If you\u2019re concerned about phantom drain being an issue, you can rest assured that most Tesla owners don\u2019t even notice any energy drainage at all. Even if phantom drain becomes a problem, there are many ways to minimize its impact. Keep reading to learn more about phantom drain and how to avoid it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is Phantom Drain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Phantom drain\u2014also known as vampire drain\u2014is when your Tesla loses mileage while turned off or idle. Some energy loss is expected because your electric vehicle never fully shuts off, but losing more than one mile per hour of idle time is excessive. This is what’s known as phantom drain.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, phantom drain represents the amount of charge an electric vehicle loses when it is not being driven or operated by a person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As an electric vehicle, the Tesla Model 3s are susceptible to standby power<\/a>. This allows electrical appliances, machines, and devices to periodically perform small tasks even when powered off. This is why you can expect your Model 3 to lose a little bit of power whenever it\u2019s idle and not plugged in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Though Tesla doesn\u2019t refer to phantom drain as such, they do acknowledge that some battery drain is expected when idle and unplugged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Tesla Model 3 owner\u2019s manual<\/a> states, \u201dWhen left idle and unplugged, your vehicle periodically uses energy from the battery for system tests and recharging the 12V battery when necessary.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, rest assured that your Tesla Model 3 isn\u2019t broken or faulty if it loses some battery when idle. A small amount of power loss (and thus range loss) is normal and expected when the car is left unplugged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Phantom drain generally refers to excessive energy loss beyond what can reasonably be expected from standby power. Your Tesla Model 3 should lose no more than 10 miles (16.09 km) of range per day of idleness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your Tesla is losing a mile of range or more per hour<\/a>, you are experiencing phantom drain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many factors can cause phantom drain. This includes built-in features of your Tesla as well as third-party apps that may be sucking your car\u2019s battery dry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sentry Mode<\/a> is one of the biggest reasons why Tesla Model 3\u2019s experience battery drain. It\u2019s a feature that allows your Tesla to keep the cameras on while idle and start recording if it notices anything suspicious. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This feature can be very helpful when you park in unfamiliar or unsafe locations, making your Tesla prone to theft or vandalism. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)<\/a>, there were 721,885 car robberies in the United States in 2019. Sentry Mode could help prevent theft or help if you fall victim to a robbery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though the potential safety benefits are significant, Sentry Mode prevents your Tesla from fully going to sleep. You should really consider when Sentry Mode is necessary and disable it when your car is parked safely to prevent phantom drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you enable Sentry Mode, your Tesla starts channeling its inner security guard and uses some battery power to keep a watchful eye on things. Based on tests, it’s been observed that while Sentry Mode is active, your vehicle will consume around 250 to 300 watts of power. To put that into perspective, it’s like losing about 1 mile of range for every hour that Sentry Mode is rocking and rolling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let’s talk about the impact over a full day. Sentry Mode can chomp on about 7.2 kWh of energy, which translates to roughly 24 miles of range. So, depending on your Tesla model and battery size, this could be around 7% to 14% of your battery capacity. It’s good to keep these numbers in mind to ensure you don’t drain your battery unexpectedly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Sentry Mode is quite the energy guzzler, it’s best to use it judiciously. It’s not meant for those long-term parking situations where your Tesla will be sitting idle for extended periods. Trust me, you don’t want to come back to a drained battery! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, Tesla has got your back. They offer options to automatically enable Sentry Mode at specific locations, giving you that extra peace of mind without worrying about excessive battery drain. And hey, one more thing to note: Sentry Mode is automatically disabled when your vehicle’s battery falls to 20%, so you won’t be caught off guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another important reason why your Tesla Model 3\u2019s battery will drain in its sleep is climate control. Electric vehicle batteries need to be kept within certain temperatures for optimal performance, which is why your Model 3 will use some energy even when idle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why Tesla recommends that you plug in your Model 3 every time it\u2019s idle, even when parked in your garage. Without this climate control feature, your electric vehicle\u2019s battery would not last as long or perform as well. In essence, it is an energy saving feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is another feature that can contribute significantly to phantom drain. Keeping Climate On does exactly what the feature\u2019s name purports to do\u2014it keeps the AC or heating on to keep your car at a comfortable temperature while you run errands or stop for a quick bite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While this feature is great for a hot sunny day or during a freezing northeaster, you should be cautious of it if you\u2019re concerned about power drain. Keeping the AC or heating on while you\u2019re away will consume a significant amount of power and drain levels of your battery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s worth noting that Dog Mode and Cat Mode essentially do the same thing as Keep Climate On. The difference is that you cannot keep dogs or cats inside your Tesla without turning the respective pet mode on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re concerned about phantom drain during cat or dog mode, you should minimize the time you leave your pets alone in your car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro Tip:<\/strong> Is there a workaround for Tesla Dog Mode<\/a> not working under 20% charge?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can put the car in neutral in your safety menu and manually apply the parking brake. Then you can go and do the things you need to do. Just remember to manually lock the car because it will not automatically do so. If you also want to let passersby know that your Dog is safe and in Dog Mode, you can do so by opening the drawing app and writing the message there.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Third-party apps can drain your Tesla\u2019s battery by constantly keeping the vehicle awake or waking it up. Just like humans, Teslas need their beauty sleep to conserve energy. A restless Tesla will lose a lot of energy as it constantly powers on when pinged by any one of your apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most third-party apps realize this and now offer a sleep feature. If you\u2019re using any third-party apps, review the settings of each of them to ensure that it isn\u2019t interrupting your Tesla\u2019s deep sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tesla\u2014any electric vehicle\u2014will lose battery while parked. This is because of standby power, a feature of virtually every electronic device that enables it to perform essential features while idle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you notice that your Tesla Model 3 is draining a little bit of battery while parked, don\u2019t fret. This is normal and expected of the healthiest Tesla batteries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you should start looking into possible causes of excessive drain if it goes beyond one mile of range lost per hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can expect an average daily drain of 1% of battery capacity, give or take. Generally, you shouldn\u2019t worry if your Model 3 is draining less than 3% per day as this isn’t a significant mile range reduction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"luxury-wheel-vehicle-electric-steering-tesla\"](\"https:\/\/www.evspeedy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/luxury-wheel-vehicle-electric-steering-tesla.jpg\")
Photo: @ako<\/a> via Twenty20<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow Tesla Defines Phantom Drain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What Causes Phantom Drain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Does Tesla Sentry Mode Drain Battery?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How Much Battery Does Sentry Mode Use in A Tesla?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Battery Climate Control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Keep Climate On Setting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Third-Party Apps can Cause Vampire Drain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Does Tesla Battery Drain While Parked?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tesla Model 3 Phantom Drain per Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n