Ran out of battery in the highway...

[ykcharged]

Hello all, first time post here.
I'm a fairly new owner of cpo model s 85, bought in september 17. Noticed the battery depleted a lot faster in the cold.
Already have racked up 40k miles, I have cut it close many times but this time on a trip from ny to Millford, just one exit away(2 miles) from station, with car showing 5miles left, shut down on me. Roadside assistance while very helpful couldn't find an able tow truck, so I had to flag down a passing by truck to bring me to the station to charge up. By the time I found the tow truck, the car had completely died and had to jump the small battery reviving the screen to tow mode. I'm guessing the car was protecting it's own battery to not go completely dead. But I sure could've used a few extra miles it had remaing instead of spending 2hrs in the freezing cold and snow.
Anyway it was a good experience to go thru the process. So anyone reading this long and boring thread, do not plan to get to the station with less than 20mile range remaining in the bitter cold(below 20) as he will shut himself down at any moment.
And after the incident, I've lost 10miles of range.
But I'm thinking I got nobody to blame but myself for letting the battery deplete completely, probable cause of battery weakening.
For informational purposes, I have ran the battery down to 1 or 2 miles left without a problem during summer weather days.
Also roadside assistance confirmed that they will cover the towing bill.

 

[isjka]

When instances like this occur, can any tow truck tow our car to a station, or does it have to be a Tesla certified tow truck (if one exists).

 

[thegruf]

not supposed to tow the driven wheels afaik, so flatbad for AWD cars or raise the rear wheels for RWD cars.

 

[ykcharged]

I happened to find a flat bed, but that is correct. If they can't locate one for you, they will reimburse towing fee.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

40K since Sep! Wow, nicely done.

If you read this forum a lot you’ll see that the remaining estimated mileage can’t really be trusted, there are a few guys who’s cars have died well before zero and others that have gone past zero. I had a pucker moment a month ago or so when I didn’t estimate properly and I ended up driving 11 or 12 km past zero on the way home one night. I wanted to stop and L2 charge but the wife said “nah we’re good, keep going”.

This was the one time I wished she was right!

 

[ykcharged]

40K since Sep! Wow, nicely done.

If you read this forum a lot you’ll see that the remaining estimated mileage can’t really be trusted, there are a few guys who’s cars have died well before zero and others that have gone past zero. I had a pucker moment a month ago or so when I didn’t estimate properly and I ended up driving 11 or 12 km past zero on the way home one night. I wanted to stop and L2 charge but the wife said “nah we’re good, keep going”.

This was the one time I wished she was right!

yea I wish was as lucky, regrets....stranded in snowy road for at least 2hrs was no fun. But the biggest regret is the loss of range. Now a full charge only goes to 253. I hope that's not an indication on the rate of loss I will endure. And my warranty will be gone in a few months. Wonder if I can buy more warranty. At the rate I'm driving, I will need to visit sc once a month. I have had minor problems serviced about once a month so far and they have gone above and beyond so far honoring warranty.

 

[MP3Mike]

I'm a fairly new owner of cpo model s 85, bought in september 17. Noticed the battery depleted a lot faster in the cold.
Already have racked up 40k miles,

You're driving ~10k miles per month? Or the car is up to 40k miles total since new? (How many miles were on it when you bought it?)

 

[ykcharged]

it was 56k when I got it in september. Now it's at 96k.

 

[ykcharged]

oh the miles are within NYC area...Pennsylvania is as far as I went.

 

[Akikiki]

yk, I admire that you took responsibility for your own actions. That's so rare these days that it makes you very classy.
You might consider making sure you are exercising the range on your battery now that its been drained and you lost some range.
Just charging and running down to 15-20% might reset/re calibrate its battery management system and restore your lost range.
The 40K miles is very impressive. It sounds like you may already been exercising the battery like I suggested. I guess you already know, its a recommended (by Tesla) to not charge to 100% all the time. 90% is good considering you are driving a lot. Those times that its okay to charge to 100% are those times you are doing long distance travel. And actually at 10K a month, sounds like you are doing a lot of long distance, so I am neutralizing my own comments, right?

Again, classy guy - You.

 

[ykcharged]

i am someone who plays with only the toys that he likes and play with it until he betrays me. Just like I find great excuses(beautiful wife and kids) to drive this toy everyday. Still do not understand why we should save the 10 percent. At the rate I'm driving, I'm sure I will not be able to sell my toy. I am sure I will be testing this toy to the max.
we'll see how much he can take...
And your humbling words are undeserved and making me blush...
Thank you, very kind...

 

[Akikiki]

I can't explain why charging to 100% is a Tesla-no-no, but they since they made it, they maintain it, and they know lots more about it than us, I trust them to know best.

 

[ykcharged]

Yes I love driving this car and drive so much that often times I'm still driving in my sleep...

 

[ykcharged]

Also, given the amount that I drive, those 10 percent can be a huge difference maker in terms of wasting or saving an hour or two of my day. I really need all the miles possible. At supercharger, I go 80 percent only because last 20percent takes forever and seems more waste of time. But at home I'm charging 100 each day.

 

[Ande]

The 10% reduction you see is a new, safer estimate, not something that indicate damage to battery.
The whole point of stopping operation is to prevent deep discharge, while having headroom for a long other to next charge.

Charging to 100% (spending time at 100%) is bad for all Lithium polymer and ion battery. Simply a limitation of the battery.

 

[ykcharged]

Someone like me needs to charge 100 percent at home to get by the day without having to stop by the sc.
And I would only charge to 80 percent at sc during trips that require multiple charging as that would save more time.

 

[Gwgan]

Charge to 100% as needed, but don’t leave it sit at that level, is how I understand it. The "lost 10miles of range” is probably the recalibration of the BMS now that you’ve been down to 0, best if you follow that with a 100% charge. The capacity was already lost.

 

[andrewket]

yea I wish was as lucky, regrets....stranded in snowy road for at least 2hrs was no fun. But the biggest regret is the loss of range. Now a full charge only goes to 253. I hope that's not an indication on the rate of loss I will endure. And my warranty will be gone in a few months. Wonder if I can buy more warranty. At the rate I'm driving, I will need to visit sc once a month. I have had minor problems serviced about once a month so far and they have gone above and beyond so far honoring warranty.

I think it’s likely you have the cause and effect reversed. You didn’t lose that much range because you brought the pack to zero (although it’s not good for it, especially repeatedly). Instead, what likely occurred is you had already lost that range but the BMS lost track of the bottom. When you fully depleted the battery the BMS recalibrated.

 

[ykcharged]

Seems like this place is a wealth of knowledge. Thanks guys for all the useful info. I'm sure I will have lots more questions to follow.

 

[Lasttoy]

I was down to 10 miles, sweating bullets. Service guy said. You have 15 miles left from zero.
I wouldnt take that to the bank.
But, to lose full charge seems like punishment by tesla.
I was worrying about dis engaging rear wheels to move it.