I agree! I already had a road trip to Grand Rapids, MI and in mid-August driving to Greenville, SC. So I am keeping them on until September for the increase in range. Once the Tesla lug nut covers and cap become available I'll be purchasing them for install in September.Well, you should just remove the wheel covers anyway, naked Geminis (or actually, Apollos) are the best.....
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Brand new Y with flat tire - my journey
- Thread starter Kamban
- Start date
UPDATE: I had a text message string from Tesla that they've been communicating with me since delivery and this initial service center visit. I decided to also try texting them to get the ball rolling. Looks like they might be trying to make good on this...
I get what you are saying and I do have a plug kit and a compressor, but I do not have a jack pad yet. I fear if I pull the metal out of the tire, what if I cannot plug it myself without taking the wheel off? I've been putting air in every morning until I get it fixed. The most recent communication from Tesla is they are initiating a "Urgent Tire Appointment with the Mobile Tire Team."
Feathermercan: "With a plug kit and a compressor, you would have had the tire fixed in way less time than you have spent on this thread."
To repeat, not everyone has the strength, or the (minimal?) mechanical experience to plug a tire. I have excellent hand/arm strength, and I plugged a tire the other day, OFF the (different) car, meaning I had excellent leverage, and...it...wasn't...easy. Successful, but not...easy...
ON the car? Rear tire? Sidewall pancaked and 3-4" ground clearance? No way!!!!
I'm off on a road trip into the wilds of NW TX, NE NM, SE CO...driving from Ft. Worth, TX to Denver. Will buy a small (but sufficiently strong) shop jack today, will secure it somewhere. In 50 years of driving, I've had less than a dozen nail/screw punctures, only ONE blowout (HAHA: Michelin Premier, 20 k miles, sidewall blew out) in my family's experience. Hoping I don't add a 2nd blowout on this trip, since I'll have no spare.
Not everyone has the experience to do what your advising.
To repeat, not everyone has the strength, or the (minimal?) mechanical experience to plug a tire. I have excellent hand/arm strength, and I plugged a tire the other day, OFF the (different) car, meaning I had excellent leverage, and...it...wasn't...easy. Successful, but not...easy...
ON the car? Rear tire? Sidewall pancaked and 3-4" ground clearance? No way!!!!
I'm off on a road trip into the wilds of NW TX, NE NM, SE CO...driving from Ft. Worth, TX to Denver. Will buy a small (but sufficiently strong) shop jack today, will secure it somewhere. In 50 years of driving, I've had less than a dozen nail/screw punctures, only ONE blowout (HAHA: Michelin Premier, 20 k miles, sidewall blew out) in my family's experience. Hoping I don't add a 2nd blowout on this trip, since I'll have no spare.
Not everyone has the experience to do what your advising.
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I have done the same when I had an air leak in a tire. I was able use a 12V inflator pump, kept adding air until I could drive to a tire shop. If the vehicle/tire is driveable I would not wait for Tesla Mobile Service.
THAT is a better solution for sgalla04. I wouldn't waste time waiting for Tesla service, since most (not all!) tire shops are willing to plug his tire, Discount Tire for free!
I agree it can be tough. The key is positioning the tire on a rise of some sort (rock, curb, next to a depression, etc..) so you have more clearance and access. Not everyone can do it I'm sure but for most it's your best bet to save time and money. At the very least everyone should have a good compressor on hand - they're inexpensive and very compact and powerful nowadays. I'm getting ready for another trip up to Park City, Aspen, and back soon so I can relate. Enjoy your trip!
I've plugged many with no jack at all. Most with the tire on the car. It's obviously the safest way. The jack can get you more clearance above the tire to work. It can also allow you to position a block of wood (or rock in an emergency) between the plug tool and the fender well so the car's weight can be used to push the plug into the tire. This requires a jack.
I would not undertake a long trip w/o a spare. So 'Modern Spare' is your friend.
modernspare.com
modernspare.com
I would not undertake a long trip w/o a spare. So 'Modern Spare' is your friend.
For All 2017-2024 Tesla Model 3 Trim Levels - Spare Tire And Complete Accessory Kit Options
Engineered complete spare tire kit for your Model 3. EV Weight and Strength Rated Alloy. AWD, Performance, Long-range Compatible. Search by Make, Model
modernspare.com
Fits All 2020-2024 Tesla Model Y Models -Spare Tire And Complete Accessory Kit Options
Engineered complete spare tire kit for your Model 3. EV Weight and Strength Rated Alloy. AWD, Performance, Long-range Compatible. Search by Make, Model
modernspare.com
I would be using the jack to remove the wheel to patch. I wouldn't dream of trying to force a plug into a tire while the car is supported by the jack. That's a recipe for a real disaster.
