Hi everyone,
I recently turned in my 2019 BMW 440xi and took delivery of a lightly used 2018 Model 3 Long range RWD yesterday. I was a bit nervous making the change but I am absolutely thrilled so far. The BMW was a 2 year lease and by the end of the lease it had extremely squeaky brakes and clunks and rattles from the rear of the car. The ride quality was mediocre at best given that it had 18" rims with run flat tires. I was nervous that a slightly used Tesla would have more rattles/clunks and a rougher ride.
To my surprise the Tesla has no rattles, no clunks, and rides smoother than the BMW. I'm not sharing anything that hasn't already been shared but this car is superior to any BMW I've previously owned. The Tesla I bought came with factory 19" rims and has non OEM Pzero summer tires in a non OEM size 255/35/19. After I got the car I had the car added to my Tesla account and enabled the premium subscription and both the audio and Spotify work after a small glitch which self resolved (phone wouldn't connect to car immediately but now it does). The car has the latest firmware.
Anyways here are a few questions.
1. I am 99% sure the previous owned lowered the car with springs. I estimate probably a 1" drop (see pic if it helps). To my surprise the car still drives very smoothly and handling is excellent. I suspect lowering it may also improve efficiency? Any reason to be concerned about this?
2. If I eventually go back to an OEM tire size, such as a Purecontact LS in 235/40/19 square setup, do I need to have the software re-calibrated so the speedo is accurate? Could the speedo at this time be inaccurate due to the non oem tire size?
3. When I test drove a new model a few months ago, I recall the car making a beeping sound when I was sitting at a light that turned green to notify me to proceed. My car, to my knowledge, does not do that. Could this be because I have HW 2.5? I have the latest firmware at this time.
4. The car came with tint/clear bra/ceramic coating. There is a document in the glove box from the shop that did all this that says don't wash the car without asking the owner first due to the ceramic coating. I live in an apartment and I use a touchless car wash service as I do not have the capability to wash it myself. Would this be okay or could it harm the ceramic coating and underlying paint?
5. My Tesla app has my car registered under it, and I also have a CC on file. So if I go to a SC station I can just plug in and it will charge automatically and bill the CC on file, correct?
6. The driver and passenger door make a creaking sound when opened. I have searched and this seems to be a common problem that can be fixed with a service appointment.
This car is such a blast to drive I am thinking of also selling my weekend car (Porsche 997.1 turbo)!
I recently turned in my 2019 BMW 440xi and took delivery of a lightly used 2018 Model 3 Long range RWD yesterday. I was a bit nervous making the change but I am absolutely thrilled so far. The BMW was a 2 year lease and by the end of the lease it had extremely squeaky brakes and clunks and rattles from the rear of the car. The ride quality was mediocre at best given that it had 18" rims with run flat tires. I was nervous that a slightly used Tesla would have more rattles/clunks and a rougher ride.
To my surprise the Tesla has no rattles, no clunks, and rides smoother than the BMW. I'm not sharing anything that hasn't already been shared but this car is superior to any BMW I've previously owned. The Tesla I bought came with factory 19" rims and has non OEM Pzero summer tires in a non OEM size 255/35/19. After I got the car I had the car added to my Tesla account and enabled the premium subscription and both the audio and Spotify work after a small glitch which self resolved (phone wouldn't connect to car immediately but now it does). The car has the latest firmware.
Anyways here are a few questions.
1. I am 99% sure the previous owned lowered the car with springs. I estimate probably a 1" drop (see pic if it helps). To my surprise the car still drives very smoothly and handling is excellent. I suspect lowering it may also improve efficiency? Any reason to be concerned about this?
2. If I eventually go back to an OEM tire size, such as a Purecontact LS in 235/40/19 square setup, do I need to have the software re-calibrated so the speedo is accurate? Could the speedo at this time be inaccurate due to the non oem tire size?
3. When I test drove a new model a few months ago, I recall the car making a beeping sound when I was sitting at a light that turned green to notify me to proceed. My car, to my knowledge, does not do that. Could this be because I have HW 2.5? I have the latest firmware at this time.
4. The car came with tint/clear bra/ceramic coating. There is a document in the glove box from the shop that did all this that says don't wash the car without asking the owner first due to the ceramic coating. I live in an apartment and I use a touchless car wash service as I do not have the capability to wash it myself. Would this be okay or could it harm the ceramic coating and underlying paint?
5. My Tesla app has my car registered under it, and I also have a CC on file. So if I go to a SC station I can just plug in and it will charge automatically and bill the CC on file, correct?
6. The driver and passenger door make a creaking sound when opened. I have searched and this seems to be a common problem that can be fixed with a service appointment.
This car is such a blast to drive I am thinking of also selling my weekend car (Porsche 997.1 turbo)!
