Should I leave my Model 3 plugged in while on 10 day vacation?

[stopcrazypp]

I have a 2022 RWD with LFP battery. Tesla recommends charging to 100% at least once a week.
I will be gone for 4 weeks in November. So what % of charge is good for the battery?
I know staying at 100% of charge for 4 weeks is not good for the battery.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions

50% (lowest car lets you set) presuming you don't need to use the car immediately after coming back (otherwise adjust upward as necessary). Also presuming you mean it is plugged in, or if unplugged, at least no battery draining items like Sentry, Cabin overheat, standby summon, etc.

If unplugged, note that even with no power draining features on, the car will drain about 1 mile per day, so expect range to be lower by around 30 miles when you get back.

 

[ono8ono]

50% (lowest car lets you set) presuming you don't need to use the car immediately after coming back (otherwise adjust upward as necessary). Also presuming you mean it is plugged in, or if unplugged, at least no battery draining items like Sentry, Cabin overheat, standby summon, etc.

If unplugged, note that even with no power draining features on, the car will drain about 1 mile per day, so expect range to be lower by around 30 miles when you get back.

Thanks for your reply. Just wonder staying 4 weeks at 50% plugged in affects the battery calibration since tesla recommends charge to 100% once a week.

 

[3sr+buyer]

Thanks for your reply. Just wonder staying 4 weeks at 50% plugged in affects the battery calibration since tesla recommends charge to 100% once a week.

When you get back, just charge it to 100% if you are concerned about BMS miscalibration that is the concern when the LFP battery is not charged to 100% for a while.

 

[blackT3$!@]

Should I leave our trusty Model 3 LR plugged in during the time it is parked in the garage?

Other posters have quoted the manual that says you should so I won't comment on that again. Have you considered turning on Sentry mode and enabling pin to drive while you are away? You will be able to check your sentry camera's via the Tesla mobile app and if someone is able to break into your home and find your key cards, they still won't be able to drive it away because they won't know the pin to drive code.

 

[Need]

As long as you dont leave sentry mode or cabin overheat protection on, and dont "let me check on the car and see how much miles I lost" constantly, you will be more than fine.

You will lose like 1-2 miles a day, provided you dont check on it all the time or leave anything that drains the car on.

Yeah normally I think 10 days should be fine, but if OP has a 2018 or 2019 Model 3, and he has not replaced the 12V, I would leave the car plugged in. If the software decided the 12V is starting to go after OP left it alone for 10 days, it may start the process of preventing the car going to sleep. I don't know the exact number, but it is quite a bit more than losing 1-2 miles a day when the "replace 12V" warning appears.

 

[VinayRaju21]

What if your vehicle in at Tesla for service going on almost 5 weeks now being unplugged sitting?

So I also have this issue, but for ~11 weeks. I am going to be away from my car for that long, and I live in an apartment where I can't keep my car plugged in.

What I am going to do - turn off Sentry, AC overheat protection (car will be in ATL, temperature should not be > 75 in those weeks), and charge/park my car to 80%. Based on comments and feedback I got, the vampire drain shouldddd be minimal, and I will not go down to fully 0%.

As a backup, going to leave my garage key and key fob with a friend. Going to avoid using the app at all, will check 4-6 weeks in and see where I am at. Then again at 8 weeks, and decide whether I should have my friend come charge it.

I was worried about the tires and getting a flat, but same thing with that, I am just going to look at the pressure when I check the battery %.

 

[blackT3$!@]

So I also have this issue, but for ~11 weeks.

I could see how a boutique car sitting service could help with Tesla/EV owners where they could 1. Garage these vehicles and provide 24/7 security 2. Periodically Level 2 charge them to maintain minimal battery SoC. 3. Detail them prior to the owners return.

 

[3sr+buyer]

I could see how a boutique car sitting service could help with Tesla/EV owners where they could 1. Garage these vehicles and provide 24/7 security 2. Periodically Level 2 charge them to maintain minimal battery SoC. 3. Detail them prior to the owners return.

Note that it is not just Teslas or EVs that may need long term storage attention.

• ICEVs should have their 12V batteries hooked up to a trickle charger.
• EVs and PHEVs use the main battery to keep the 12V batteries charged, but then may need to be left plugged in (or plugged in to charge occasionally) to avoid vampire draining the main battery down to 0%.
• Non-plug-in hybrids need to be driven every so often to keep their hybrid batteries from vampire draining down to 0%.
• All vehicles may need attention for other items like tire air pressure.

 

[ono8ono]

When you get back, just charge it to 100% if you are concerned about BMS miscalibration that is the concern when the LFP battery is not charged to 100% for a while.

Yeah, I think that's what I will do.
I won't turn on sentry mode and AC overheat protection.
Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Big Earl]

Fun data point: My dual motor car has been parked, unplugged, since August 4th. I parked it at 64% and it's now down to 57% after nearly six weeks, giving it a theoretical standby time of over a year. I've only checked on it two or three times due to notifications of software updates. Not bad at all.

 

[OldPro]

10 day trip turned out fine, charged to 80%, left plugged in with charging at 12 midnight if needed. No Sentry mode. Came home.
Battery shows 80% upon return.

 

[VinayRaju21]

Fun data point: My dual motor car has been parked, unplugged, since August 4th. I parked it at 64% and it's now down to 57% after nearly six weeks, giving it a theoretical standby time of over a year. I've only checked on it two or three times due to notifications of software updates. Not bad at all.

Wow nice, that's great data. My stay will be exactly double that, a 14% total drainage over that time would be incredible if that was the case haha