Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Sometimes my Tesla won’t shut down!

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Johnstac

Johnstac

Member
Oct 24, 2018
273
320
California
#1
There are times when I go out to the garage and the car is completely off. No humming sound of ant sort. But, this seems to be the exception nowadays. I tried following some of the suggestions I found in the forum. I made sure all the apps were closed and even went as far as to turn off my Bluetooth. Is there anyway to force the car to shut down and stay that way? I’m wasting money watching my available charge go down with the car just parked and doing nothing. I would appreciate any suggestions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vickh
#3
2-3 miles per day is normal if reporting to Tesla is off. If your reporting that number climbs to more range eaten up by reporting. If it really bothers you then plug it in to 110 and whatever it uses, if large will run off the 110. You have not stated how much it is using parked where, at what temp reporting or not so none of us can tell what your talking about. I assume its a TM3, can you turn off reporting to Tesla with a three?

Truth be told its probably normal. Are you checking the app like crazy also that takes energy and the car wakes up each time you do that. Are you walking around the car(I know your doing that) with the FOB or the card. Again waking the car. After all your reporting you can hear the car. They all do it. its normal. The owners do it also, walk around the car repeatedly throughout the day and night. Its normal. Were all guilty for about two years. Get some new shoes also. You'll need them.
 
#4
Oldschool496 said:
2-3 miles per day is normal if reporting to Tesla is off. If your reporting that number climbs to more range eaten up by reporting. If it really bothers you then plug it in to 110 and whatever it uses, if large will run off the 110. You have not stated how much it is using parked where, at what temp reporting or not so none of us can tell what your talking about. I assume its a TM3, can you turn off reporting to Tesla with a three?

Truth be told its probably normal. Are you checking the app like crazy also that takes energy and the car wakes up each time you do that. Are you walking around the car(I know your doing that) with the FOB or the card. Again waking the car. After all your reporting you can hear the car. They all do it. its normal. The owners do it also, walk around the car repeatedly throughout the day and night. Its normal. Were all guilty for about two years. Get some new shoes also. You'll need them.
Click to expand...

Appreciate the lighthearted approach. I already knew about phantom drain which is why I keep the apps closed when not in use. No FOBs and we don’t use cards. Just the iPhone but that’s just as bad I’m sure. The wife was actually the one who noticed the drain and started tracking it. About 3 miles every five hours. I occasionally walk out in the garage late at night and there’s no sound at all coming from the car so I really don’t know when the car juice is to shut down on its own. OK well I’m off to the store to buy some new shoes!
 
#8
Johnstac said:
Tonight I turned off the WiFi to the car and sure enough, about 20 minutes later the car was silent. I hate to have to resort to this but the drain is annoying.
Click to expand...

You shouldnt, you should let it do its thing. It is likely either trying to download a firmware update, or a map update or something else like that. Just like other new tesla owners, you are obsessing over small, inconsequential things. If you go in there turning off wifi every night, then in the next month or so you will be complaining "why am I not getting the firmware updates everyone is talking about??"

Just plug it in, let it do its thing. Unless you are losing 20 miles every night, somewhere between 2-6 miles a day lost is normal for model 3s. They phone home and "do stuff" a lot . No matter how much its draining, its likely costing you less than driving the gas car you had, unless you had a super efficient gas car, AND are charging at the highest teir of your electrical service (which in california will be somewhere around .37c to 47c a kW.)
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: SigNC, Runt8 and TexasEV
#9
Johnstac said:
Tonight I turned off the WiFi to the car and sure enough, about 20 minutes later the car was silent. I hate to have to resort to this but the drain is annoying.
Click to expand...
I never thought that turning off WiFi will make my car asleep so fast, I have to try now. As I do not even use my car on a daily basis, basically what I am paying for is a vampire drain (I bought my car in September 2018, have less than 700 miles on it). I do not care if I will have update couple days late, it is not a big deal. Definitely should try to shut down WiFi.
 
