Goodbye Aero Covers

[c7carl]

Decided to remove the aero covers and replace with the Tesla Wheel Cap Kit. Did look at cheaper kits on Amazon but opted For the Tesla ones after reading some of the horror reviews of the others.

How many new owners decide to shed the covers at the expense of a few extra miles?

I just hope I don’t get caught short one day and wished I had kept them on...

 

[SteveBM3]

That’s the first thing I’m doing with mine, but I’ll keep the aero covers if I need them for a long journey. Maybe

 

[Medved_77]

Keep in mind that if you do want to switch back to the aero covers, you'll need something to remove the centre caps with (lugnut covers can stay on)

These mini suction pullers work well for this purpose:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GSK6BTX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kmauFbXBK3PSN

 

[Epico]

First thing I did was to get rid of the aeros, they are now wrapped in the attic. I have no plans to ever put them on.

Good call on the tesla wheel kit, see my previous posts about that subject...

Cheap aero wheel cap kits

 

[Scan Man]

Already got my wheel cap kit on order, will probably arrive before the car.

 

[boater291]

Think I'll do the same with mine tomorrow! Not a fan of the aeros. I really like the 20" rims on the performance with the white exterior, but happy to stick with the 18"s without aero covers

 

[Dilly]

Aero covers are in the loft. Did invest in suction pullers. Tried duct tape, didn’t work.
Will use them on journeys

 

[LongRanger]

I like the Aeros, everything about this car for me is about breaking out from the norm of the last 25 years, so happy to leave as-is. Not keen on the 18” alloys, I like the 19’s but pointless on a company lease with terrible roads near home.

 

[paulobrien]

I bought these ones that are dead easy to remove, excellent quality and look great.

Model 3 Aero Wheel Cap Kit - Easy Remove - Tesloid USA

 

[boogle]

First thing I did was to get rid of the aeros, they are now wrapped in the attic. I have no plans to ever put them on.

Good call on the tesla wheel kit, see my previous posts about that subject...

Cheap aero wheel cap kits

Glad you linked that. Had some on order, but now ordered the genuine Tesla ones.

 

[hingus2000]

Had a good look at the car with the Aeros on and off, and decided I much prefer the car with them on.

The alloys underneath are nice enough, but they make the 18” wheels look a lot smaller. The futuristic look of the Aeros sets the M3 apart IMO.

 

[MrBadger]

Aeros are a breeze to keep clean too.

 

[interbear]

Prior to collecting my Model 3 I was adamant I’d take the Aero covers off, didn’t like the look of them in any of the pictures I’d seen. However when I saw them on a real car, parked up, I thought they looked much better than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised. So when I first got my own Model 3 I switched the Aeros on and off a few times to try and decide which look I preferred. I finally decided to leave them on as the aesthetics with them off didn’t give me a “wow” factor that compelled me to leave them off. I think they look just fine with the red paint of my Model 3, the range impact is a bonus, and they are easy to keep clean. They are also different to the norm, which I quite like.

It’s very subjective though and I think the look does differ by colour. Probably the best compromise I’ve seen for people who prefer the look with Aero covers off is to put them back on again for longer road trips to benefit from the range impact. Makes sense to me.

 

[GRiLLA]

I put them on for my annual 1200 mile trip to visit parent, but otherwise they are off. I found one of my kids toy arrows with a suction cup works perfectly to remove the center caps.
To add, if you are putting them back on make sure all the contact points on the cover and wheel are very clean to avoid any abrasion. In fact even if keeping them on I've seen people with damage where the aero rubs on the wheel round the edge.
Also, note that in the car you can now choose wheel options to show them on or off in the visualisations and mobile app, if you are slightly over obsessed with such things like me.

 

[MrBadger]

These mini suction pullers work well for this purpose:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GSK6BTX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kmauFbXBK3PSN

Before splashing out, anyone with/had young family may find that a teat from a feeding bottle may work for this. I've not tried it on aero cap (I thought that ours [unused] caps came with a puller but looks to be just the nuts) yet, but had good success using one to get a sink plug out when the mechanism failed.

 

[Rustybkts]

I have ordered these although with these flaky cloudfundings I may not receive them. Certainly look better than Aero's and the alloys underneath are bit basic although look good with a red centre T to match the car.

They also reportedly protect the rim from kerbing.

Orbital

 

[M3noob]

That’s the first thing I’m doing with mine, but I’ll keep the aero covers if I need them for a long journey. Maybe

I lost one on the road in Spain. Replaced it and also got a spare. My main Tesla Aero wheel cover complaint is that it took the spares department in Barcelona two weeks to get them to me... arrived by overnight courier. Oddly without taking the money up front

Mañana, baby, mañana.

But on my in-person visit to the SC they were prompt and efficient and nice enough to chat with that I'd just to go there for a coffee if they weren't in a god-forsaken industrial park.

 

[M3noob]

I have ordered these although with these flaky cloudfundings I may not receive them. Certainly look better than Aero's and the alloys underneath are bit basic although look good with a red centre T to match the car.

They also reportedly protect the rim from kerbing.

Orbital

Very interesting. Considering a punt. Really like the retention feature.

However they don't actually protect from kerbing - just hide previous sins.
If you kerb one of these, you may have a problem replacing it.

 

[Tracker]

Also, note that in the car you can now choose wheel options to show them on or off in the visualisations and mobile app, if you are slightly over obsessed with such things like me.

Am I correct in assuming by updating the wheels in the car settings it also changes the algorithm for calculating range?

 

[M3noob]

Am I correct in assuming by updating the wheels in the car settings it also changes the algorithm for calculating range?

Only with the latest value of the Hubble Constant. It has been updated to 73.9 kilometers (45.9 miles) per second per megaparsec. Which is considerably more than predicted by the Standard Model.