Model 3 has no spare tire

[Daniel in SD]

I also have another rant to add. I’m FINALLY at the Tesla Service Center to pickup the car and there are several people waiting in line to do whatever they need to do. This is definitely the worst experience I’ve had dealing w a ridiculously simple flat tire. I can’t believe how so many of you are defending this sort of service and treatment. I’ve never experienced something like this w Mercedes and Tesla is trying to compete in the same category. Obviously, w so many of you defending this sort of treatment, they will never change their ways and this will become the norm.

It boggles the mind that people think it's ok to have a flat tire require a trip to the service center and more than 4 hours of your time. But yeah I wouldn't expect Tesla to change. They seem completely incapable of stocking parts.

 

[alt7070]

I've heard that you can plug a leak in both front & rear tires w/o jacking up the car. It seems like this is possible (although awkward if it's the rear wheel close to the centerline of the car). Any feedback? I'm thinking of getting the Porsche scissor jack mentioned in another thread if necessary, but haven't pulled the trigger... TIA.

 

[Dana1]

I've heard that you can plug a leak in both front & rear tires w/o jacking up the car. It seems like this is possible (although awkward if it's the rear wheel close to the centerline of the car). Any feedback? I'm thinking of getting the Porsche scissor jack mentioned in another thread if necessary, but haven't pulled the trigger... TIA.

Yeah, you squeeze the goo in, it should seek the hole. Inflate with air compressor. It’s a very temp fix just to get to tire shop, home, SC, whatever.

 

[Glamisduner]

Yeah, you squeeze the goo in, it should seek the hole. Inflate with air compressor. It’s a very temp fix just to get to tire shop, home, SC, whatever.

Does slime work with the foam in the tires?

 

[YisSerL]

They gave me 2 spare tires when I pick up the car at delivery. I must have yours?

 

[alt7070]

Yeah, you squeeze the goo in, it should seek the hole. Inflate with air compressor. It’s a very temp fix just to get to tire shop, home, SC, whatever.

Sorry, should have mentioned I have a plug kit (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G252DCC). My main concern is accessing the leak with the tools. For the fronts, I figure I can roll forward and steer appropriately to expose it, but for the back, it will require some stretching. I'll probably do a dry run to see how bad it is and buy a scissor jack if necessary.

Does slime work with the foam in the tires?

I've heard that they don't work well with tires that have noise reducing foam -- even though Tesla sells a compressor with "slime" in it. Looks like it may ruin the tire? I personally wouldn't use it.

 

[EVnut]

Does slime work with the foam in the tires?

Yeah, I've heard some bad reports. Thinking through the process needed for the goo to work, I have to imagine that the foam is in the way.

 

[T34ME]

I’m female and manage to change flats...

Hot -diggity, we got us a winner here!

 

[T34ME]

Also, I wasn't stranded or anything. After 2 hours of waiting, we took an Uber down the street, ate, then went home and got the other car. By the time we went back, the tow truck had finally arrived.

So what's the big deal? How old are you?

 

[Glamisduner]

After my flat, and despite getting good service. I decided to buy a second VIAIR 88P (I keep one in my UTV too), A bag for it, some LED flares, Some Slime Rubber Cement (it dries up once you open the bottle to plug a tire), and some more needle nose to pull nails and to keep in the car.

$150 later damn....

 

[Atari2600]

I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E635PGA
DEWALT 20-Volt MAX Cordless Inflator with 1.5Ah Battery Included-DCC020IBP - The Home Depot

The digital air cutoff is great and does a good job setting my tires at the same pressure. Regarding the kit just make sure it has good pliers in addition to the plugs or you will be very sad when you need to pull a nail or screw out. I have plugged 3 tires over the years and never took the wheel off so I know it can work.

 

[Trevor B]

So what's the big deal? How old are you?

Indeed. He comes off as an overly pompous and entitled whiner.

I also have another rant to add. I’m FINALLY at the Tesla Service Center to pickup the car and there are several people waiting in line to do whatever they need to do. This is definitely the worst experience I’ve had dealing w a ridiculously simple flat tire. I can’t believe how so many of you are defending this sort of service and treatment. I’ve never experienced something like this w Mercedes and Tesla is trying to compete in the same category. Obviously, w so many of you defending this sort of treatment, they will never change their ways and this will become the norm.

And yet Tesla is outselling Mercedes ...

The rant was for -

A - Tesla not having a spare tire
B - Waiting 3.5 hours for them to get to me right down the street from their CEO’s house
C - For Tesla not being prepared to deal w a super basic flat tire
D - Them having to tow my car overnight.
E - Having to summarize everything, cuz u don’t know how to read.
F - Having to deal w ppl like u cuz u don’t know how to change ur own flat tire so manufacturers decided not to provide spares.

There u go. I hope u’re satisfied.

It's not like you were in the middle of nowhere ... get a life and move on.

