New Model X shows huge vampire drain vs. previous MS

[Chico]

Traded in my 2013 Models S for a Model X on December 20. Due to holiday travel and subsequent cold/flu, haven't driven it much.

But wow...nearly twice a day it loses 10 or more miles of charge and then recharges...far more than my Model S ever did.

I called Tesla service and the woman I got said, "That's because the Model X is a heavier car. It uses more power."

Clueless. The car isn't moving or even on. That didn't deter her from insisting.

15 to 20 miles per day @ approx. 350 watt-hours/mile, that's 5-7 kWh/day...more than I use in my home. That's like running an electric heater for hours.

This is in a closed garage, never colder than low 40s. I have climate off, key not in vehicle...what could possibly be using that amount of energy?

 

[ptsagcy]

How often do you check it with the app? Doing that "wakes" the X and uses power. You can also reduce the vampire drain by turning off "always connected". However your drain seems excessive.

 

[Chico]

How often do you check it with the app? Doing that "wakes" the X and uses power. You can also reduce the vampire drain by turning off "always connected". However your drain seems excessive.

I don't check it often. But I do have Visible Tesla running remotely...that's how I know that it's charging more than once a day. However, I ran Visible Tesla with the Model S as well, without this drain. And I notice that whenever I do check it with the app, it's never sleeping, always wide awake.

But there's no way the radio electronics are sucking that much power...unless they're using vacuum tubes...

 

[Saghost]

My X doesn't do that - it loses a couple miles per day with sleep enabled but always connected set. I'm thinking it has to be something in your settings or location somehow.

Try not connecting to visible tesla for a few days and check it with the phone app occasionally, maybe?

Dumb thought, but is smart preconditioning maybe running?

 

[ptsagcy]

If it's never sleeping then something is keeping it awake. Not familiar with VT but that could be the culprit.

 

[Merrill]

My X does not lose more than a couple of miles per day.

 

[Chico]

If it's never sleeping then something is keeping it awake. Not familiar with VT but that could be the culprit.

I'll stop VT for the time being, see if that helps. But again, the comms systems should not pull this kind of current.

Thanks for the sanity checks. A couple of miles per day was how my S was. Something is not right.

This amount of current would indicate something like a heater is on.

I just noticed that the Tesla app says the interior temp is 57 degrees, while it's 45 degrees outside the unheated detached garage. Something is generating heat in the car, even though it should be off.

 

[Saghost]

I'll stop VT for the time being, see if that helps. But again, the comms systems should not pull this kind of current.

Thanks for the sanity checks. A couple of miles per day was how my S was. Something is not right.

This amount of current would indicate something like a heater is on.

I just noticed that the Tesla app says the interior temp is 57 degrees, while it's 45 degrees outside the unheated detached garage. Something is generating heat in the car, even though it should be off.

Go into the settings and verify that the smart preconditioning is turned off.

 

[Chico]

Go into the settings and verify that the smart preconditioning is turned off.

Just ran out through the pouring rain to check. Smart Preconditioning OFF, Energy Saving ON.

BUT...the weird thing...the car was in Jack Mode. It was charging and couldn't get it out of Jack Mode without removing the charge cord (for obvious reasons). I certainly didn't put it in Jack Mode. And the other day I went to check on these settings, it was also in Jack Mode. I blew it off, forgot about it...but now I think there's definitely something wrong.

Anybody seen such behavior before?

 

[andrewket]

Traded in my 2013 Models S for a Model X on December 20. Due to holiday travel and subsequent cold/flu, haven't driven it much.

But wow...nearly twice a day it loses 10 or more miles of charge and then recharges...far more than my Model S ever did.

I called Tesla service and the woman I got said, "That's because the Model X is a heavier car. It uses more power."

Clueless. The car isn't moving or even on. That didn't deter her from insisting.

15 to 20 miles per day @ approx. 350 watt-hours/mile, that's 5-7 kWh/day...more than I use in my home. That's like running an electric heater for hours.

This is in a closed garage, never colder than low 40s. I have climate off, key not in vehicle...what could possibly be using that amount of energy?

Yeah, whomever at Tesla told you it uses more power than an S while parked needs better training.

Since this is a new car, did you remember to enable energy saving mode? I could easily see someone with a prior Tesla forgetting that they have to turn that on since most of us leave it on all the time.

 

[AudubonB]

I wonder if the AP2.0 vehicles, with their Nvidia processor, aren't going to be vampiring away becuase of the huge cooling demands of that GPU. OP: Is your X AP2 equipped?

I can tell from post #6 Merrill that his or her car, from Jan '16, and who notes no loss, also cannot have AP2.

 

[Saghost]

Just ran out through the pouring rain to check. Smart Preconditioning OFF, Energy Saving ON.

BUT...the weird thing...the car was in Jack Mode. It was charging and couldn't get it out of Jack Mode without removing the charge cord (for obvious reasons). I certainly didn't put it in Jack Mode. And the other day I went to check on these settings, it was also in Jack Mode. I blew it off, forgot about it...but now I think there's definitely something wrong.

Anybody seen such behavior before?

I've read that the car puts itself in Jack Mode if it is unable to level for an extended period, like it is parked on a significant incline, but I've never seen it myself.

 

[Chico]

Just came out to the garage. Car is back in jack mode.

 

[Saghost]

Just came out to the garage. Car is back in jack mode.

In a garage, so presumably on a basically level surface? Hmm. Maybe the 12V battery is defective, causing the car to work harder to charge it (vampire drain) and react to falling voltage (Jack mode)?

I'm speculating here, but going into Jack mode in a garage on its own is definitely not normal, and neither is the vampire drain you're reporting.

 

[Solarman004]

Just came out to the garage. Car is back in jack mode.

Is it possible that one of the air struts has failed?

 

[Chico]

In a garage, so presumably on a basically level surface? Hmm. Maybe the 12V battery is defective, causing the car to work harder to charge it (vampire drain) and react to falling voltage (Jack mode)?

That would be ironic.

My wife and I were driving down to Fremont to trade in the S and pick up the X. We stopped at the Petaluma SC for a coffee and quick shot and the car died. Wouldn't start, wouldn't charge. Had to have it towed 90 miles to Fremont to trade it in.

The techs said it was the 12v battery that failed, at the SC, exactly 3 years to the day that we picked up the S. Never any other issues, just that one on the day we were supposed to trade it in.

I'm speculating here, but going into Jack mode in a garage on its own is definitely not normal, and neither is the vampire drain you're reporting.

This is a 5-seater X. When we picked it up at Fremont it wouldn't run. We sat there for hours (last people in the building) and they sent us home with a loaner. Next day they said they got it running, so we came back and picked it up.

Hope this isn't the start of a lemon saga...

 

[leletyM3]

Got a P90D AP2 a week as of today...I think I lose 2 miles a day there are times the whole day was the same mileage. Haven't driven the car a lot since I am awaiting for the clear bra to be installed next week.

 

[K-MTG]

I loose 15 miles in a 24 hour period, energy saver is off and always connected is on. But I also have a dashcam that is always on. Is this a problem??

 

[Electric700]

I loose 15 miles in a 24 hour period, energy saver is off and always connected is on. But I also have a dashcam that is always on. Is this a problem??

Try inverting those settings (to Energy Saving: On and Always connected: Off). I suspect you will lose significantly fewer miles daily after doing that.

 

[psgabin]

what to do if i were to leave at airport for 10 days here in cold nj i was thinking to charge to 100% before going?