MrBadger
Badger out
You need to be very careful when selecting cigarette lighter socket based compressors as many exceed the power rating of the Tesla 12v auxiliary socket causing it to go into overload mode and shut down for a period of time.
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You need to be very careful when selecting cigarette lighter socket based compressors as many exceed the power rating of the Tesla 12v auxiliary socket causing it to go into overload mode and shut down for a period of time.
Mind the current limitation of what you plug in. Could wind up worse than a flat...
I can recommend this compressor:
It's battery operated but can also be run from the 12v if required. The battery can be charged from the 12v or wall socket.
I've found the gauge to be accurate within 0.5 PSI when compared to a coin operated compressor at a petrol station.
Cordless Car Tyre Inflator 12v Digital Air Compressor, LCD Display VonHaus | eBay
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It's battery operated but can also be run from the 12v if required. The battery can be charged from the 12v or wall socket.
I've found the gauge to be accurate within 0.5 PSI when compared to a coin operated compressor at a petrol station.
a month or two back, I had my first puncture. I was washing the car and heard hissing when I sprayed water on the tyre. Closer inspection revealed a screw embedded in the passenger rear.
Ages ago, I'd bought the AUTOart tyre plugger kit at https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003VE0ZL6 so it seemed like a great time to try it out. About an hour and a bit and a lot of curses later I'd plugged it and could pump it up. It was bl**dy hard work. Getting the screw out first of all was tough. Had I been on the road with only the tools in the car, I would have been stuffed, but I had a garage worth of gadgets to use and eventually worked it loose.
If you attempt this, don't underestimate how much you need to ream the hole to get it wide enough for the plug. And that's really hard work too. I can't imagine trying to do this in bad weather and/or at night on the side a road in the middle of nowhere... and my puncture was fairly accessible being about half way across the tread. Had it been way over on the inside, it would have been that much harder. I more than once thanked my maker that I'd discovered this on my own driveway on a sunny day with nothing better to do.
Getting the plug in required two tries. I didn't screw it far enough in the first time so was disappointed to see that it hadn't worked. You really have to work it in there. Second time, it was embedded, and I was elated that it actually held the pressure. However, since then, I get a low pressure warning on that tyre every few weeks so I know it didn't do a perfect job. It's no bother topping it up with my compressor though.
So, having had that experience and now with three kids to cart around, we've got Green Flag. They can sort it out next time
Ages ago, I'd bought the AUTOart tyre plugger kit at https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003VE0ZL6 so it seemed like a great time to try it out. About an hour and a bit and a lot of curses later I'd plugged it and could pump it up. It was bl**dy hard work. Getting the screw out first of all was tough. Had I been on the road with only the tools in the car, I would have been stuffed, but I had a garage worth of gadgets to use and eventually worked it loose.
If you attempt this, don't underestimate how much you need to ream the hole to get it wide enough for the plug. And that's really hard work too. I can't imagine trying to do this in bad weather and/or at night on the side a road in the middle of nowhere... and my puncture was fairly accessible being about half way across the tread. Had it been way over on the inside, it would have been that much harder. I more than once thanked my maker that I'd discovered this on my own driveway on a sunny day with nothing better to do.
Getting the plug in required two tries. I didn't screw it far enough in the first time so was disappointed to see that it hadn't worked. You really have to work it in there. Second time, it was embedded, and I was elated that it actually held the pressure. However, since then, I get a low pressure warning on that tyre every few weeks so I know it didn't do a perfect job. It's no bother topping it up with my compressor though.
So, having had that experience and now with three kids to cart around, we've got Green Flag. They can sort it out next time
I don’t know if I’m just unlucky, or if this car is particularly prone to picking up spiky debris from the road, but since my tyres now have more plugs than Wayne Rooneys fringe I thought I’d offer summary of pointers based on my experience.
So, heres some observations based on experiences of punctures in my Model 3;
If you plan on plugging a puncture then bear in mind that there is very little space in which to work on a wheel that’s still mounted to the car, especially at the rear, so be prepared to get filthy dirty and have to fart about moving the car into “exactly” the right position in order to get at the hole. Have a decent set of pliers and screwdriver in the car with which to lever out the offending article from your tyre since once they’re in they can be very difficult to pull back out. I found that removing the (aftermarket) mud flap was helpful.
If you have the luxury of a spare wheel, you’ll encounter other issues.
First time I tried jacking the car was to rotate the tyres. I used a sturdy scissor jack I’d bought to leave in the car for emergencies, but decided to give it a try to check it would actually work when the inevitable occurred. I found It was a) bloody hard to turn, and b) folded up like warm cheese when subjected to the full weight of one corner of the car. Back to the drawing board.
A sturdier scissor jack was procured, but whilst it was brawny enough, this too was a bit crap. This is a heavy car.
I now have a lightweight trolley jack in the car. However when the time of need occurred even this even this created problems. Once a jacking pad is inserted there is no room for the jack to fit underneath. Fortunately a sturdy socket set was in the car on this occasion and provided enough clearance once the car was driven on top of it.
So, I’m now carrying a socket set or some other sturdy box that I can drive a flat tyre onto to give me enough room to get the jack under the car.