 

[Glamisduner]

I have:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E635PGA
DEWALT 20-Volt MAX Cordless Inflator with 1.5Ah Battery Included-DCC020IBP - The Home Depot

The digital air cutoff is great and does a good job setting my tires at the same pressure. Regarding the kit just make sure it has good pliers in addition to the plugs or you will be very sad when you need to pull a nail or screw out. I have plugged 3 tires over the years and never took the wheel off so I know it can work.

That's a fancy tire kit, no rubber cement though? The 88P does not auto shut off like others but gets the job done quickly... While cig plug or battery operated are easier, I hate poping fusing or having issues with cigarette plugs and don't trust myself to keep the batteries charged. On the downside I'd have to connect it to the 12v battery though, but the hose is pretty dang long.

 

[Atari2600]

That's a fancy tire kit, no rubber cement though? The 88P does not auto shut off like others but gets the job done quickly... While cig plug or battery operated are easier, I hate poping fusing or having issues with cigarette plugs and don't trust myself to keep the batteries charged. On the downside I'd have to connect it to the 12v battery though, but the hose is pretty dang long.

I have never had a leak without the rubber cement, whatever is on those strips seems to work. edit: and some of these tires I kept for years after plugging them.

The air compressor has three power sources

• 3 power sources for inflation on a jobsite and on the go (20-Volt MAX battery, 12-Volt DC or 110-Volt AC)

I have two batteries I keep in a lipo bag because I hate cords that much. I bought all my Dewalt tools when they had a get a tool get a free battery sale so I own way too many batteries.

 

[Daniel in SD]

And yet Tesla is outselling Mercedes ...

Mercedes sold more than 2 million vehicles last year. This forum has more fake news than Facebook.

 

[Trevor B]

Mercedes sold more than 2 million vehicles last year. This forum has more fake news than Facebook.

Tesla's Model 3 was the best-selling luxury car of 2018

 

[Daniel in SD]

* in the US, not worldwide
Also Mercedes sells a ridiculous number of vehicles built on the same platform that count as different models. People are cross shopping the Model 3 with a big variety of vehicles because it’s the best EV.

The point is that if you’re not going to include a spare which you can change in 10 minutes then you better have a system better than Tesla’s current system. I’m 99% sure that if I go in to a Tesla showroom and ask about the lack of spare they’ll say it’s no problem because roadside assistance will bring you one. They won’t say you’ll have to wait 3.5 hours to get your car towed and then be out of a car for day and then waste your time at a service center.

 

[jumper4000]

* in the US, not worldwide
Also Mercedes sells a ridiculous number of vehicles built on the same platform that count as different models. People are cross shopping the Model 3 with a big variety of vehicles because it’s the best EV.

The point is that if you’re not going to include a spare which you can change in 10 minutes then you better have a system better than Tesla’s current system. I’m 99% sure that if I go in to a Tesla showroom and ask about the lack of spare they’ll say it’s no problem because roadside assistance will bring you one. They won’t say you’ll have to wait 3.5 hours to get your car towed and then be out of a car for day and then waste your time at a service center.

THANK YOU! Exactly! All these people saying I'm acting entitled because I'm complaining about waiting for 3.5 hrs for them to get to me, and then having my car towed overnight, and then having to Uber to work, and dealing with all sorts of nonsense, all because of an insanely common issue like a flat tire, are working against their own interest. By saying this sort of service is acceptable, they're enabling Tesla to behave even worse. If you're going to take the spare tire away, then ur alternative solution should at least be somewhat comparable. I was close to home, so it didn't turn out to be too horrible, but if you're far away and something like this happens, you're totally screwed.

By the way, maybe some of you guys that are super active here know Teslas don't have spares, but I asked three other people at work today who've had their Teslas MUCH longer than I have, and 2 of them had no idea their cars have no spare. The other person thought the car has run-flat tires, which it obviously doesn't.

 

[jumper4000]

Indeed. He comes off as an overly pompous and entitled whiner.



And yet Tesla is outselling Mercedes ...



It's not like you were in the middle of nowhere ... get a life and move on.

Caaaaalm down, princess. What if I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, and what if you were, and what if someone's wife, kid, or mother was?? It's ridiculous that you and some other people think it's acceptable to wait 3.5 hrs for Tesla to get to you and then be without a car for almost 24 hours over a measly flat tire. According to yourself, this is supposed to be a luxury car (barely). What kind of ridiculous service is that for a luxury car? I'm sure even if I rented one of those little scooters off the corner of a street and got stranded somewhere, they'd get to me faster than Tesla.

 

[chronopc]

Is there anything those do, that a $4 hockey puck couldn't do?

What is the diameter/depth of the hole? For an extra $9, you can screw these on to the pucks.

https://smile.amazon.com/Pack-Rubber-Screw-Bumpers-Cabinets/dp/B07GBFD3SH/

With your comment and now this youtube video guide I feel like I'm obligated to just make my own.