Tesla has designed its battery management system to automatically precondition the battery when the vehicle is navigating to a supercharger location.
This way, the battery can reach the ideal temperature of around 40°C (104°F) by the time it arrives at the supercharger station.
This can significantly reduce the charging time and improve battery health. However, preconditioning does not happen in every scenario.
There are some factors that can affect whether or not the vehicle will precondition the battery.
How To Fix Tesla Not Preconditioning Battery Issue?
There are some possible ways to solve or prevent the issue of Tesla not preconditioning the battery. Here are nine suggestions:
1. Plug in the car whenever possible, especially overnight or before driving.
This will allow the car to use grid power to warm up the battery and maintain its temperature.
Plugging in the car will also ensure that it has enough charge to precondition the battery when using the scheduled departure feature.
2. Use the navigation system to plan a trip to a supercharger before driving.
This will tell the car to precondition the battery for optimal charging speed and efficiency. However, this may not be feasible for every trip or every driver.
3. Adjust the charge limit and pre-conditioning settings on the car’s touchscreen.
The charge limit determines how much energy the car will store in its battery when plugged in.
The pre-conditioning settings determine how long before departure time the car will start warming up its battery and cabin.
By lowering the charge limit and increasing the pre-conditioning time, the car will have more room to heat up its battery and use less energy for doing so.
4. Use a smart plug or timer to control when your car charges and preconditions.
This can help you save money on electricity bills by avoiding peak hours and taking advantage of off-peak rates. You can also set a schedule that matches your driving habits and needs.
5. Use a third-party app
This allows you to remotely monitor and control your car’s charging and preconditioning.
Some examples are [Teslafi], [Stats], [TeslaMate], [Tesla Remote], [Tesla Wallbox], etc.
These apps or devices can give you more options and flexibility to manage your car’s battery temperature and performance.
6. Park your car in a garage or under a shelter whenever possible.
This can help reduce heat loss from your car’s battery and keep it warmer than if it was exposed to outdoor weather conditions.
7. Use a thermal blanket or cover to insulate your car’s battery pack from cold air.
This can help retain heat in your battery and prevent it from cooling down too quickly.
8. Avoid driving at high speeds or using aggressive acceleration when your battery is cold.
This can put more stress on your battery and reduce its efficiency and range. Instead, drive gently and smoothly until your battery reaches its optimal temperature.
9. Check your tire pressure and alignment regularly. Under-inflated or misaligned tires can increase the rolling resistance and drag on your car, which can lower your efficiency and range.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated and aligned according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
What are the factors that affect preconditioning?
Some of the factors that can affect preconditioning are:
#1. The ambient temperature
If the outside temperature is very cold or very hot, it can take longer for the battery to reach the optimal temperature.
In extreme cases, the vehicle may not be able to precondition the battery at all.
#2. The distance to the supercharger
If the supercharger station is very close to the starting point, the vehicle may not have enough time to precondition the battery.
Conversely, if the supercharger station is very far away, the vehicle may start preconditioning too early and waste energy.
#3. The software version
Tesla has introduced and improved the preconditioning feature through software updates over time.
Some older versions may not have this feature or may not work as well as newer versions.
#4. The navigation system
Tesla’s navigation system can detect supercharger locations and initiate preconditioning accordingly.
However, if the user uses a different navigation system or manually enters the address of a supercharger station, the vehicle may not recognize it as a supercharging destination and may not precondition the battery.
How to ensure preconditioning?
To ensure that your Tesla vehicle will precondition the battery, you can follow these tips:
1. Use Tesla’s navigation system and select a supercharger location from the map or list.
This will tell the vehicle that you are heading to a supercharging destination and trigger preconditioning.
2. Plan your route and timing ahead of time. Try to avoid supercharging when the ambient temperature is very low or high, or when you are very close or far from a supercharger station.
Ideally, you should arrive at a supercharger station with around 10% to 20% of the battery charge left.
3. Update your software regularly. Tesla releases software updates that can improve the performance and functionality of your vehicle, including preconditioning.
Make sure you have the latest version installed on your vehicle.
4. Monitor your battery temperature and charging rate. You can use various apps or websites that can display your battery temperature and charging rate in real time.
This can help you understand how well your vehicle is preconditioning and how fast it is charging.
What Happens If Tesla Not Preconditioning Battery?
Some Tesla owners have noticed that their cars do not precondition the battery when they are not plugged in or when they use the scheduled departure feature.
This means that the car will start with a cold battery, which can have negative effects on its performance and range.
For example, some owners have reported seeing a blue snowflake icon on their dashboard, which indicates that the battery is too cold and some of its capacity is unavailable.
They have also experienced reduced regenerative braking, which means that the car does not slow down as much when lifting off the accelerator and does not recover as much energy.
Conclusion
Tesla not preconditioning the battery when not plugged in or when using the scheduled departure feature is an issue that can affect its performance and range, especially in cold weather.
To avoid or mitigate this issue, Tesla owners should plug in their cars whenever possible, use navigation to superchargers before driving, adjust their charge limit and pre-conditioning settings, and follow some other tips to take care of their batteries in cold weather.
By doing so, they can ensure that their batteries are always at an optimal temperature and ready to deliver their best performance and range.
