Rapid discharge while parked at airport, how to contact a human for help?

[haliboot]

Anyone know how to contact service directly??

My Model 3 is losing charge rapidly while parked at the airport and will be dead by the time I return
(170 miles to 63 in one week, two more weeks before I return....yes, climate control is off). I tried to
schedule mobile service, but it wouldn't let me fully describe the problem, specify the actual car
location, or choose a service date prior to my return on the 20th.

I tried the contact us link on Tesla.com and just got referred back to the service app. I googled and
found a number of 1-888-518-3752, but it doesn't connect.

Ideas?

 

[Ludalicious]

Turn off sentry mode. That should help. I had this happen a few weeks ago. luckily mine was at home

 

[Rottenapplr]

Unless you can contact a relative Tesla will not do anything for this. Maybe when you get back you can call them and get an assist but I doubt they will do it for free. They wanted $250 to extract me from a muddy dilemma.

Maybe get a relative to get in there (you can remotely give them access) to turn off overheat protection and all of those things.

 

[ry-ballz]

It'll turn off sentry by itself after it gets to 20%. Then the drain will be much less.

Also, stop checking on the car. Every time you do you wake it up and it doesn't go back to deep sleep for like 8 hours.

 

[RickW]

Not an expert, but I think that if you parked your car in a very busy place, especially one in which people are constantly walking in front of the car (if you backed in), then Sentry Mode will basically go nuts trying to capture everything. Had something similar happen to me last night at a restaurant. Turning Sentry Mode off may be your only saving grace. Additionally, disconnecting any 3rd party apps (Teslafi, Stats) may also help.

 

[ecarfan]

Use your Tesla phone app to verify that Sentry mode is off. Then contact someone you trust who is willing to go to where your car is parked. Have them download the Tesla app and give them your Tesla username/password so they can open your car and start it. Find a place to plug it in. Just 120V will be fine. Later you can change your Tesla password.

Anyone know how to contact service directly??

My Model 3 is losing charge rapidly while parked at the airport and will be dead by the time I return
(170 miles to 63 in one week, two more weeks before I return....yes, climate control is off). I tried to
schedule mobile service, but it wouldn't let me fully describe the problem, specify the actual car
location, or choose a service date prior to my return on the 20th.

I tried the contact us link on Tesla.com and just got referred back to the service app. I googled and
found a number of 1-888-518-3752, but it doesn't connect.

Ideas?

 

[Eno Deb]

As others have said, turn off sentry mode. Unfortunately there is now another battery hog that can not be turned off remotely: Smart Summon standby mode. It keeps the computer running just in case you want to summon your car. By default it's on when the car is away from favorite locations. If you haven't turned it off, it will run down the battery until it's under 20%.

 

[haliboot]

Turn off sentry mode. That should help. I had this happen a few weeks ago. luckily mine was at home

Good idea, but already off

 

[Wampa]

Stop opening up your app and hope for the best when you get back. Worst case scenario you get it towed to a charging station.

 

[Sherlo]

Good idea, but already off

Was Sentry mode active/on during the initial drop from 170 to 63? Just curious

I’d go with the other suggestion for a trusted individual with access to your username/password and have them charge it for you.

 

[ilyak]

Was Sentry mode active/on during the initial drop from 170 to 63? Just curious

I’d go with the other suggestion for a trusted individual with access to your username/password and have them charge it for you.

Summon Standby can be the culprit too.

 

[Sherlo]

Summon Standby can be the culprit too.

Thanks, I didn’t realize that was such a drain too. Will definitely keep in mind next time I park for an extended period.

 

[turnem]

Similar thing happened to me last week. Luckily I was only out of town for a week. I parked the car with 210 miles of range on Monday and it was down to 161 miles on Friday. Sentry mode was off the entire time.

I did receive a new software notification while I was away but that was it.

I travel nearly every week and I haven't seen this sort of degradation before.

 

[KGreb]

Same issue, twice now. Consistently losing 12 mi/day. Sentry mode is off per car's UI and app. Suspect culprit is smart summon standby, which I just learned about today. Have it turned off now, will see how this goes for my next trip.

 

[mchas]

Similar thing happened to me last week. Luckily I was only out of town for a week. I parked the car with 210 miles of range on Monday and it was down to 161 miles on Friday. Sentry mode was off the entire time.

I did receive a new software notification while I was away but that was it.

I travel nearly every week and I haven't seen this sort of degradation before.

Could the software update have caused it? I imagine the car has to stay awake and use quite a bit of battery power to download an over-the-air update. Some of them are fairly large.

 

[Nogasmn]

Anyone know how to contact service directly??

My Model 3 is losing charge rapidly while parked at the airport and will be dead by the time I return
(170 miles to 63 in one week, two more weeks before I return....yes, climate control is off). I tried to
schedule mobile service, but it wouldn't let me fully describe the problem, specify the actual car
location, or choose a service date prior to my return on the 20th.

I tried the contact us link on Tesla.com and just got referred back to the service app. I googled and
found a number of 1-888-518-3752, but it doesn't connect.

Ideas?

Airports have EV chargers, why not ask a friend to move your car and plug it in. I had my brother move my car when I couldn't find the chargers first time at the airport. You can "start" your car via the app.

 

[Solarman004]

@haliboot, Bjorn has video where he was contacted by a fan with the same problem. Bjorn went to airport parking lot, the owner remotely started the car through his app (from overseas, as I remember), and Bjorn took the car to a charger, and after another remote start, returned it to airport parking.
Perhaps you can find a kind soul in TX to do this for you.
Good luck!

 

[Apollo3]

Do you use any apps besides the tesla app? If so, change your password so you're logged out of anything else that may be checking up on your car.

 

[ucmndd]

There is no “human” at Tesla that is going to fix this for you, so start calling humans you actually know and asking them to do something.

Or, equally as effective, just do nothing. The car will disable whatever battery sapping “feature” you left on once the charge level drops below 20% and be fine when you get back.

 

[drtimhill]

Anyone know how to contact service directly??

My Model 3 is losing charge rapidly while parked at the airport and will be dead by the time I return
(170 miles to 63 in one week, two more weeks before I return....yes, climate control is off). I tried to
schedule mobile service, but it wouldn't let me fully describe the problem, specify the actual car
location, or choose a service date prior to my return on the 20th.

I tried the contact us link on Tesla.com and just got referred back to the service app. I googled and
found a number of 1-888-518-3752, but it doesn't connect.

Ideas?

As other have noted, you should turn off Sentry Mode. However, if you left Standby Mode for Smart Summon on, you are out of luck as you cannot turn this off via the app (a MAJOR oversight by Tesla imho). I was in the same scenario as you a few weeks ago, my sympathies. I was unable to get Tesla to help out even after I contacted customer service.

(Both Sentry Mode and Standby Mode for Smart Summon keep the computer active which significantly increases vampire drain.)

If you have a friend or colleague who can get to the airport where your car is parked you CAN unlock the car for them remotely and get the to turn off Standby Mode.