In the few times I've been in a car that needed roadside assistance (never a Tesla!), it's usually been a saga of waiting, sometimes a couple of hours.... Has been quicker for me to do the work myself, but that's on a regular vehicle, with spare accessible. Do any Tesla's come with spares? Realizing that I don't even know if my S70 has one now....
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25 minute hold for emergency roadside service
- Thread starter goldengate
- Start date
In the few times I've been in a car that needed roadside assistance (never a Tesla!), it's usually been a saga of waiting, sometimes a couple of hours.... Has been quicker for me to do the work myself, but that's on a regular vehicle, with spare accessible. Do any Tesla's come with spares? Realizing that I don't even know if my S70 has one now....
No Tesla vehicles come with spare tires.
If you have a Model 3 with 18” wheels I’ve found it’s relatively easy to find people who are selling those wheels/tires because they wanted to upgrade to something else. I bought a set of four wheels/tires/TPMS sensors for $600 with only 1,000 miles on them. I sold two of them to other people needing spare tires and kept two for my two Model 3’s. I’m sure there are other people on this forum who would not mind going in and doing a group purchase like that and splitting them up into four spares. It takes a little effort but the peace of mind was worth it to me.
dhrivnak
Active Member
I carry a tire plugging kit available at most any tire store for $15 or less. I also have the Tesla compressor and slime kit. Over the last few year I have plugged 4 of my tires and one as a Good Samaritan. I know I am 4 for 4 on my plugs and they have lasted the life of the tire. It really is not a big deal and I am on my way in 10 minutes.
GoCartz
Member
aerodyne
2 of 3 EV's - Defect Free!
aerodyne
2 of 3 EV's - Defect Free!
M109Rider
Active Member
Tesla can not currently handle the volume of calls coming in from customers, especially at the delivery centers. Roadside assistance gets overwhelmed on the weekends when other support avenues are generally unavailable. So I get the fact that unnecessary calls to roadside assistance can sometimes cause other people who are stranded to have a hard time getting through.
That being said, I've run service organizations my entire career. And I have always believed that each time a customer calls it represents an opportunity to strengthen the company's relationship with that customer, increase their loyalty, encourage referrals, and encourage repeat business. So the last thing I would ever want to do is discourage customers from calling.
At some point Tesla has to come up with a plan to address the call volume and create an experience where customers are left feeling positive about the overall brand. They have been given a pardon for quite some time now because there just isn't any real competition to their vehicles in the EV space. But at some point that will change and either Tesla will learn how to create consistently positive customer service experiences or they will be left behind.
That being said, I've run service organizations my entire career. And I have always believed that each time a customer calls it represents an opportunity to strengthen the company's relationship with that customer, increase their loyalty, encourage referrals, and encourage repeat business. So the last thing I would ever want to do is discourage customers from calling.
At some point Tesla has to come up with a plan to address the call volume and create an experience where customers are left feeling positive about the overall brand. They have been given a pardon for quite some time now because there just isn't any real competition to their vehicles in the EV space. But at some point that will change and either Tesla will learn how to create consistently positive customer service experiences or they will be left behind.
Forgive my ignorance but it you get a flat you just have to plug it with a plug from the $15 dollar kit and then use the compressor kit to pump the tire back up and then you are good to go for the life of the tire. What is the slime for?
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dhrivnak
Active Member
I have not used the slime, BUT I can envision a cold windy and wet night when plugging would be difficult at best. So I see the slime as a back up. That and the fact that the Tesla tire kit comes with both the slime and compressor.
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
The slime is less permanent and may damage the tire pressure sensor. The disadvantage of plugs is it's not always easy to find or reach where the leak is. Also if you use plugs make sure you also have pliers to get the nail or screw out.
ReddykwRun
Member
Another option especially for us folks down here in the sunny south (I have yet to see a real live hockey puck) is made by an after market company that specifically targets issues with great solutions. These pads stay in place via help of a little rubber o-ring that snaps them into the jack hole.
Neat toys at: Tesla
aerodyne
2 of 3 EV's - Defect Free!
ReddykwRun
Member
Please understand that plugs are not rated nor designed for highway speeds, it's just a quick "get off the highway" fix to get you to a tire shop and have the tire dismounted and patched from the inside. I have used them many times and they do just that.
