NO NO. NO. Use the correct outlet to match the wiring and circuit breaker, and use the correct native Tesla UMC adapter as linked above. Do not use any kludge homemade or third party adapters for your routine charging. If your dryer outlet is a 10-30 for example, use a 30A breaker and the Tesla UMC 10-30 adapter. Keep it simple.
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New Model 3 owner - What should I know?
- Thread starter Colgate2004
- Start date
Another thing to know as a new owner. Watch your speed! I'm serious about that, specially if you never owned another EV. EV's in general a deceptively fast because they're so quiet and have so much torque. Even the M3 LR RWD is much faster than nearly any normal ICE vehicle, so don't let it trick you. You don't want to get a ticket the first week you own it! I set the speed warning chime to ding at me when I'm 5 mph over the limit.
Also, when you first get it, I'd spend a good hour out on the driveway reading the manual and learning where all the controls are and setting the mirrors and options you want BEFORE you drive much. You don't want to have to try to figure important stuff out while you're in motion.
Also, when you first get it, I'd spend a good hour out on the driveway reading the manual and learning where all the controls are and setting the mirrors and options you want BEFORE you drive much. You don't want to have to try to figure important stuff out while you're in motion.
SoundDaTrumpet
Member
I recommend spending the $500 for the Wall Connector since the OP planned for 60A. You will need a permit no matter what route you choose. Obvious violation to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 70) cited by compadres by the way. No need to spend money to keep 50A & 60A breakers on hand, return the receptable, and your time savings can go towards purchase of Wall Connector and permit.
I went with 1" conduit for 80A charging, but only did 6AWG, NEMA 14-50 to a Clipper Creek. I'll end up keeping it but unplugged. I am planning to put a Tesla Wall Connector using the excess 1" conduit from the previous job. Just waiting for the main panel to get upgraded. Fortunately, my garage sub-panel is arms distance away. A local disconnect is required for >60A. You are maxed at 60A with 3/4" EMT conduit (google conduit fill chart). NEC load calculation (or load test) is required as well for the permit, and it's helpful info.
Got it and this was my intention until I pulled the dryer out. For 10+ years my 30 amp dryer has been plugged into a 50 amp receptacle running 50 amp wire back to my breaker that’s 30 amp.
So the outlet is 50a and opening it up it’s hard core old school leviton receptacle outlet that I will need to rip up my wall to box and replace.
I was thinking for temporary use I could utilize it , only pull 24 amps to match the breaker.
Thanks for your warning. I also see those outlets and adapters sold online have been used for years with no issues assuming correct amps are being drawn. I am upgrading my service in the spring.
Looks to be 6.... range and downstairs dryer are original to the house 50A receptacles / separate breakers I’m just sure someone swapped the dryer to 30 amp breaker to correct size for the dryer.
Has been in place 10 years no issue with dryer ever , or tripping in the house.
Will be upgrading panel in spring I just need a temp solution. I can’t see this as a huge issue assuming correct draw is in place.
sdrevik
Member
As far as the charging percentage, if I’m commuting locally I just set to 70%
Ah ha! Very good point! (It’s exactly that kind of thing that I would never have thought of!)
Thank you!!
Lyftup,
As TexasEV said above, 240V circuits are not for the faint of heart. I wouldn’t go doing ANYTHING in your panel unless you’re very certain what gauge conductors are running through your walls. It’s possible the 30A breaker is in the panel because the previous owners realized the wire wasn’t code-compliant for the 50A breaker (8-gauge wire can easily be mistaken for 6-gauge!).
As TexasEV said above, 240V circuits are not for the faint of heart. I wouldn’t go doing ANYTHING in your panel unless you’re very certain what gauge conductors are running through your walls. It’s possible the 30A breaker is in the panel because the previous owners realized the wire wasn’t code-compliant for the 50A breaker (8-gauge wire can easily be mistaken for 6-gauge!).
Also good advice!
I’ve noticed in the past how well-built, higher-performance cars can deceive you and make you feel like you’re going slower than you are. I’ve never driven an EV other than Model S and 3 test drives, so I’m sure the lack of engine noise and added torque only increase the effect.
Thank you for the advice!
I don’t understand... 1” conduit for 80A, but only 6ga wire? On a 50A outlet?