#10
Well, there is no question that shutting down the wifi will quiet the car. In fact, it's silent when wifi is off. I agree as well. I am in no hurry to get updates. When they happen, they happen. Now if that update includes FSD and the 2k I just paid is ready to take me from point A to point B with no intervention, I'm in! The other stuff.l.... no hurry. My drain is roughly 24 miles a day. Until I get it figured out, I'm going to keep it off most of the time.
 
#11
How do you know the car isn't shut down? Is the display on? Or you just hear it making noise occasionally?

Noises while the car is parked is completely normal. The car will run battery coolant pumps/AC compressor while charging if necessary. If it's cold or the car isn't charging, it'll be quieter.

I've heard my S make clicks and whirs as I walk by, even if I know it isn't charging and I don't have the fob in my pocket. Sometimes I notice the charge port is lit up for no reason when I take the dogs out for their late night walk.

Short answer, it's doing stuff. Don't worry about it.
Oldschool496 said:
If it really bothers you then plug it in to 110 and whatever it uses, if large will run off the 110.
Click to expand...
120V charging is less efficient then 240V. You'll actually use more electricity (and money) this way.
 
#15
GoCartz said:
From the home wi-fi?? My wi-fi doesn't broadcast, and requires a password & mac # for access. I thought those measures would prevent unknowns from tapping into my wi-fi --- am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Password and MAC ACL will (mostly) keep out undesirables (although MAC addresses are easy to spoof). Not broadcasting the SSID ("network cloaking") doesn't really offer any security advantages - Network cloaking - Wikipedia

Also, always disable WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) - it's a huge security hole. I know of at least one instance of a WPA2 protected network being hacked because someone left WPS turned on in the router.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cwerdna
#17
Johnstac said:
Appreciate the lighthearted approach. I already knew about phantom drain which is why I keep the apps closed when not in use. No FOBs and we don’t use cards. Just the iPhone but that’s just as bad I’m sure. The wife was actually the one who noticed the drain and started tracking it. About 3 miles every five hours. I occasionally walk out in the garage late at night and there’s no sound at all coming from the car so I really don’t know when the car juice is to shut down on its own. OK well I’m off to the store to buy some new shoes!
Click to expand...
Just a quick note about hearing the car in the quiet of the night. Several firmware revs back I could fairly easily here the cooling pump(s) running when the car was not sleeping; however, now the pump(s) usually run quieter, sometime same as before, or maybe not at all when the car is awake. You can put your ear next to the charge port door and if you hear a clicking sound about ever second or two the car is NOT sleeping. It is possible the newer Model 3 cars have the re-engineered charge port (to solve the freezing problem) and the solenoid does not cycle making the clicking sound any longer. My Model 3 has made the clicking sound for at least the past 8 months anytime the car is not sleeping.

Regards!
 
#18
vickh said:
why is wifi a phantom drain factor? Wont the car just defauly to lte ?
Click to expand...

No, it will default to wifi if you connect it to your wifi. If you dont connect it to your wifi, then it obviously wont, but you will also generally get updates later (or not at all unless considered safety / security) on LTE than wifi.

Also, "phantom" drain on this site generally means "I dont know where its coming from". If you know where its coming from its not "phatom" drain, its just "drain" or energy usage.
 
#20
My Model 3 when park outside on a driveway with 'Climate' option off and inside car temp reads 99. I hear a running fan. I also noticed similar fan noise when I return after some drive, stop car and close door from the apps. My Tesla is WiFi connected at my home all the time.
(i) Any idea what this noise (fan on like) is from? Is there any way it can be stopped to save some charge.
(ii) I also noticed that when car is seating in a driveway, I lose couple of mile of charging strength/range.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
Screen Keeps Shutting Down
Replies
5
Views
392
Model Y
Mike_TV
Mike_TV
H
  • Question
My y not going to sleep ever.
Replies
7
Views
1K
Model Y
Brian-MS90D
Brian-MS90D
S
Touchscreen Heater Button won't go off
Replies
0
Views
199
Model 3
Steflex
S
P
Yet another “vehicle won’t sleep” thread
Replies
9
Views
578
Model 3
ParaAdBellum
P
phantasms
Front windows dancing up and down. WTF? Video inside
Replies
10
Views
440
Model Y
nate704
N
Top
Back
Blog
New
Forum list
Marketplace
Menu