Then there’s the spare wheel itself which brings its own issues of storage and restraint. It won’t go in the front boot as it’s too big. It won’t fit in the well in the boot without blocking the way for everything else. Left flat on the boot floor it slides around, breaks your eggs and squashes your hobnobs. I found the best bet is slide the cover back from over the well in the boot floor, put the spare on top of it and then use a slim ratchet strap hooked onto the hinge pins for the rear left seat back to strap it into the left side of the boot. The spare wheel robs a lot of space but this seems to maximise what space you have left over, and the middle of the spare is a handy place to stick charging cables etc…
…rght up to the time you first have to use it, and have to put a dripping wet filthy wheel and tyre in your boot, covering everything in crap and forever staining your boot carpet. Add a wheel cover to your shopping list.
So, In order not to leave yourself at the mercy of the Tesla man-in-a-van service, you need to fill this shopping list and find somewhere to stash it all.
A plug kit,
A jack,
A jack pad
A wheelbrace,
Pliers
Screwdrivers
A spare wheel
A cover for the spare wheel
A compressor
Ratchet strap
Something to kneel / lie on.
Gloves,
Cleaning wipes,
A large vocabulary of swear words.
No wonder Tesla never bothered to provide a spare.
So, heres some observations based on experiences of punctures in my Model 3;
If you plan on plugging a puncture then bear in mind that there is very little space in which to work on a wheel that’s still mounted to the car, especially at the rear, so be prepared to get filthy dirty and have to fart about moving the car into “exactly” the right position in order to get at the hole. Have a decent set of pliers and screwdriver in the car with which to lever out the offending article from your tyre since once they’re in they can be very difficult to pull back out. I found that removing the (aftermarket) mud flap was helpful.
If you have the luxury of a spare wheel, you’ll encounter other issues.
First time I tried jacking the car was to rotate the tyres. I used a sturdy scissor jack I’d bought to leave in the car for emergencies, but decided to give it a try to check it would actually work when the inevitable occurred. I found It was a) bloody hard to turn, and b) folded up like warm cheese when subjected to the full weight of one corner of the car. Back to the drawing board.
A sturdier scissor jack was procured, but whilst it was brawny enough, this too was a bit crap. This is a heavy car.
I now have a lightweight trolley jack in the car. However when the time of need occurred even this even this created problems. Once a jacking pad is inserted there is no room for the jack to fit underneath. Fortunately a sturdy socket set was in the car on this occasion and provided enough clearance once the car was driven on top of it.
So, I’m now carrying a socket set or some other sturdy box that I can drive a flat tyre onto to give me enough room to get the jack under the car.
Then there’s the spare wheel itself which brings its own issues of storage and restraint. It won’t go in the front boot as it’s too big. It won’t fit in the well in the boot without blocking the way for everything else. Left flat on the boot floor it slides around, breaks your eggs and squashes your hobnobs. I found the best bet is slide the cover back from over the well in the boot floor, put the spare on top of it and then use a slim ratchet strap hooked onto the hinge pins for the rear left seat back to strap it into the left side of the boot. The spare wheel robs a lot of space but this seems to maximise what space you have left over, and the middle of the spare is a handy place to stick charging cables etc…
…rght up to the time you first have to use it, and have to put a dripping wet filthy wheel and tyre in your boot, covering everything in crap and forever staining your boot carpet. Add a wheel cover to your shopping list.
So, In order not to leave yourself at the mercy of the Tesla man-in-a-van service, you need to fill this shopping list and find somewhere to stash it all.
A plug kit,
A jack,
A jack pad
A wheelbrace,
Pliers
Screwdrivers
A spare wheel
A cover for the spare wheel
A compressor
Ratchet strap
Something to kneel / lie on.
Gloves,
Cleaning wipes,
A large vocabulary of swear words.
No wonder Tesla never bothered to provide a spare.
kelvin 660
White SR+ with LFP battery
Simpler to have breakdown insurance, although I do carry a plug kit, pliers, screwdriver and thick gloves. I hope I'll never need to use them!
I'd feel your pain except I bought a Road Hero kit and supplemented it with a wedge. Swapping the punctured wheel for the space saver spare was about as fun-filled as any other car. At least it wasn't raining.
Nick77
Deep Blue Model 3 LR (2021 MIC)
Just double checked my 12v compressor that I bought two and a half years ago. It's only 10A continuous so looks like that's fine to use for topping the pressures up.
I have the full RAC package for flats when at home or away.
I have the full RAC package for flats when at home or away.
Its in the literature somewhere (Manual maybe) that tesla assistance is not a replacement for breakdown cover. To be fair, its not as good as what you get with other makes but then again these are subbed out to the likes of the AA, RAC etc hence its "full" cover but then again its generally no offered for the full warranty term.
Lesson learned here im afraid.
What’s the average wait time and cost of each event though? I’m on 6 punctures so far this year, so I imagine by now that I’d have exceeded my call-out quota for the year, spent about £1200 on tyres, and waited around at the roadside for around a day in total. I think Id rather suffer the lost boot space.
Why so many and how many miles do you do?
Might be worth getting your next tyre and paying for the tyre guarantee from here or similar next time
Guarantees – Tyre Guarantees | National
Click here to read about National Tyres guarantees as well as information regarding our range of comprehensive guarantees.
It must depend on which spare wheel kit, mine doesn't take up anywhere as much height. Plus the bag mine is in has velcro on one side so it doesn't slide about at all. All well thought out.
Can always still use the AA and tell them you have a spare. Then nothing to return and time of day is irrelevant.
I have done this with previous cars with no spare, always has worked out far better than any other option for me.
If anyone does go for a spare, make sure it's actually a space saver one.
Can always still use the AA and tell them you have a spare. Then nothing to return and time of day is irrelevant.
I have done this with previous cars with no spare, always has worked out far better than any other option for me.
If anyone does go for a spare, make sure it's actually a space saver one.
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