Model 3 has no spare tire

[T34ME]

From what I hear, u guys don't have running electricity over there yet.

Electricity? We don't even have running water here yet, unless you call the pathetic, freakin downpour here today "running water"! (it sprinkled for 10 minutes)

How do u charge ur car? Do u have a coal-powered turbine in ur backyard that does the job?

Simple Buttercup, I "borrowed" a bicycle from the front of Rite-Aid and I just hooked it up to the 3MR battery pack and just peddle like crazy. I'm able to add 3 miles of range in a...................week of constant peddling! Simple is as simple does!

I wonder which one'll get there first, the city bringing u running electricity or Tesla bringing u new tires

I don't expect either one of them to get here anytime soon because I'm in the middle of somewhere. Everybody knows where the middle of nowhere is (Los Angeles) but nobody knows where the middle of somewhere is.

 

[ohmman]

mod note: I've moved some posts away because people aren't being nice. I'd like if we treated this thread as if we're face to face. That way we'd maybe interact like we respect each other. But I'm just an early hominid, what do I know?

 

[Daniel in SD]

Regardless of how you do it, you still need to go to the service center and wait around while they patch or replace it (or come back later).

Flats are something I've had to deal with ever increasing intervals (meaning I hardly ever get a flat anymore) now that I don't let my tires get low on air, avoid debris on the road, refuse to run tires with low profile sidewalls and always buy high quality shoes for my car. I think the last time I had a flat was 1997. And to think that for the first 5 years of the last 21 years I was driving around with a full-sized spare everywhere i went. What a waste.

So, if I get a flat I'll just call for assistance and deal with it. It's not like it happens every other year! And with a tire pressure monitoring system, if I pick up a nail or screw, chances are I'll know about it before it's too flat to drive to a gas station.

Not really. I would just go home put on my second set of tires (I’ve got the original Aeros and a summer set). Then I would either get the tire patched or order matching used tire with the right amount of wear. Drop it off at a tire store to get mounted and balanced. Generally I don’t want anyone touching my car. I must come off as an old fogie but I’m only 40! I’ve never owned a bias ply tire but I know that tires are way better than they used to be.
To be honest I think I’ve only gotten a couple flats in my life. Both times I put the spare on and got the tire plugged at discount tire for free. Seems way easier than Tesla’s system.

 

[Daniel in SD]

mod note: I've moved some posts away because people aren't being nice. I'd like if we treated this thread as if we're face to face. That way we'd maybe interact like we respect each other. But I'm just an early hominid, what do I know?

You removed my post that I thought was clearly sarcasm. Haha. Poe’s law in actions?
Poe's law - Wikipedia

 

[T34ME]

You removed my post that I thought was clearly sarcasm. Haha. Poe’s law in actions?
Poe's law - Wikipedia

Very interesting, first time hearing about this and very true. Some people get it and some don't. Off to 'snippiness" I go. WHEEEEEEE! (adding a smilie to denote irony)

 

[ohmman]

You removed my post that I thought was clearly sarcasm. Haha. Poe’s law in actions?
Poe's law - Wikipedia

Very interesting, first time hearing about this and very true. Some people get it and some don't. Off to 'snippiness" I go. WHEEEEEEE! (adding a smilie to denote irony)

When a post quotes another post that has been moved away, that post also has to be moved due to lost context. Often times the post is not snippy. I try to mention this frequently. But, some get it, and some don’t.

That was the case with the post from @Daniel in SD.

 

[Takumi]

In contrast, ever since we've owned our S, I've had to change tires thrice due to a flat. Yes, those cars had spares and I had to drive there because they (family) didn't keep compressors in the car. Then I told them to take the flat tire to discount tire.

As for the OP, how long have you had that car? If you didn't check for spares, who's to say it would be okay when you needed it? Spares are not immune to flats as well even if they're new and never been used.

 

[Mara]

That's correct - the Model 3 has NO spare tire. We had a bad experience that eventually turned good. Caught a nail in a tire, called Tesla, they were no help as their only service center was 200 miles away. Next we called AAA, they said they needed a special part before they could give help us. Then they said they could give us a tow, but needed a special tow truck, and that they'd get that part and then get to us. We waited 4 hours. Third, we called AAA again, asked whether they could just inflate our tire enough for us to travel the very short distance to a tire store. They did. Once we got to American Tire, they were quick, efficient, and said Tesla is by the far the easiest car for them to work on. The nail happened to be an area of the tire that made it impossible to repair, so we had to get a new tire for our one-month old car. Meanwhile, we ordered a Jack Point and will keep it in the car hence forward, since AAA road service does not carry them in their tow trucks. Live and learn. And ultimately, happy ending.

 

[Daniel in SD]

That's correct - the Model 3 has NO spare tire. We had a bad experience that eventually turned good. Caught a nail in a tire, called Tesla, they were no help as their only service center was 200 miles away. Next we called AAA, they said they needed a special part before they could give help us. Then they said they could give us a tow, but needed a special tow truck, and that they'd get that part and then get to us. We waited 4 hours. Third, we called AAA again, asked whether they could just inflate our tire enough for us to travel the very short distance to a tire store. They did. Once we got to American Tire, they were quick, efficient, and said Tesla is by the far the easiest car for them to work on. The nail happened to be an area of the tire that made it impossible to repair, so we had to get a new tire for our one-month old car. Meanwhile, we ordered a Jack Point and will keep it in the car hence forward, since AAA road service does not carry them in their tow trucks. Live and learn. And ultimately, happy ending.View attachment 375357

I suppose your experience could have been worse... I guess a less than 24 hour turn around time for a flat tire is good these days?
Good to maintain a positive attitude I guess

 

[EVnut]

and said Tesla is by the far the easiest car for them to work on.

