Lifting the 3

[Birdman325]

I haven’t paid very much attention to all the threads about jack points on the model 3, how to lift it properly etc
I typically have the tire guys change over my winter to summers etc in the driveway.
Unfortunately, my left driver’s side 18” winter tire seems to have a slow leak. There is a lot of construction on my street so I’m pretty sure it’s a nail.
I’m planning on taking the car over to my local Goodyear garage to see if they can patch it (I have been taking other cars there for years) and while I will ask them if they know how to properly lift a 3, (apologies if this is an embarrassing question) would it be helpful for me to bring a hockey puck? Or do you really need a hockey puck with a dowel?
Or should I just not bother and ask them if they know how and see what they say? thx

 

[PoitNarf]

Definitely check with them if they’ve serviced other Model 3s before. The model is still new enough that some tire shops may not be aware of the proper jack points to put the car on a lift. If they know how to handle a Model 3 they should have the correct stuff to lift it correctly. I’ll probably have to bring my 3 in soon for tire replacement and will absolutely be verifying with the staff at my local tire place that they know how to work on a Model 3 without damaging it.

A bit off topic, but I still can’t believe the OEM Michelin tires need replacement after around 26K miles...

 

[Birdman325]

Thx. I read a bunch of posts ( which I should have done before posting) and I printed out the lifting page from the manual (page 178).

I also remember reading somewhere that “conventional patching” may not always work so well on these tires with the foam inserts.

lots of questions....taking it in tomorrow morning.

 

[Chisale]

I would recommend printing off and taking in that page from the M3 owners manual that shows how to lift the car. That being said, if it's a well respected shop that specializes in tires it shouldn't be a problem. They should easily be able to handle it without you taking in special pucks or your own equipment. If they read that page from the manual it is self explanatory and most tire places have those lifts with slidable pads that can be positioned precisely. But like I said, stick to the legit garages. No quick lube places that only want to do oil changes.

 

[Petermcg]

Thx. I read a bunch of posts ( which I should have done before posting) and I printed out the lifting page from the manual (page 178).

I also remember reading somewhere that “conventional patching” may not always work so well on these tires with the foam inserts.

lots of questions....taking it in tomorrow morning.

Conventional patching works just fine with these tires, though some tire stores balk at dealing with foam tires. It’s the spray foam sealant that has problems.

 

[Birdman325]

All helpful - thx. (And I printed off the page).

 

[ellett]

I had a roofing nail in my front passenger tire of my Model 3 within the first month. Big O Tires turned out to be a great place to take the car. Their lifts are big flat plates that slide in on both sides of the car, so the entire frame is lifted and the batteries aren't touched.

They also knew a lot about the tires and the foam inserts, and the fix involved them cutting out about a quarter-sized hole in the insert so they could properly patch the hole from the inside. I got into a great conversation with the manager and he said that he's had several model 3s come in somewhere between 20-30K miles with the tire tread worn down and the tires needing replacement. If I get less than 30K mileage on my Michelins, I'm going to have some serious words with the manufacturer.

 

[Birdman325]

Just to close the loop, took the car to my local Goodyear shop in Toronto (North York) - they were very familiar with Teslas and have lifted lots and lots of them. Knew how to handle the key card etc. Roofing nail dead centre in the rear driver tire. They patched it and I was ready to go in about 30 minutes. All good.

 

[jkoya]

Glad it worked out !!

 

[dendenyc]

Take your pucks with you...I've had a few nails on the 3, none of the shops I took it to had there own pucks or any idea how to patch under the foam, (which looks like this)..all they have to do is pull it away, patch under it and glue it back down.

 

[Franz20]

Hello,
I'm wondering if it is safe to put one "candle" like this one (on pic) under the wheel somewhere ? On the "triangle" ?

I have a hydrolic jack to lift up the side of the car and i'd like to use 2 of theses "candle" to keep the car lifter for some calipers painting.
What do you think ?

 

[Silver Ghost]

Hello,
I'm wondering if it is safe to put one "candle" like this one (on pic) under the wheel somewhere ? On the "triangle" ?

I have a hydrolic jack to lift up the side of the car and i'd like to use 2 of theses "candle" to keep the car lifter for some calipers painting.
What do you think ?

I have done - for emergencies- and pray a lot when I do this. Putting pressure on one side is usually not a good idea but beats spending 3 hrs - for a flat repair.