Recent heat pump failures - software issue?

[CyclingBen]

I'm also having this issue. I just picked up my new Model Y a little more than a week ago, and updated to 2021.44.30 earlier this week. Yesterday, after scheduled departure prewarming in the garage, I lost heat (-5F outside) and got the VCFRONT a447 error about 10 minutes into my commute. An hour later, I used the app to warm the car and had no issues on the commute to a different office and then later home.

Same thing this morning. Garage predeparture warming and at nearly the same point on the drive lost heat (-8F outside) and gained the a447 code. A few hours later when I tried to drive it, the heat was working again.

 

[BR666T]

I am a fellow Winnipeger 2021 m3 with 44.30 update and yesterday -25c no heat. Got appointment for jan. 21 ugh Tesla has paid to rent me a gas car. This has been a problem since heat pump came out not acceptable imo.And also a safety issue in this part of the world.

Did it show an error message? I think the only thing fixed by 2021.44.30 is VCFRONT _a447, although other people with that error code have said they are on the fixed software version. I believe the causes of the problems are various, including hardware failures.

Regardless of the cause, Tesla needs to take this very seriously.

 

[damonbrodie]

I'm also having this issue. I just picked up my new Model Y a little more than a week ago, and updated to 2021.44.30 earlier this week. Yesterday, after scheduled departure prewarming in the garage, I lost heat (-5F outside) and got the VCFRONT a447 error about 10 minutes into my commute. An hour later, I used the app to warm the car and had no issues on the commute to a different office and then later home.

Same thing this morning. Garage predeparture warming and at nearly the same point on the drive lost heat (-8F outside) and gained the a447 code. A few hours later when I tried to drive it, the heat was working again.

Open a ticket in the App for service.

I had this same issue happen 2 weeks ago in -12C weather on a 14 hour roadtrip. We lost heat completely for over 2 hours and water bottles in the car were starting to freeze. Since then the techs have been back and forth with me via the messaging for the ticket and they state that part of the fix was delivered in 2021.44.30, but they expect that it will be one to two more updates before the issue is completely resolved.

 

[CyclingBen]

Open a ticket in the App for service.

I had this same issue happen 2 weeks ago in -12C weather on a 14 hour roadtrip. We lost heat completely for over 2 hours and water bottles in the car were starting to freeze. Since then the techs have been back and forth with me via the messaging for the ticket and they state that part of the fix was delivered in 2021.44.30, but they expect that it will be one to two more updates before the issue is completely resolved.

Yeah, I opened a ticket and they let me schedule mobile service, but I'm not convinced that will work. Nearest service center is 3hrs away.

 

[BR666T]

I am not kidding here so please take this seriously. If you have lost heat that is a major safety issue with the car and it should be reported to Transport Canada. You can do an online submission here:

Defect Complaint Form

wwwapps.tc.gc.ca

Thank you for this. Detailed form submitted.

 

[damonbrodie]

Yeah, I opened a ticket and they let me schedule mobile service, but I'm not convinced that will work. Nearest service center is 3hrs away.

I'm not convinced either, but given the fact that it started working again tells me it is possible it is a software fault vs. a hardware one. They say the problem was introduced by a recent firmware update which reinforces the idea that they have characterized the issue reasonably well.

Opening the ticket will give the techs access to your system and they can remotely diagnose it.

Good luck!

 

[Justus]

I am not kidding here so please take this seriously. If you have lost heat that is a major safety issue with the car and it should be reported to Transport Canada. You can do an online submission here:

Defect Complaint Form

wwwapps.tc.gc.ca

(took a while to find that link it was well hidden)

Even if Tesla fixes this, it should still be reported so they can track how much this is happening. This is a very serious issue when it's -20 and below for obvious reasons - you can lose visibility, get frostbite, etc.

So far my M3 has been OK. It was -34 yesterday but I have not had to go anywhere where I wasn't able to pre-heat, but for those that have had this issue please please please do the online form.

Thanks Braumin for the Transport Canada link complaint has been sent. And I hope others in this situation will so the same.

 

[Justus]

Did it show an error message? I think the only thing fixed by 2021.44.30 is VCFRONT _a447, although other people with that error code have said they are on the fixed software version. I believe the causes of the problems are various, including hardware failures.

Regardless of the cause, Tesla needs to take this very seriously.

Not sure about error message.

 

[Justus]

Did it show an error message? I think the only thing fixed by 2021.44.30 is VCFRONT _a447, although other people with that error code have said they are on the fixed software version. I believe the causes of the problems are various, including hardware failures.

Regardless of the cause, Tesla needs to take this very seriously.

Not sure about error code.

 

[Threader]

This morning second test drive 1.5 hours on Highway 30 QC trying to replicate conditions that triggered my HVAC error in New Brunswick. - 20 C no preconditioning at all. Got on the QC 30 with good headwinds this morning going at or slightly above 120 kph. outside temps reading ranged -20 to -17 C. No errors car nice and hot.

Just now cancelled my Service Appointment for Jan 10 that I had gotten back when I had the error VCFRONT _a447 last month in New Brunswick with no heat far from home.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Thank you for this. Detailed form submitted.

