Yikes! Overheating motors.

[LevelHeaded]

I think “overheating” is an overUSED term.

Did the vehicle go into turtle mode? If not, it likely did not OVERheat. It just got hot. Within operating range.

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[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I think “overheating” is an overUSED term.

Did the vehicle go into turtle mode? If not, it likely did not OVERheat. It just got hot. Within operating range.

Yeah well they stayed at holiday express inn and watched the discovery channel, so they must know better than everyone else including the entire engineering department at Rivian. And we’re all just “pissing” into the wind for pointing out how ridiculous the overreaction is.

 

[Marchin_MTB]

This has been a fascinating thread.
A couple thoughts
1. If the OP’s truck is indeed operating as intended, then the red line is in the wrong place and needs to be at a higher temp. They can add an orange zone that indicates battery preheating. Also, why not make use of that big graphic in the center and visually show heat moving from the motors to the battery. It’s a cool feature and a missed opportunity, though maybe they are planning to do more with that center graphic in the future.

2. A red line often indicates off-nominal or out of spec behavior. Whether the OP’s behavior is normal or not, if you put a red line on a display, you should also communicate what measures need to be taken if this condition occurs (pull over and let motors cool) . This may also be a case of confusing UI design and maybe they just intended the red to signify “hotter”…

 

[mikehmb]

Without getting into a pissing match with anybody, when I reported this issue to Rivian, the rep I chatted with (unknown expertise) did seem concerned and took down a lot of info. He was also apparently communicating with another tech person, during our chat session, and kept coming back with more questions. I expect to hear from a true tech person, maybe tomorrow. I’m hoping the tech confirms what the more knowledgeable people on this forum have said and all is well. I will report back on what I find out ?

Good call reaching out to Rivian. What you are experiencing seems far out of the range of what would be considered “normal” even under adverse conditions.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

[COdogman]

I agree that we have no idea if this should be called "OVERheating" - only Rivian knows that. But it seems to me the additional information on the gauges worked as they should, an owner noticed something they thought was odd and contacted Rivian about it. Maybe it turns out to be nothing. Maybe it turns out to be something caught before it becomes a serious issue ?‍

 

[Singletracker]

FWIW. Here is a photo I took the other day while out doing a little off roading. Note the black portion of the graphic. This will slide to the right as the motor heats up. Ultimately, in my latest case, that black portion began to turn orange/red at around 265+/- degrees. That’s what got my attention. On a closer look at this photo, I can see there is a small vertical red line at the far right of the graph. I had not notice this before. While my one motor was heating to the extent that graphic bar was turning reddish in color, it had not reached that vertical red line. This may be an indication that all was working within spec, if getting a little toasty.

 

[Singletracker]

I agree that we have no idea if this should be called "OVERheating" - only Rivian knows that. But it seems to me the additional information on the gauges worked as they should, an owner noticed something they thought was odd and contacted Rivian about it. Maybe it turns out to be nothing. Maybe it turns out to be something caught before it becomes a serious issue ?‍

Thanks for your reasonable and unprovocative response ?

 

[Singletracker]

Good call reaching out to Rivian. What you are experiencing seems far out of the range of what would be considered “normal” even under adverse conditions.

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

Thanks. Will do ?

 

[Singletracker]

So, I went out for another drive, just now. Pretty much the same scenario as before - cold night, current day temp in mid-40’s. Drove roughly the same distance, terrain and speed. This is what I got after about 7-8 miles. On the driver’s side, front motor, shortly after peaking out at 271 degrees, just shy of the red line, the motor temps dropped pretty steadily back to the normal range. This time I did not reduce the regen level, keeping it on high regen. I might also add that the vehicle efficiency was way down. I’m averaging around 2.8m/kWh over the last 1000+ miles. During these last two events, I was under 1.6m/kWh. I do realize the cold weather and cold battery didn’t help, but that was quite a drop.

 

[Zoidz]

Better stop driving and run for the nearest underground bunker before your Rivian turns into a mushroom cloud.

You should see how hot the exhaust manifold of a typical ICE gets. This is nothing.

Comparing this to an ice exhaust manifold is irrelevant. An ice manifold does not have internal wiring that can be damaged or permanent magnets that can be demagnetized by excessive heat.

Only Rivian knows what the permissible temperatures are for the motor. They obviously had a reason for setting alert limits. Permanent magnets are not really permanent. Depending on the magnetic material used in the motor, the permanent magnets could be demagnetized at 300F - 350F.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Comparing this to an ice exhaust manifold is irrelevant. An ice manifold does not have internal wiring that can be damaged or permanent magnets that can be demagnetized by excessive heat.

Only Rivian knows what the permissible temperatures are for the motor. They obviously had a reason for setting alert limits. Permanent magnets are not really permanent. Depending on the magnetic material used in the motor, the permanent magnets could be demagnetized at 300F - 350F.

Read on. OP misunderstood UI. Temps were within operating range. And not at limiting. Nor did he ever receive “overheat” warning, despite the dramatic characterization.

 

[Zoidz]

I agree that we have no idea if this should be called "OVERheating" - only Rivian knows that. But it seems to me the additional information on the gauges worked as they should, an owner noticed something they thought was odd and contacted Rivian about it. Maybe it turns out to be nothing. Maybe it turns out to be something caught before it becomes a serious issue ?‍

Agree. Some of the comments here about this being nothing are laughable. My personal opinion is that Rivian is probably going to want to look at this vehicle and see what is going on.

 

[Zoidz]

Read on. OP misunderstood UI. Temps were within operating range. And not at limiting. Nor did he ever receive “overheat” warning, despite the dramatic characterization.

OP stated “In fact, one motor rose to about 270 degrees, at which point the bar graph for that motor turned red.”

Whether it’s a 30 year old ICE, my farm tractor, or an electric motor that is being monitored for temperature, the temperature indicating device ”going red” is not a normal operating condition.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

OP stated “In fact, one motor rose to about 270 degrees, at which point the bar graph for that motor turned red.”

Whether it’s a 30 year old ICE, my farm tractor, or an electric motor that is being monitored for temperature, the temperature indicating device ”going red” is not a normal operating condition.

Read OP’s follow up post, man. The bar turning reddish is NOT over limit indicator. The red hash marks is that limit, which his vehicle did not reach. It did not overheat. Period.

 

[Singletracker]

despite the dramatic characterization.

Jeez. “Dramatic characterization”? I had to laugh. Give me a break. I just reported exactly what happened. Get over it, dude.

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