@Colgate2004: not sure why you stumbled on the NEMA 6-50 installation guide. For as long as I can remember, and I just checked the website again, Tesla recommends installing a 14-50 receptacle, and it clearly states that the gen 2 UMC cable comes with 14-50 adapter.
If you're like me and intend to keep your UMC semi-permanently plugged into the receptacle, you should just return the 6-50 and get a 14-50. It's $7 at Home Depot. Or you can get the 6-50 adapter for the UMC from Tesla for $35.
Big caveat is what kind of wiring you used. If you used 6-3 Romex (or a THHN solution with 2 hots, neutral and ground), you're good to go with the receptacle replacement. Otherwise, you're likely missing a neutral wire that the 14-50 requires.
And like others said, get the 50A breaker. The one I needed for my panel was $8.
I envy your panel-to-receptacle distance. I had to do a long run of 6-3 that required some fishing thru walls.
One last thing to note: I charge my car at 20A because there's a noticeable drop in voltage when set to max (both with gen 1 and gen 2 UMCs). Loss in voltage is due to resistance in the circuit, which manifests as wasted energy (heat). I tell the car to pull slower, and there's less resistance, which means more efficient wall-to-car charging. Part of this is due to my long run of cable, but you should check if you are getting voltage drop, and reduce your amperage on the car end until you see things return to 240+.
If you're like me and intend to keep your UMC semi-permanently plugged into the receptacle, you should just return the 6-50 and get a 14-50. It's $7 at Home Depot. Or you can get the 6-50 adapter for the UMC from Tesla for $35.
Big caveat is what kind of wiring you used. If you used 6-3 Romex (or a THHN solution with 2 hots, neutral and ground), you're good to go with the receptacle replacement. Otherwise, you're likely missing a neutral wire that the 14-50 requires.
And like others said, get the 50A breaker. The one I needed for my panel was $8.
I envy your panel-to-receptacle distance. I had to do a long run of 6-3 that required some fishing thru walls.
One last thing to note: I charge my car at 20A because there's a noticeable drop in voltage when set to max (both with gen 1 and gen 2 UMCs). Loss in voltage is due to resistance in the circuit, which manifests as wasted energy (heat). I tell the car to pull slower, and there's less resistance, which means more efficient wall-to-car charging. Part of this is due to my long run of cable, but you should check if you are getting voltage drop, and reduce your amperage on the car end until you see things return to 240+.
Just change the breaker to 50 A and outlet to 14 50 and make sure you have wires for ground and neutral. You don't need a Tesla wall charger. The 14-50 will charge a M3 at 31 m/hr. If you had to charge from 10% to 90% ( 248 miles ) it would only take you 8 hrs. Get a Tesla 10-30 adapter for the many older dryer and hot water heater outlets in garages. Don't forget to take your UMC cable with you on a trip that won't be near superchargers ( which is becoming a rarity ).
Msjulie
Active Member
My primary recommendation is to read the owners manual carefully and completely. It answers many of the questions that are asked often on TMC.
https://www.tesla.com/content/dam/tesla/Ownership/Own/Model 3 Owners Manual.pdf
Assuming you bought Auto Pilot...
Get used to the various Auto Pilot features one at a time. First spend time using TACC (only on freeways and limited access roads with no cross traffic!) to learn what it is capable of, always keeping your eyes on the road and never assuming it will stop in time. Be ready to apply the brake if needed, and remember that TACC will do nothing to save you from the driver behind you not paying attention and rear ending you!
Then start using Auto Pilot, but only on freeways (limited access roads only, no cross traffic!) and not in heavy traffic. Use the maximum interval setting of 7. Always keep your hands on the wheel and pay attention. Thoroughly understand what the display tells you so that you only have to quickly glance at it and not stare at it, taking your eyes off the road.
Next, Auto Lane Change, always checking your mirrors before signaling. I recommend keeping the rear view camera image on the display.
Finally, Navigate on Auto Pilot. The owners manual that you access through the center display has information about it. It’s important to learn the chime sound that indicates it is enabled and then disabled and to note the display messages shown.
To be honest, it was simply because the extra conductor was unnecessary for the Wall Charger, and it would be a little bit easier feeding 2+1 conductors through the conduit than 3+1 conductors. That really was my only reason.
