Winter Woes: No heat in my Tesla this morning

[eye.surgeon]

What version of software are you running? v7.0 essentially broke the heater -- it just doesn't get warm. Hopefully next software update will fix it.

My heater works fine after v7.0. Just more realistic temp settings required.

 

[Lloyd]

Did you try doing the Scroll Wheel reset? That does control the heater functions also!!

 

[mobe]

Just discovered something new. If you have the right scroll wheel set to control fan speed, and adjust fan speed, the system goes from auto to custom, but if you depress the scroll wheel it returns to auto. Nice feature, as I adjust the fan speed up when needed and now when I am comfortable I can just press the scroll wheel and let it go back to doing it's own thing.

 

[JenniferQ]

Just discovered something new. If you have the right scroll wheel set to control fan speed, and adjust fan speed, the system goes from auto to custom, but if you depress the scroll wheel it returns to auto. Nice feature, as I adjust the fan speed up when needed and now when I am comfortable I can just press the scroll wheel and let it go back to doing it's own thing.

Thanks for sharing. That is good info.

 

[mknox]

Just discovered something new. If you have the right scroll wheel set to control fan speed, and adjust fan speed, the system goes from auto to custom, but if you depress the scroll wheel it returns to auto. Nice feature, as I adjust the fan speed up when needed and now when I am comfortable I can just press the scroll wheel and let it go back to doing it's own thing.

Yep. That's been my default operation of the HVAC for years. Seems to be more relevant to many since v7, however.

 

[Kalud]

Yep. That's been my default operation of the HVAC for years. Seems to be more relevant to many since v7, however.

Fortunately I'm not in the "many" and can continue to use that function to control the screen brightness instead!

 

[CharlesJR]

So I meant to reply to this when it first posted: sorry for resurrecting an older thread.

My two cent add on is that my heater has failed twice now (I'm in MD with almost no winter so far ... heck its 75 today on Christmas!). Both times, it was fine in the morning for my commute but when coming back home, no heat came on at all. In fact, the system acted like it was over 100 degrees outside and pumped out cold air so frigid it was fogging up the entire OUTSIDE of my windows (front back and sides). I spent the first drive with my windows open as it was "warmer" outside then the air inside was trying to make it ... seat heaters pumped all the way up. The second time I just dealt with it but my hands were so cold an hour later I could barely flex them ... even with the vents turned away from me.

Both times when I got home and put the car on the charger, I ran though several "hard resets" on the car then left it overnight to charge. The next day things were fine.

I have no idea how the service center would even diagnose this as its so intermittent. And yeah, I even pushed the heater controls up to HI and it was still blowing ice cold air.

Weird. But manageable for now.

If we get weather like LAST year though, its gonna be rough.

CharlesJR

 

[tinm]

I am also having heating problem in my 2013 S85. Started with 7.0 install. Now at 7.1, and basically the heating is GONE.

Here's my thread about it.

 

[H Clark]

It worked before, so it could be as simple as a blown fuse. Please check F20 - 5 Amp fuse for cabin heater logic. You might get lucky if that was the only problem. Other culprit could be the PTC sensor, but you may need help from SC to replace that.

For those 2012 Model S owners like myself who are likely to be secretly hoping that their fuse has blown this video will help you access Fuse Box 1.

The good news is that the process is really straightforward and my wife and I were able to use a small flathead screwdriver, a plastic kitchen tool, and a 10mm socket. All and all the project took just under 30 minutes, including the time to get the tools, vacuum out the HEPA filter, and put everything back together. Putting the car back together again for the first time was a bit time consuming, but it went pretty smoothly. I'm glad that I now know how to access all the fuse boxes, and I can see why they moved them in newer versions of the Model-S.

The bad news is that NONE of the heating related fuses were blown: F19, F20, and F24. Sadly, it looks like we will have to pay the $3500 for Tesla to fix this issue which will really nail our family budget this coming year.

Definitely frustrating, considering how young the car seems and that we live in a very temperate area of the US. Extra frustrating considering that we purchased the "4-Year Plan + 4-Year Extension" plan, as this issue is not covered. From what my wife and I have read, this issue is an unaccessible fuse inside the heating unit has blown, which is why Tesla needs to replace the whole unit with a new one that is serviceable. To relieve some of my frustration, I have to remind myself that the Model S is not a typical ICE vehicle, so its unfair for me to compare heater experiences with all the other cars I have owned which have never had an issue like this. It also sucks that this engineering issue was overlooked, but it would be hypocritical for me to expect Tesla to catch every single issue. Long term, hopefully, the simpler drive train will yield better cost savings and greater reliability. In the end, I must admit that the frustration melts away when I consider the issues we are experiencing these days...

 

[hpartsch]

My heat just stopped working on my car today. Tried to restart by holding the scroll wheels, made sure it wasn't on range mode and ensured it was on auto -- was not able to get an ounce of heat. Again tried heat this afternoon -- didn't work. However, the AC did work on the drive home.