Yes, Modern Spare is an option, but not available until mid Sept. I waited too long.
I wish Vredestein would engineer a package for the Tesla. They've had their SpaceMaster spare on VAG, Mercedes, etc. for years.
Yes, Modern Spare is an option, but not available until mid Sept. I waited too long.
I wish Vredestein would engineer a package for the Tesla. They've had their SpaceMaster spare on VAG, Mercedes, etc. for years.
I do want to report back that Tesla did make good on this. I brought it into the service center today and they patched the tire. And waived the $81 repair cost because of the inconvenience.
Is it crazy to consider a full size spare on a hitch mount? Obviously a range hit but I haven't come up with a better solution to this.
I keep a full size spare in my garage right now, and sometimes throw it in the back for long trips, but it really takes up a huge amount of space. I have non-standard wheels/tires, so I'm afraid if I use Tesla's roadside assist for a flat it won't be too helpful.
I keep a full size spare in my garage right now, and sometimes throw it in the back for long trips, but it really takes up a huge amount of space. I have non-standard wheels/tires, so I'm afraid if I use Tesla's roadside assist for a flat it won't be too helpful.
I know this thread is old by now, but I just want to report that my 6300 mile MY got a flat last night after a loooong road trip. Luckily it was on a surface road 1/2 mi from our hotel, and not on the freeway, but it has caused a major inconvenience today and set us back $355, not to mention a lost vacation day. On the bright side, I went through the Tesla app roadside assistance screen and got a loaner wheel within an hour. But we’ve been fussing with the SC all day today to get the tire looked at, and when they said it was a puncture that wasn’t repairable because the weight of the car sitting on the flat-as-a-pancake tire had compromised the sidewall. I mean, how was that to be avoided? I pulled over as soon as I got the message on the screen. Was I supposed to hold the car up while I waited? Very disappointed in Tesla and Continental by this experience and wondering if I should just replace all 4 with my favorite Michelins. I thought the ride on my MY was the worst part of the driving experience and attributed it to the suspension, but perhaps it was the tires all along…? Haven’t had a flat in 30 years prior to this and I don’t want to have to think about tires again. Ever. Anyone out there had any experience swapping out all 4 tires for something else?
I am glad that Tesla Roadside assistance was able to help you. Tesla Service is not the optimal place to have a tire repaired. Tesla would rather sell you a new tire or tires and complete the work as quickly as possible. (Can you blame them?) An independent tire shop could evaluate whether the puncture was too close to the sidewall for the tire to be repaired. These days, due to liability concerns, unless the puncture is in the very center part of the tread most tire shops will pass on repairing the puncture and state that the tire must be replaced.
One additional complication is that the OE Continental tires have the Contisilent foam lining inside the tire. The sound deadening effects of the foam are minimal but the additional work to cut away the part of the foam before being able to repair a puncture makes the foam insert a PITA for tire repair shops; some refuse to repair a tire that has the foam and will only offer to sell you a new tire.
If you decide to replace the OE tires then Tirerack.com and Discount tire would be able to recommend suitable replacement tires. You may find limited selection of the most popular all-season tires this time of year. I have less than 6k miles on my Continental Procontact RX tires and will probably replace the OE tires with another brand and model (still undecided) when the time comes.
Oh don't worry, the terrible ride is BOTH the tires and suspension. On smaller wheels / bigger tires with more sidewall, the ride is better, but still not great. I don't think you'll get much benefit out of swapping the OEM tires with different tires of the same size. You could drop the pressure a bit of course.
Without going thru this whole thread to find my post, You probably could have fixed the puncture that caused your flat in about 1-20 minutes with a tire plugging kit from Amazon like this:
Amazon also sells several types of compressor. I carry the Milwaukee tire inflator because I have other M12 tools - same battery. I also carry a spare while on a road trip. I usually do not have to jack up the car to plug a tire. But Modern Spare dot com carries spares, jacks and lug wrenches. Over the past 4 years or so of driving, I've worn out every plugged tire but one.
As far as worry free tires, the best I've found is Michelin.
