Hydroplaned and crashed. Driving for 50 years. Never happened before.

[Pianewman]

How do you all have some much tire left. I have 9k miles and only have 5/32 on the (now) front and 6/32 on rear. I don’t see these lasting past 18k or until end of summer this year.

Uhh...seriously? The CAR isn't wearing your tires out, the operator is. Right?

 

[andaconda]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[sleepydoc]

Uhh...seriously? The CAR isn't wearing your tires out, the operator is. Right?

No, but my MY is certainly eating through its tires. I don’t know if this is typical or not, but after 18k miles I’m down to 5/32, low enough that I’m not comfortable using the tire next winter. I typically get at least 30-40k on tires. Our odyssey is up to 55k on its current set.

It’s the owner’s responsibility to check the tires, but if Teslas wear tires significantly faster than is typical it’s possible people are riding on far less tread than they expect for their mileage and are getting caught off guard with unexpectedly thin tread.

 

[thesmokingman]

No, but my MY is certainly eating through its tires. I don’t know if this is typical or not, but after 18k miles I’m down to 5/32, low enough that I’m not comfortable using the tire next winter. I typically get at least 30-40k on tires. Our odyssey is up to 55k on its current set.

It’s the owner’s responsibility to check the tires, but if Teslas wear tires significantly faster than is typical it’s possible people are riding on far less tread than they expect for their mileage and are getting caught off guard with unexpectedly thin tread.

Nah, it's normal for EVs. Look at the BMW i3 for example, it eats tires too. Throw gobs of torque at a rear biased EV and we have what we have. The compounding problem is that ppl are agnostic about reality and you have posters in denial about tire wear.

 

[buddhafree]

No, but my MY is certainly eating through its tires. I don’t know if this is typical or not, but after 18k miles I’m down to 5/32, low enough that I’m not comfortable using the tire next winter. I typically get at least 30-40k on tires. Our odyssey is up to 55k on its current set.

It’s the owner’s responsibility to check the tires, but if Teslas wear tires significantly faster than is typical it’s possible people are riding on far less tread than they expect for their mileage and are getting caught off guard with unexpectedly thin tread.

How long tires last depend on
- Tire brand/model. Check treadwear rating and people reviews to set expectations.
- Car weight.
- Driving style. Quick acceleration, breaking and hard cornering increase wear.
- Over or under inflation. Check tire pressure when tires are cold. Tires warm up during driving or when exposed to the direct sunlight. Warm tires have higher tire pressure than cold.
- Improper alignment or worn suspension. Check for uneven tire wear.

 

[FlatSix911]

That's the legal minimum around here for rain/wet conditions. Legal minimum for snow and ice is 6/32 for the M+S (all season) tire rating to apply, which gets you out of having to put on tire chains during R-1 and R-2 chain control conditions if you have AWD and M+S tires on all 4 wheels. I try to replace my tires at or above 6/32 and if going to somewhere it snows, I try to have at least 7/32 of tread on them. My opinion is that it's never good to be doing the bare minimum to meet legal requirements because if there's anything unusual (like driving into deep water unexpectedly), it makes it that much more likely that something will go wrong.

Pointless thread at this point, as our "real" experiences are all the same, but I'll add mine.
Highway driving in the DFW region. 4/32-5/32" all around, ContiProContact, 28k miles. Serious thunderstorm, deep puddles everywhere. I definitely felt on the edge of hydroplaning at 65-70mph. I slowed down, avoided sudden directional changes. If I had encountered an emergency maneuver, I would have hydroplaned.

Not in California... Minimum Tread Depth in California - Here are the rules

California state law mandates a minimum tire tread depth for inflatable tires on all vehicles.
The minimum depth of the treads depends on the tire and the groove:

• the minimum tread required at all points in all major grooves:
  • 1/8th of an inch in all tires on the steering axle (usually the front tires), and
  • 1/16th of an inch in all of the other tires; and
• the minimum tread depth for any 2 adjacent grooves, whether major or minor, is 1/32nd of an inch.

