# Touchscreen in sun causes AC to stop (ironic?)



## Carmen Electra (Sep 5, 2018)

Model 3 LR RWD (blue) delivered Aug 14 ...

I did a cursory look and haven't seen others report this issue: screen overheats in sun, and disables AC

Twice now my AC has refused to work. In both cases, I have found the car during a time when it has been in daytime sun in a parking lot. Cabin Overheat Protection using AC is enabled. Everything else I have tried works fine -- nav, entertainment, AP, controls, etc. The climate controls are available and responsive. The app is as well. But the fan will not start. In both cases, after driving (windows open) and a few minutes parked, AC is re-enabled.

In these cases, when I have entered the car the screen has been almost too hot to touch. It's possible that this is just due to exposure to the sun on a hot day. But it seems equally as hot on the part of the touchscreen well out of direct exposure to the sun. I assume the material is aluminum, which conducts heat very well, so it's plausible that this could just be from the sun. It just seems too hot for that, even compared to other metal bits in the car, hmmmm. In any case, I assume the AC failure is a temperature lockout. It just seems odd that some other non-essential functions are working.

Actually, it's ironic. I assume that the AC could keep the touchscreen cool. I believe I have correctly configured the car to use the cabin overheat protection option, so it's hard to say why the touchscreen could ever get hot enough to trigger a temperature lockout? I guess?

Meanwhile, any good (cheap) windshield reflector options anyone recommends?


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## rodwed (Sep 2, 2017)

A couple of suggestions: Use your app to check the inside temp to confirm that COP is working. Also, make sure you don't turn off the AC with the app because your 3 will remember that the next time you get in the car.


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## simpsonhomer (Aug 29, 2018)

You're not alone. See: https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/climate-control-not-working-at-all.8392/ ("Climate control not working at all...")


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

Random question but do you still have the screen protector that was on the car from delivery? I was getting phantom touches on the screen before I removed it.


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## Diamond.g (Jun 26, 2017)

I wonder if cooling power is sent to the batteries initially then the cabin. A couple of times I have noticed warmer air initially in the cabin, then a huge blast of cool air when it was in the upper 90's outside.


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## Petra (Sep 12, 2017)

The trouble I have with looking to the touch screen as a cause is that it's just a display... The electronics that drive it are located in the dash and, if I remember correctly, are part of the same liquid cooled compute assembly as the Autopilot board.


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## Mike (Apr 4, 2016)

@Carmen Electra (sorry, can't seem to direct reply today)....

FWIW, there is another thread dealing with issues of HVAC not working in the heat:

https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/climate-control-not-working-at-all.8392/


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## Carmen Electra (Sep 5, 2018)

SoFlaModel3 said:


> Random question but do you still have the screen protector that was on the car from delivery? I was getting phantom touches on the screen before I removed it.


Screen protector is removed. Thanks!


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## Carmen Electra (Sep 5, 2018)

rodwed said:


> A couple of suggestions: Use your app to check the inside temp to confirm that COP is working. Also, make sure you don't turn off the AC with the app because your 3 will remember that the next time you get in the car.


Yep, tried those. Verified COP is working (today, another hot day) and saw cabin temps under 100 until mid-afternoon when it spiked, presumably because the AC stopped working. It was not working when I drove home.


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## Carmen Electra (Sep 5, 2018)

Mike said:


> @Carmen Electra (sorry, can't seem to direct reply today)....
> 
> FWIW, there is another thread dealing with issues of HVAC not working in the heat:
> 
> https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/climate-control-not-working-at-all.8392/


Thanks for that link -- yeah, we're all having the same issue. Possible Sept firmware update coming. Woot!


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## Droppinloads (Apr 19, 2018)

Petra said:


> The trouble I have with looking to the touch screen as a cause is that it's just a display... The electronics that drive it are located in the dash and, if I remember correctly, are part of the same liquid cooled compute assembly as the Autopilot board.


Underneath where the charge ports are for your phone under the display screen, are the a/c components . There is a cool you tube video of a guy on a quest to replace the cabin air filter and he took apart that column and it's showed all the a:c components , So they are indeed in the cabin


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