Flat Tire Follies

[DDD4EV]

I always have been worried about a flat tire and prepared in advance by purchasing spare wheel/tire and low-profile platform jack. Another forum member provided directions for making a 2X4 wood plate with three pins to engage the jack plate. I constructed the wood plate. It works well if the tire is not flat and seems safer than a hockey puck. I also purchased a breaker bar and obtained a 1" deep well socket for the working end of the breaker bar. All of that sounds fine until you put these items into action.

Today I ran over something I never saw that ruined my tire and brought me to a halt in less than a block. Help came from home with the spare and the platform jack. Now the learning curve begins. The one inch lug nuts are plastic covers, SO my deep well socket was the wrong size. Return trip back to house for 13/16 deep well socket. Just as I had envisioned previously, with the 2X4 wood plate in place, my low profile platform jack would not fit under the plate when the tire is flat. To solve this problem, I have a 6" 4X4. I pulled the flat tire onto the 4X4 and this provided the clearance to place the platform jack without resorting to a hockey puck. Everything went like clockwork after that.

Resetting the pressure sensor in the new tire was a piece of cake. I just started driving. After a couple of miles, the main display stated it sensed a new tire and asked me if I would like to reset the pressure sensor. I said yes and it was reset immediately.

Hope I never have to do this again but I am real glad I discovered the lug nut covers while in town. It would not have been pretty if I was on the road when I discovered I needed a 13/16 socket rather than a 1". Plus, I was happy to see the 4X4 worked well to raise the car enough to fit the jack under the wood plate.

 

[Patrick W]

FWIW, I took a mini-class at the local service center about changing tires.

The technician was very firm about not using any sort of block between the jack and the bottom of the car, noting that they don't use them in the service center.

He said that a proper jack will have raised edges around the part that contacts the car and those edges dig into the soft material on the cars jack pads and hold it firmly in place.

 

[Solarman004]

Just as I had envisioned previously, with the 2X4 wood plate in place, my low profile platform jack would not fit under the plate when the tire is flat.

Just curious, would raising the suspension to very high give you the clearance for the jack?

 

[murphyS90D]

Rule #1

When you acquire emergency tools test them before they are needed in an emergency situation.

Rule #2

See rule #1

 

[HankLloydRight]

Return trip back to house for 13/16 deep well socket.

It's actually a 21mm lug nut. It's not a big difference, but you should use the proper socket to avoid warping or damaging the lug nuts. Until recently, the lug nuts Tesla used have a thin steel cover/cap that can easily warp if you use the wrong socket size. If this happens, you'll see two vertical parallel kinks on each face of the cap. Once that happens, you'll need to bump up to a 22mm socket to get them off.

 

[JPP]

FWIW. I just bought a couple of these:

New Tweezers Wheel Nut Cap Removal Tool For VW Golf Jetta Audi Skoda 8D0012244A

so maybe I can pull the wheel lug nut covers before a tire shop bit**es them up.

 

[ABVA]

Just curious, would raising the suspension to very high give you the clearance for the jack?

OP might not have the Air Suspension. Just a thpought

 

[HankLloydRight]

FWIW. I just bought a couple of these:

New Tweezers Wheel Nut Cap Removal Tool For VW Golf Jetta Audi Skoda 8D0012244A

so maybe I can pull the wheel lug nut covers before a tire shop bit**es them up.

Or the "TESLA" one for double the price:

Model S/X Lug Nut Cover Puller

 

[DDD4EV]

FWIW, I took a mini-class at the local service center about changing tires.

The technician was very firm about not using any sort of block between the jack and the bottom of the car, noting that they don't use them in the service center.

He said that a proper jack will have raised edges around the part that contacts the car and those edges dig into the soft material on the cars jack pads and hold it firmly in place.

In response to comment by Patrick W:

Since the round plate on a floor jack is wider than the jack pads on the Model S, how exactly did the technician teach you to engage the jack plate with the jack pads. It seems the jack plate must be placed eccentrically onto the jack pad with great care or the jack plate might engage and damage the battery cage.

It appears that many owners have similar concerns that the jack plate may damage the battery if not positioned exactly. For this reason, there are a number of posts describing use of devices such a hockey pucks and wood blocks.

 

[Patrick W]

In response to comment by Patrick W:

Since the round plate on a floor jack is wider than the jack pads on the Model S, how exactly did the technician teach you to engage the jack plate with the jack pads. It seems the jack plate must be placed eccentrically onto the jack pad with great care or the jack plate might engage and damage the battery cage.

It appears that many owners have similar concerns that the jack plate may damage the battery if not positioned exactly. For this reason, there are a number of posts describing use of devices such a hockey pucks and wood blocks.

Sorry for the delay in replying. Life got in the way.

Perhaps this earlier post will help explain as it includes a link to the jack I use and that fits nicely onto the pads under the car:
Good emergency roadside jack for MS

Happy to explain further if needed.

I also recommend a visit to a service center for a hands on tutorial on how to jack the car.