Model 3 Aero Cover Kept Popping Off --- Root Cause Discovered and Fixed!

[jsmay311]

After I swapped out my winter wheel set a few months ago on my 2018 Model 3 with 18" aero wheels, all of the sudden one of the aero covers didn't want to stay fully seated on the wheel. It was difficult to reinstall initially, and then afterward it kept partially popping off the wheel during drives.

After much fiddling, inspecting, and cursing at said aero cover, I think I found the root cause: One of the metal inserts on one of the clips that holds the cover to the wheel was not seated properly.

By luck, I had a video going when I discovered the root cause. (Video summary: At the beginning, the video shows my difficulty with getting the cover installed -- it just didn't want to stay fully on. Then later I discover and show the metal insert that was the culprit, fix it, and then the cover goes on easy-peasy at the end. I didn't do any editing, so it's just 2+ minutes of me working through it.)

Here are some screenshots of the metal insert...

Here's how it's supposed to look:

And here's the mispositioned insert that was causing all the trouble:

Hopefully this post helps someone that runs into a similar issue.

 

[Happy Hippo]

Do you know where you get those metal clips from? One of my wheel covers is missing it and I have to wait another month to get it. I rather just buy one. if you have any suggestions let me know!

 

[jsmay311]

Do you know where you get those metal clips from? One of my wheel covers is missing it and I have to wait another month to get it. I rather just buy one. if you have any suggestions let me know!

What do you mean by “I have to wait another month to get it“?

Is “it” a single new clip that Tesla is going to get for you in a month’s time? Or is it an entire new wheel cover?

I would not have guessed that the clips themselves are a serviceable part. But if they are, I highly doubt you could get one from anyone other than Tesla.

 

[Happy Hippo]

What do you mean by “I have to wait another month to get it“?

Is “it” a single new clip that Tesla is going to get for you in a month’s time? Or is it an entire new wheel cover?

I would not have guessed that the clips themselves are a serviceable part. But if they are, I highly doubt you could get one from anyone other than Tesla.

So I purchased non OEM wheel covers out of the country and the one wheel cover is missing the metal clip.

 

[Linkrad]

First, this issue deserves a stand-alone sticky thread!. Need to gather responses together. Somewhere else is a note that lubricating the center ring helps. It does! I used Lubriplate. Although the cover seemed to seat better, it refused to seat, unti I lay down on the floor and pushed with both feet. Only then did I hear a scraaaatchy sound, the cover hub slid inward and the outer edge sealed up at the wheel rim perfectly. Do not use a hammer on the center: you will just mess up the fnish!
It takes a LOT of pressure to seat the center hub. Only then will the the rock-a-bye hub stuff cease.

 

[jsmay311]

First, this issue deserves a stand-alone sticky thread!. Need to gather responses together. Somewhere else is a note that lubricating the center ring helps. It does! I used Lubriplate. Although the cover seemed to seat better, it refused to seat, unti I lay down on the floor and pushed with both feet. Only then did I hear a scraaaatchy sound, the cover hub slid inward and the outer edge sealed up at the wheel rim perfectly. Do not use a hammer on the center: you will just mess up the fnish!
It takes a LOT of pressure to seat the center hub. Only then will the the rock-a-bye hub stuff cease.

That doesn’t sound right. I’ve never run into any issue like the one you described with the center ring.

Is it possible you tried putting a new style cover on an old style wheel (or vice versa)? Or something with the cover was bent or damaged?

 

[Resist]

I've had one of those pop off before, so whenever I'd take off the covers I'd look at them more closely. But in case anyone is wondering, the metal clips don't touch the wheels, they just keep the plastic firmly apart so they stay snug on the wheel.

 

[whsbuss]

I put in a service request for my new Y. Only one of my wheels have a problem and they should fix it. If I break it I have to pay for it. Coming next week.

 

[Resist]

I put in a service request for my new Y. Only one of my wheels have a problem and they should fix it. If I break it I have to pay for it. Coming next week.

Probably just one of the metal clips came off. That happened to me before. Those clips don't touch the rim they just keeps tension on the plastic so they stay attached to the rim. I'd just pop off the cover and see if the clip is still there because you may have lost it. If it is there you can and it's unattached at one end, you can spread it apart and reattach it. It's a very easy thing to do. But if the metal clip is missing then I'd keep the cover off until Tesla can replace it or you might lose the whole thing while driving.