# From Quora. Tesla unplugged for 4 months. O charge **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2022, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/from-quora-tesla-unplugged-for-4-months-o-charge/182964 "2022-03-13T13:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/from-quora-tesla-unplugged-for-4-months-o-charge/182964/1 "2022-03-13T13:32:15Z")
> **[My Tesla was unplugged for 4 months, it has 0 charge. Can I now charge it to...](https://www.quora.com/My-Tesla-was-unplugged-for-4-months-it-has-0-charge-Can-I-now-charge-it-to-30-and-drive-it-home-or-should-I-tow-it-home-and-charge-until-full)** > > Answer (1 of 11): Yikes! Don’t do that! If you have to leave your car unattended for a long time, charge it to 90% first - and if it’s going to be left there for more than a couple of weeks, you should find someplace where you can leave it plugged... ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/from-quora-tesla-unplugged-for-4-months-o-charge/182964/2 "2022-03-13T13:59:54Z")
This is very poor battery management. The only other thing that is worse may be an HP laptop. I let mine sit for 6 months without removing the battery with the battery near depleted and now the battery won’t change anymore, even though the cells inside still have some Voltage in them and aren’t damaged. Apparently the Teslas stay somewhat turned on when parked. Even a modern car will take 3 months to discharge a 800W-hr car battery when parked. But a Tesla can discharge a battery that is 100 times as big in the same time period! I hope it fully shuts down when the charge gets near 0%. It is better to mostly discharge lithium ion cells before storing them, so long as you can be sure that they don’t fall below the minimum Voltage where damage can occur. I read manual for a late model Nissan Leaf, and it says that the lithium battery can freeze if exposed to -4 degrees F!!! You’re supposed to leave it plugged in when parked so the battery heater can operate to prevent this! It also can discharge the battery to operate the battery heater when parked, but not all models can operate the battery heater from the battery! Also, if the 12V battery in the leaf goes dead, which would mean that the lithium ion battery went dead first, then it can’t be charged normally until the 12V is brought up to minimum Voltage first using booster cables. The Tesla model Smanual says \<-22F for \<24 hours is the lowest temperature it can tolerate. > [@](#): > > ## About the High Voltage Battery > > Model S has one of the most sophisticated battery systems in the world. The most important way to preserve the high voltage Battery is to LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE PLUGGED IN when you are not using it. This is particularly important if you are not planning to drive Model S for several weeks. > … > Note > > If you allow the Battery to discharge to 0%, other components may become damaged or require replacement (for example, the low voltage battery). In these cases, you are responsible for repair and/or transporting expenses. Discharge-related expenses are not covered by the warranty or under the Roadside Assistance policy. > … > Discharging the Battery to 0% may result in damage to vehicle components. To protect against a complete discharge, Model S enters a low-power consumption mode when the displayed charge level drops to approximately 0%. In this mode, the Battery stops supporting the onboard electronics and auxiliary low voltage battery. Once this low-power consumption mode is active, immediately plug in Model S to prevent a jump-start and low voltage battery replacement. > … > Note > > If Model S is unresponsive and does not unlock, open, or charge, the low voltage battery may be discharged. In this situation, try jump starting the low voltage battery (see [Instructions for Transporters](https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/2012_2020_models/en_us/GUID-AF2A18C5-77CA-4FB3-A965-3C88D38B8979.html) for instructions on how to jump start the battery). If the vehicle is still unresponsive, contact Tesla. It looks like the Tesla (model S in this case) will also need to have the 12V battery charged before the car will do anything if the lithium battery goes to 0 for an extended period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/from-quora-tesla-unplugged-for-4-months-o-charge/182964/3 "2022-03-13T15:37:35Z")
The first Tesla, the Roadster, would be “bricked” (the term coined for the issue) if left sitting off the charger for long enough. The batteries would need to be completely replaced. It all goes back to the least read book in the universe… the Owner’s Manual!