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Roadster Summer Driving Tips

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Ted at Tesla

Tesla Sales Associate by day enthusiast by night
Jul 13, 2009
16
0
Tesla Roadster Summer Driving Tips

It’s summer and time to enjoy warm-weather driving in your Roadster. Tesla compiled some tips to help you and your Roadster stay comfortable in the heat.

Air Conditioning
The Roadster’s air conditioning system is unique from gasoline cars in that it cools both the battery and the passenger cabin. Use these tips to help stay cool.

• Press the correct combination of buttons: Be sure to twist the temperature dial to cold, depress the A/C button (indicated with a snowflake) and twist the fan speed to fast.

• Recirculate the air. Recirculating the air reuses the cold passenger air instead of the hot outside air. This button is indicated with a curved arrow inside of a car.

• Charge in Range Mode: Range mode pre-cools the battery. If the battery is already cold, the A/C can focus on you. (Range mode will decrease your battery life over time if you allow the charge to reach 100%. Charge in standard mode then switch to Range mode 20 minutes before you leave. 20 minutes will chill the battery but not reach 100% charge.)

• Drive in Range Mode: Range mode allows the battery to get warmer before trying to cool it off. It also limits power output from the battery, which results in the battery staying cooler for longer. If you’re driving and you notice the A/C performance trailing off, switch to range or performance modes and the A/C will be redirected back to the cabin.

• Roll down your windows: Roll down the windows if the car has been sitting in the sun to blow the warm air out of the passenger cabin. Once you’ve been moving for a few seconds, roll them up and turn on the A/C system.

Touch Screen Communication
The Roadster employs a sophisticated network of sensors and diagnostics that monitor the vehicle systems. Some of these systems are sensitive to hot temperatures. Don’t be alarmed – the Roadster will take care of itself. When driving, you may see messages like these:

• Motor Over Temp – Power Reduced: Your motor is heating up. The Roadster will reduce the power sent to the motor to let it cool down. Driving more conservatively will allow it to cool down even quicker.

• PEM Over Temp – Power Reduced: Your Power Electronics Module is heating up. The Roadster will reduce power sent through the PEM for a few minutes to let it cool down. Driving more conservatively will help it cool down even quicker.

Care, Maintenance and Efficiency
Just a few more tips to look after your Roadster in the hot summer months…

• Check your tire pressure: Warm weather increases tire pressure. To insure proper wear and peak efficiency, be sure to check your tire pressures regularly.

• Apply a coat of wax: A layer of standard automotive wax will protect your Roadster’s paint and keep it looking great for years to come.

• Check your Roadster’s coolant level: The Roadster’s coolant tank is located on the passenger side of the battery pack. Coolant expands with heat so check the level when the Roadster is cold. Top up the coolant with Havoline Extended Life antifreeze Coolant-PG (Havoline XLC-PG) or distilled water.

Happy driving,
Ted
 
ummm, I don't think I should have to go to the car 20 minutes before a trip and push some buttons.

I don't think I should have to ruin my batteries in order to keep cool, or suffer performance.

I'll try these recomendations, but I seriously doubt they will help with my issues.

Any S. Florida owners want to get together, I'd love to compare cars, mine seems to have some issues that I find difficult to get help with since I don't have a comparison.

AS of now, my AC is still useles.

I get a different story about this issue and a couple others.

I'm so disgusted I've basically stopped complaining about it.

For those still waiting on a car, I'd check your AC before you sign for delivery. If the AC isn't working properly, don't accept delivery. After you accept the car, you can forget about getting the AC fixed. Mine has been looked at several times and worked on once.
 
ummm, I don't think I should have to go to the car 20 minutes before a trip and push some buttons.

I don't think I should have to ruin my batteries in order to keep cool, or suffer performance.

Yeah, when I first read that recommendation, I thought it could be fixed in the firmware. If you leave every morning around the same time in the summer, the VDS should give you an option of pre-cooling the batteries while plugged in at some programmable time of day, regardless of being in Range or Standard mode. That or perhaps they need a beefier compressor/heat sink.