Noticed battery warming just plugged in not charging.

[DrSmile]

Just an FYI.... if you're plugged into a regular 110 volt outlet and this happens...

The car will show 0 miles/hour charging. It will whir and pump and make all kinds of noise, but not actively charge until the battery is warmed up, which with the decreased wattage is going to take a while, in my case at ~-10F it took over an hour.. Once it's warmed up, it will start charging at the expected 4-5 miles/hour.

 

[StealthP3D]

Just an FYI.... if you're plugged into a regular 110 volt outlet and this happens...

The car will show 0 miles/hour charging. It will whir and pump and make all kinds of noise, but not actively charge until the battery is warmed up, which with the decreased wattage is going to take a while, in my case at ~-10F it took over an hour.. Once it's warmed up, it will start charging at the expected 4-5 miles/hour.

Yep. Tesla does try to take good care of the battery. They could just charge at 15A 120V when it's that cold but they like to get a little heat in it first to increase battery life.

 

[mswlogo]

It's possible that the level of heating increases as ambient temperatures get lower. I recall reading somewhere that the system is capable of producing up to 4 kW of battery heat. Unfortunately, I can't find that reference right now.

It might be more efficient use of motor heating as well. I recall something like 4 kW as well.

 

[mswlogo]

Just an FYI.... if you're plugged into a regular 110 volt outlet and this happens...

The car will show 0 miles/hour charging. It will whir and pump and make all kinds of noise, but not actively charge until the battery is warmed up, which with the decreased wattage is going to take a while, in my case at ~-10F it took over an hour.. Once it's warmed up, it will start charging at the expected 4-5 miles/hour.

Just an FYI...He was not charging

 

[rrolsbe]

Big Earl

How cold was it when you plugged in? Does anyone known the approx temp the battery snowflake comes on?

 

[Big Earl]

Big Earl

How cold was it when you plugged in? Does anyone known the approx temp the battery snowflake comes on?

I plugged in somewhere around 10F. The snowflake comes on when the battery temperature is below freezing (more or less).

 

[mrkymarc]

One measurement under one environmental condition cannot possibly tell you what the system's maximum capacity (to produce heat) is. I'm sure it's a lot higher than 2500 watts! These cars are smart. It's almost like they are alive!

Well, It's at least 4 measurements as I noticed the behavior twice (the second time when it was -15 F) and Big Earl and Stretch both got the same number. I'd be interested if anyone is seeing more than 2.5kW with a fully cold soaked battery. I also don't know why the car wouldn't pull the max battery heating power if it is plugged into a source that had significantly more power available.

I’m surprised it is only 2.5kW. If track mode works, the cooling system must be capable of removing more heat from the motors than 2.5kW continuous...especially when it is really cold...

The limit could be in the amount of power/heat they can pull out using motor heating method. That wouldn't be the limiting factor if you're trying to cool the components.

 

[Big Earl]

Well, It's at least 4 measurements as I noticed the behavior twice (the second time when it was -15 F) and Big Earl and Stretch both got the same number. I'd be interested if anyone is seeing more than 2.5kW with a fully cold soaked battery. I also don't know why the car wouldn't pull the max battery heating power if it is plugged into a source that had significantly more power available.



The limit could be in the amount of power/heat they can pull out using motor heating method. That wouldn't be the limiting factor if you're trying to cool the components.

Tesla might be keeping things conservative to avoid rapid temperature changes in the system. I suspect there is a target temperature differential... if that can’t be met due to extreme cold, the system cranks the power up higher. Another data point: our roommate saw the same 10 amps / 2.5 kW draw on his mid-range Model 3 at around 15°F. Anyone with experience in the deep negatives? Please post.