I am really curious, how your situation turned out. Has this been resolved?

 

[BR666T]

I am really curious, how your situation turned out. Has this been resolved?

I don't know if it is resolved. Since our freezing cold drive on Dec 27, we have not experienced any issues but temperatures have also been above -15C since then. Therefore, I don't know whether 2021.44.30 fixed the issue. It does appear that the heating issue continues to occur for some owners with 2021.44.30.

 

[damonbrodie]

I don't know if it is resolved. Since our freezing cold drive on Dec 27, we have not experienced any issues but temperatures have also been above -15C since then. Therefore, I don't know whether 2021.44.30 fixed the issue. It does appear that the heating issue continues to occur for some owners with 2021.44.30.

The techs replied in my service request for no cabin heat said that the issue was “partially” resolved in 44.30 but it will take “1 or 2” more firmware updates to fully resolve it.

 

[Justus]

This morning second test drive 1.5 hours on Highway 30 QC trying to replicate conditions that triggered my HVAC error in New Brunswick. - 20 C no preconditioning at all. Got on the QC 30 with good headwinds this morning going at or slightly above 120 kph. outside temps reading ranged -20 to -17 C. No errors car nice and hot.

Just now cancelled my Service Appointment for Jan 10 that I had gotten back when I had the error VCFRONT _a447 last month in New Brunswick with no heat far from home.

I would keep appointment mine works one day and not the next.

 

[aglucas]

I have had the heat pump freeze up in Wyoming. I has happened twice. The conditions that trigger it are ~-20C, highway speeds of ~120 km/h and driving multiple stages(stopping and charging every 100miles). First time I took it in the car was ~1 month old in Dec 2020, and they replaced a valve. The last time I took it in Jan 2022 they could find nothing wrong and told me a upcoming FW update would fix it. The service center gave me little info on the testing they did. I would have like to know if they checked the refrigerant level and the charge level under load. Communication with Tesla tech's is very limited. Based on my battery level post service and HI setting on heat I think they put the system on high, ran it for a while and didn't see a failure; then called it good. That test was on a warm day not under the conditions I puts the system through. A modern heat pump should be able to work at these low temps but probably not as well if the system is in need of maintenance. Could be I have low refrigerant level. I can't find a service manual for the heat pump so I don't know how to check it on my own.

 

[rypalmer]

I have noticed some weird HVAC behaviour since the big UI release in December:
- it seems to run a little hot at first - I've had to turn the temperature down to 18º where normally I would leave it at ~21 all the time.
- preconditioning can be so aggressive that it will cause the state of charge to decrease by 1% per 10 minutes even while plugged into a 48A charger
- I've started seeing a new HVAC error: VCFRONT_a531 "Cabin climate control system requires service - Cabin heating/cooling limited or unavailable" but this has coincided with very snowy weather and I suspect some snow built up in the front air intake. This error has not persisted for more than a few minutes.

Since the software update coincided with the onset of wintery snowy weather, take the preceding with a grain of salt.

 

[mat1990dj]

I'm not convinced either, but given the fact that it started working again tells me it is possible it is a software fault vs. a hardware one. They say the problem was introduced by a recent firmware update which reinforces the idea that they have characterized the issue reasonably well.

Opening the ticket will give the techs access to your system and they can remotely diagnose it.

Good luck!

I can agree that it seems a SW issue, although my car has been dropped to the SC until the 19 when I have the appointment.

I was drinving from cincinatti to indy at 2C leaving a supercharger and being good warm inside. It was slightly raining and after 1h the heater stopped working. Tried soft reset and power off (althoug I didn't heat the clonc) and it didn't work. When I got home, plugged into the 24A charger, got in the car and there was heat!
How come just pluging the car in fixed it? it has to be software.
Even though tesla recommended me to have the car serviced.

 

[Braumin]

Well my car got this today. Was -34°C last week and thankfully no issues. Today it warmed up to -14°C and for the first time I got the VCFRONT_a447 error and a loss of heat. I am on .30 software as well. Will do the Transport Canada notice as well as a service appointment I guess, not that they will likely fix anything.

 

[damonbrodie]

Well my car got this today. Was -34°C last week and thankfully no issues. Today it warmed up to -14°C and for the first time I got the VCFRONT_a447 error and a loss of heat. I am on .30 software as well. Will do the Transport Canada notice as well as a service appointment I guess, not that they will likely fix anything.

Don’t be melodramatic. Hundreds of people are experiencing this issue. It is going to be resolved. When? That’s a good question

 

[Ruffles]

My Y has been in service for a week now for the same VCFront_a447 error and they can't figure out what's wrong with it. It spent a day with the Boise service center to try and get a quick fix during our road trip back to Seattle and now that we are home, the Bellevue service center has had it for a week with no idea what's wrong. They say they have a ticket open with the field reps for help. I'm still on 2021.44.25.6 but have 2021.44.30.5 ready to install (appeared while in service). If it was a software issue, they would have pushed the fix and been done with it.