Recent content by Don85D

Perhaps a thin spacer between the hub and rim would solve the problem. It's common in machine shops to add a thin aluminium sheet (soda can) between the part and milling machine bed. You could do the same with thin cardboard or aluminium sheet as a test then once the solution is known Tesla can...

If softer pads don't solve this issue it may be the design of the wheel. 19 inch stock wheels have essentially 5 spokes where as the the 21 in wheels have double that. The force applied to the hub transfers through the spokes which may be just at the frequency of human hearing. Personally, I...

This is a known problem with many brake pad manufacturers and the solution is the add a stainless shim between the pads and the caliper. The frequency of the squeal is moved higher to beyond the hearing range of humans. High temp silicone sealant applied to the back of the pads does the same...

At the time (2015) our Model S85D was perfect to create a car that runs on sunshine. A small array of solar panels provides 25,000km of free driving each year for the next 30 years. I was looking for just such a project and only Tesla was able to replace our existing vehicles in size and...

My premise for FSD has always been that it is not viable until cars communicate with each other. Vehicles on a ramp become the eyes for the vehicles coming up behind. Construction zones are the same. When the fleet becomes all vehicles on the road ahead of you there is safety. In fact the only...

If the alignment computer shows acceptable readings (all green) I would drive the car sensibly and watch tire wear. Our dual motor Tesla shows very little tire wear and no tire rotation required. If you are running soft rubber performance tires you may have excess wear. Consider keeping the low...

Unlike a Tesla, all of the vehicles that I have owned in the past have firmware that doesn't change after I drive the car off the lot. It stays that way for the life of the car and I actually prefer that as learning a new user interface is a pain. In the case of a salvaged Tesla the SW is frozen...

I recently purchased a 10 year old Toyota Tundra pickup for odd jobs that need towing power or cargo space. After the purchase I asked a local dealership to check the VIN for any outstanding safety recalls. There were four outstanding as the previous owner didn't care. Toyota fixed the...

My experience with separate parking brakes on ICE vehicles is that they hold better to stop forward motion than rearward motion. Backing up the driveway when parking may eliminate the warning message. Turning the steering wheels hard to one side would also be wise as would using a wheel chock...

No hacking required. Check your local suppliers for solar panel components as it really is a DIY project. My wife and son helped and it was as easy as connecting light bulbs in parallel. Each solar panel produces 250W so after inverting the DC to 240VAC you get about 1 amp per panel. These can...

Well you are not far off with your final comment. We have a classic collectable sports car (wife's car) and it is a convertible. Technically the roof has malfunctioned as the fabric is worn and needs to be replaced. Instead, we keep the optional hard top installed all of the time and the car is...

On a previous car I increased rim size for better Solo2 performance and the reduced side wall of the new tires caused a number of suspension vibration issues. Going back to the stock rims solved the problems so it may be the same in this case where a low sidewall has no flex and it transmits...

Carry a tow strap instead and determine in advance where it is best to attach to the frame or suspension. A flat bed tow truck operator can provide you with guidance if necessary.

Full service driving is probably only possible when vehicles can talk to vehicles. Taking the human out of the system should be the plan then send out a safety survey to be completed by the vehicles.

Our Model S combined with a solar array on the house allows us to run the car on sunshine. The panels will last for 30 years as will the car which makes fuel savings a big number. We also like performance cars suitable for long distance touring so in 2015 there was only one logical choice and it...