And yes, I used 6-2 Romex, so in order to install a 14-50 receptacle I'd need to run an additional conductor... which is doable, but definitely a bit of a PITA (would likely involve removing some of the conduit from the wall, removing the existing cable from the conduit, and re-running all the conductors, then reinstalling the conduit).
So I could redo the installation using 3+1 6-gauge THHN conductors (which, while not a huge deal and would likely only take a couple of hours, is still a bit of a PITA), or I could just order the 6-50 adapter for thirty five bucks and use the 50A breaker now and switch it out for the 60A if/when I get a Wall Charger...
@ecarfan Thanks for the manual link! That'll make some nice bedtime reading between now and when I take delivery of my car...
I actually did not buy autopilot. My plan is to wait until full self-driving is available (and government-approved, etc.) and buy it then, even if that means paying more for it.
I agree. I started charging off a pre-existing 6-20 outlet using the UMC and recently had the wall connector installed with much higher amps. The first solution worked fine, however it wasn't elegant with the lower amps and UMC dangling from the wall. The wall connector is a beautiful solution that looks great in the garage, feels more substantial and that extra 4' of wire comes in handy when parking the car in different orientations or sides of the garage. I also always have the UMC with me now, should the need arise at some time in the future (rare admittedly). It was a pain to pack up when going out of town in the past and that's no longer an issue. It's worth the money for the wall connector in my view.
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@lolder Ah, thanks for the advice on the 10-30 adapter. That's great advice!
I live and travel mostly on the I-95 corridor from Boston northward, and thankfully that whole area is quite well covered with superchargers so I'm guessing it will be rare that I'm charging at a location other than home, but for $35 it certainly is a good idea to have the ability to use the odd outlet I may happen across..!
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
Since you live in the snowbelt, you should be aware that a cold battery will cause reduced regen braking and power (you will see dots on the power/regen line proportional to the amount of reduction). Charging to a high state of charge (SOC), such as 90% or 100% will also lead to reduced regen (this is of concern to those of us in the mountains who descend steep hills when leaving home). This reduced regen may become important when you get used to "single-pedal" driving and find that when you back off the accelerator the car doesn't slow as much as you are used to and you have to scramble to use the brake pedal instead.
One way to reduce the lack of regen in cold weather is to time charging so that it finishes about the time you will be leaving — charging warms the battery.
The other problem with a cold battery is that Supercharging can be very slow until the battery warms. This isn't a problem if you have been driving for hours on a road trip but if you hit a Supercharger Station in the morning, after the car has been sitting in the cold overnight, the Supercharging will be slow. Really slow!
Just be aware of these cold weather quirks — they are familiar to longtime EV drivers but can be a surprise to newcomers.
One way to reduce the lack of regen in cold weather is to time charging so that it finishes about the time you will be leaving — charging warms the battery.
The other problem with a cold battery is that Supercharging can be very slow until the battery warms. This isn't a problem if you have been driving for hours on a road trip but if you hit a Supercharger Station in the morning, after the car has been sitting in the cold overnight, the Supercharging will be slow. Really slow!
Just be aware of these cold weather quirks — they are familiar to longtime EV drivers but can be a surprise to newcomers.
@dgpcolorado Huh! All very useful information, thank you very much.
The whole “single pedal driving” thing is definitely going to take some getting used to. When I did my test drive it was very unnatural at first (I try to maximize mileage in my ICE car, which means coasting whenever possible, so I take my foot off the gas well in advance of stoplights, etc... in the Tesla with regen set to standard, that meant the car was slowing dramatically earlier than I intended. I actually set the regen to low to avoid that, but I understand the benefit of it once you get used to it if increasing your regen (and therefore efficiency).
Anyway, you make a very notable point about timing the charging for the morning... does the user interface, by any chance, include any functionality to do this electronically, or do you have to do it manually by timing when you plug the car in?
The whole “single pedal driving” thing is definitely going to take some getting used to. When I did my test drive it was very unnatural at first (I try to maximize mileage in my ICE car, which means coasting whenever possible, so I take my foot off the gas well in advance of stoplights, etc... in the Tesla with regen set to standard, that meant the car was slowing dramatically earlier than I intended. I actually set the regen to low to avoid that, but I understand the benefit of it once you get used to it if increasing your regen (and therefore efficiency).
Anyway, you make a very notable point about timing the charging for the morning... does the user interface, by any chance, include any functionality to do this electronically, or do you have to do it manually by timing when you plug the car in?