I also carry a small spray bottle of dish soap and water, sometimes the culprit is difficult to find but if you roll the car forward a section at a time you can spot the leak better with the foaming bubbles from the spray.
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aerodyne
2 of 3 EV's - Defect Free!
Depending on the damage, a simple puncture should be repairable and last the life of the tire. I have done it a half dozen times. Of course, one could take it to a tire shop in the near future, have the tire dismounted and patched from the inside.
Plugs tend to fail gracefully, ie, slow leak. Tire shops tend to not do consistent work, I cannot find one that does not scratch my wheels. If I can do the repair myself I will. TPMS has the advantage of constant monitoring.
Plugs tend to fail gracefully, ie, slow leak. Tire shops tend to not do consistent work, I cannot find one that does not scratch my wheels. If I can do the repair myself I will. TPMS has the advantage of constant monitoring.
ReddykwRun
Member
Looks promising. I have seen this technology on off-road machinery, lawn mowers and military applications. "The future is bright, gotta wear shades".
I too just had a flat tire while parked at Caesar's Palace garage in Las Vegas. First I called AAA knowing I will need a flat bed tow truck.
The AAA lady in the Las Vegas office asked "what's the garage clearance?". I said "I'm not sure. Is this the first time you'll be servicing a AAA member in this garage? Don't you know this already? I'll have to find out for you!". Then I called Tesla Service. To make a long conversation short, they said "we'll send a serviceman from Big Valley Towing with a LOANER wheel from us to replace my flat wheel so you can drive your car right away while we fix your tire". I had to sign a contract requiring that I return the loaner wheel within 3 days.
Which I think is fair. What a super solution to a simple problem...NO TOWING REQUIRED!
But, unfortunately, Tesla service lady said I had to replace my 8k mile old tire with a new one costing $330...ouch! She said "the nail is just outside the thread line which is not fixable and not under warranty. The puncture has to be within the thread lines!" From what I see it was still almost touching the line about an inch from the wall...does anyone know if this is true?.
In fairness, she offered for me to take the tire somewhere else to get it fixed. But after talking to her and feeling comfortable about her honesty and tone, I decided to take her advice. Fortunately, I'm always prepared to lose whenever we go to Vegas...haha....but I didn't expect it this way. Sorry, but Las Vegas streets badly need maintenance and repair!
But now I have a new problem...the tire warning icon on top of the screen won't go away. The Vegas Tesla service could not fix it.
They advised me to contact the Tesla service here in LA if it doesn't go away. It's been 4 days. Rebooting didn't fix it. Now I'm forced to call the Tesla service here. It's a minor issue (hopefully).
The AAA lady in the Las Vegas office asked "what's the garage clearance?". I said "I'm not sure. Is this the first time you'll be servicing a AAA member in this garage? Don't you know this already? I'll have to find out for you!". Then I called Tesla Service. To make a long conversation short, they said "we'll send a serviceman from Big Valley Towing with a LOANER wheel from us to replace my flat wheel so you can drive your car right away while we fix your tire". I had to sign a contract requiring that I return the loaner wheel within 3 days.
Which I think is fair. What a super solution to a simple problem...NO TOWING REQUIRED!
But, unfortunately, Tesla service lady said I had to replace my 8k mile old tire with a new one costing $330...ouch! She said "the nail is just outside the thread line which is not fixable and not under warranty. The puncture has to be within the thread lines!" From what I see it was still almost touching the line about an inch from the wall...does anyone know if this is true?.
In fairness, she offered for me to take the tire somewhere else to get it fixed. But after talking to her and feeling comfortable about her honesty and tone, I decided to take her advice. Fortunately, I'm always prepared to lose whenever we go to Vegas...haha....but I didn't expect it this way. Sorry, but Las Vegas streets badly need maintenance and repair!
But now I have a new problem...the tire warning icon on top of the screen won't go away. The Vegas Tesla service could not fix it.
They advised me to contact the Tesla service here in LA if it doesn't go away. It's been 4 days. Rebooting didn't fix it. Now I'm forced to call the Tesla service here. It's a minor issue (hopefully).
aerodyne
2 of 3 EV's - Defect Free!
aerodyne
2 of 3 EV's - Defect Free!
If the puncture is outside the tread, likely outside the tread belts, and you need to replace in that case.
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