drain, because the sleep cycles will reset and there will be less deeper/longer ones.

ETA: I'm leaving this post for posterity, but it was apparently completely unnecessary. For some reason I was only seeing the OP even though there are two replies above mine that are 14-15 hours old.

I am very glad you left it for posterity because it had much information that is very helpful to me. Thank you.

 

[Soey22]

Keep your MX plugged in at 50%(this is the ideal charge for storing your Tesla). The car will start charging when it drops 3% below that charge rate. I was out of the country for 6 months and kept my MX in the garage plugged in at 50%. My dad would once a week move it in and out of the garage, this kept the tires moving and parking brake not sticking due to moisture.