 

[boulder.dude]

Nah, it's normal for EVs. Look at the BMW i3 for example, it eats tires too. Throw gobs of torque at a rear biased EV and we have what we have. The compounding problem is that ppl are agnostic about reality and you have posters in denial about tire wear.

I think that the rear tires doing all of the regen breaking is a big difference from ICE as well. Rotate often!

 

[CMPT PAD]

Just my personal opinion
EV has higher torque so drivers have a tendency to have fun with initial acceleration hence tires would wear out faster

I have lighted foot on car so most tires would last 50K miles. I replace them before its time. Same thing with 12v battery, I replace them between 5-before 6 yrs BEFORE winter

 

[UncleCreepy]

the OP didn't plan well.

I see what you did there, but in actuality, he did (hydro)plan very well .

 

[sleepydoc]

Just my personal opinion
EV has higher torque so drivers have a tendency to have fun with initial acceleration hence tires would wear out faster

I have lighted foot on car so most tires would last 50K miles. I replace them before its time. Same thing with 12v battery, I replace them between 5-before 6 yrs BEFORE winter

Yeah - I think you’re right. The combination of a heavy car that has a lot of torque and good acceleration puts more wear, and having the acceleration makes you more likely to use it.

My wife is a very conservative driver and even she says she likes being the first car at the the light so she can take off.

 

[mswlogo]

My wife is a very conservative driver and even she says she likes being the first car at the the light so she can take off.

Then she isn’t a conservative driver. My wife has zero temptation to be the first off the line as do I. I felt that way when I was 17

 

[FastEddieB]

I had a scary instance that the being in autopilot contributed to. Tread depth was the prime contributor though

As a general rule, cruise control should not be used in the rain. Or at least in rain heavy enough for hydroplaning to be an issue.

I got bit once in a Jaguar XJR in FL. I had cruise control on and the loss of directional control was instantaneous and scary and I ended up impacting a guard rail. Once bitten, twice shy!

 

[dduffey]

Do these factors apply to the car or wife getting pregnant

After the suggestion to spend time and read up on "Lubrication theory" I'de say both.

 

[sleepydoc]

Then she isn’t a conservative driver. My wife has zero temptation to be the first off the line as do I. I felt that way when I was 17

'taking off' for my wife is about like half the drivers drive normally

 

[Park2670]

Brings up my favorite way some people explain their tires. I got new tires 12 months ago! Why are they worn out?!

Umm, how many miles did you put on them? Why is time a way to explain tires?!

 

[mswlogo]

'taking off' for my wife is about like half the drivers drive normally

I think folks that like to “take off” think that’s the case. I barely notice folks doing that. You think 50% stomp on it because you both do. I don’t think most do because neither of us do.

My goal is to form habits of driving as smooth as I can. So when I have passengers they are comfortable as possible. Comfortable Passengers include my dogs (not puking). I can’t afford $2000 worth of tires every 10k miles either.

 

[UncleCreepy]

Why is time a way to explain tires?!

It isn't. And I'd even go one step further and ask why it's the tire's fault in the first place. We all regularly check our tires, right? So we know what they look like. And now someone decides to go fast during heavy rain and with worn tires and blames the tires and the weather. Ultimately it's the driver's responsibility not to go faster than their guardian angel. That's like blaming the snow for a lowered friction index. It is what it is. Drive accordingly.

 

[Silicon Desert]

hooray blame Tesla for user error / worn tires. But it sounds like you found the cause though!

The way he phrased it, I didn't take it that he was blaming Tesla. Just asking a question. But yea, different people will come to different conclusions.

 

[Silicon Desert]

If I lived in Arizona or Nevada I would drive all the way down to 3/32 or less and feel perfectly safe... based on the annual rainfall

Keith

Agree, but what part of Nevada. Up here where I live, I want more thread mainly to help in snow.

 

[sleepydoc]

I think folks that like to “take off” think that’s the case. I barely notice folks doing that. You think 50% stomp on it because you both do. I don’t think most do because neither of us do.

My goal is to form habits of driving as smooth as I can. So when I have passengers they are comfortable as possible. Comfortable Passengers include my dogs (not puking). I can’t afford $2000 worth of tires every 10k miles either.

No, I know that because I've driven behind her.