I'm glad that all worked out well for you in the end. But I am curious about this bit. Tesla wheels and tires are not meaningfully different from those of any other car. What would make a Tesla so much "easier" for tire work? Car is lifted, nuts are removed, wheel lifted off. Tire machine removes. Reverse procedure. Same as any other car, yes?

 

[Daniel in SD]

I'm glad that all worked out well for you in the end. But I am curious about this bit. Tesla wheels and tires are not meaningfully different from those of any other car. What would make a Tesla so much "easier" for tire work? Car is lifted, nuts are removed, wheel lifted off. Tire machine removes. Reverse procedure. Same as any other car, yes?

I was also wondering about this. A car with only 4 lug nuts, no hubcaps, 80ft-lb torque spec, lighter wheels and easier jack points would be easier to work on. It might save a whole minute of work vs. a Tesla! haha.

 

[Impactwrench]

Nope, that's it. I'm going to return the best freakin car I ever owned! Tesla never told me the model 3 doesn't come with a spare tire. It is Tesla's fault and I want a full refund. Yep, pretty pathetic.



Nope, I'm not going to change a simple flat tie in the pouring rain (which in SoCal that means it is sprinkling ) even if my car has a spare tire included. That's why I pay for Geico roadside service, so they can change my included spare tire in Los Angeles pouring rain. It is just freakin pathetic that anyone would want to change their own feakin pathetic spare tire in the simple freakin pouring rain.

Thanks for your post. I was starting to think I was the only conservative to own a Tesla. Do research before you buy a car. Most are going with runflats. Thank your Goverment for Cafe standards which compel cars to be light. Hard to believe Tesla didn’t drop everything yhey were doing to come change your tire. You sure it was raining or was it snowflakes?

 

[Daniel in SD]

Thanks for your post. I was starting to think I was the only conservative to own a Tesla. Do research before you buy a car. Most are going with runflats. Thank your Goverment for Cafe standards which compel cars to be light. Hard to believe Tesla didn’t drop everything yhey were doing to come change your tire. You sure it was raining or was it snowflakes?

Teslas are not subject to CAFE...

 

[EVnut]

Thanks for your post. I was starting to think I was the only conservative to own a Tesla. Do research before you buy a car. Most are going with runflats. Thank your Goverment for Cafe standards which compel cars to be light. Hard to believe Tesla didn’t drop everything yhey were doing to come change your tire. You sure it was raining or was it snowflakes?

This is either terrifying or hilarious. I have no idea which.

And... Tesla has not tried to make their cars as light as possible due to CAFE standards. Nor even for Cafe standards.

 

[kbecks13]

From what I hear, u guys don't have running electricity over there yet. How do u charge ur car? Do u have a coal-powered turbine in ur backyard that does the job? I wonder which one'll get there first, the city bringing u running electricity or Tesla bringing u new tires

My favorite part about this comment is how most of California's solar energy comes from Inland Empire

 

[StealthP3D]

This is either terrifying or hilarious. I have no idea which.

And... Tesla has not tried to make their cars as light as possible due to CAFE standards. Nor even for Cafe standards.

Yeah, more and more modern cars don't have spares - they are becoming a relic of the past, just like curb feelers (too young to remember those?), hand crank starters (last car I had with one of those was a 1969 MY), tail fins and cigarette/cigar ashtrays.

Personally speaking, flat tires are rare enough these days I'll take my chances rather than pay for and haul around 50 lbs. of dead weight. Most of my trips are within a 1 hour radius of home anyway. And if I'm on a road trip I can afford to be delayed a few hours while I get it repaired.

 

[goldengate]

Can someone please link to a jack point on Amazon that is compatible with the model 3? Looks like this one may work? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GHGM9BP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My BMW had no spare but did have run flats.... which allowed me to drive on a punctured tire to a service center or, preferably, home. I
Now my range anxiety has been replaced with flat anxiety.. isn't there a blue pill for that?

 

[kbecks13]

Can someone please link to a jack point on Amazon that is compatible with the model 3?

Harbor freight racing jack is lightweight/semi-compact and has a flat jack pad so you can lift a Model 3 without any adapters.

 

[T34ME]

My favorite part about this comment is how most of California's solar energy comes from Inland Empire

Not to mention wind power in the Morongo Pass along I-10.

 

[rharrack]

I also was a casualty of a hog nail in my model 3 tire....luckily it was not far from home.. spent 40 min waiting for Tesla service to answer the phone on a Sunday afternoon. I finally gave up and took matters into my own hands. Went to the local Lowe’s and purchased a tire repair kit... rotated the car tire until I saw the nail and can repair.... and it worked great!!!
With this experience I decided to take matters into my own hands...
1. Purchased a spare tire/rim from discount tires... also for the road hazard package for all 4 Tesla tires
2. Purchased the jack point adapter
3. Purchased a portable power pack with air compressor from amazon
4. Purchased a 21mm lug/ extendable breaker bar from amazon
5. Now I’m on the quest of looking for a lightweight portable jack which will store easily and work for the model3...
In the end this is peace of mind... I don’t always keep the Tesla spare in my trunk it is only for emergencies/long trips... in all my years of having a spare tire in a traditional car... I hardly ever used it!!!...just my 2 cents.