Model 3 has no spare tire

[tga]

All this handwringing about "can't patch a foam filled tire"...

You can plug a foam-lined tire with an external (temporary) plug, which will get you back to civilization to a competent tire shop (or Tesla SC, if you prefer).

If foam-filled tires are an issue, don't use them. You don't have to buy your (overpriced) tires from Tesla, nor do you have to use their officially sanctioned tire. IMHO, foam-lined tires are an overpriced gimmick. A little tire noise never hurt anyone...

 

[ODWms]

You need to read some of the horror stories in this thread. One hour is best case but usually you get towed to a service center.
Weight and space are good reasons and if their was some way that tow trucks could consistently have spares on hand it would be fine.
I carry a collapsible donut spare with me on road trips. It's from a Maserati which weighs just as much as a Model 3.

Daniel, would You mind saying which Maserati the donut you carry is from? I’d like to order that setup.

 

[dgpcolorado]

LOL - for the record it sits in my garage. I figure I’ll just have a family member bring it to me if I get somthing I can’t patch or limp home with. Otherwise it’s easy to swap in my garage and get to drive my car while I wait for a new tire or wheel to show up.

Tim

Much the same for me: living in a four seasons climate I have snow tires as spares. I tend to carry one on long road trips but otherwise they stay home. I also carry a jack, pump, plugging kit and other tools. I've plugged my Tesla tires in a store parking lot, a thousand miles from home, and on the side of a busy freeway, three hundred miles from home. As I mentioned earlier, you know you're going to have a bad day when you get out to check a TPMS warning and you hear hissing!

Not everyone drives only in cities with cell phone service and towing available. I'd rather self-rescue than wait for a tow anyway.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Daniel, would You mind saying which Maserati the donut you carry is from? I’d like to order that setup.

Model 3 has no spare tire

300zx has similar tire. No idea on bolt patterns or sizes. Can not recall.

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Joey T]

A silly donut works. How does a tow truck solve your problem? They often don't have a Tesla spare. Then when they tow you to a tire shop. They are either closed, or they don't have the correct replacement tire, or they won't work on patching your tire since it has foam. Better to be self-sufficient, particularly when you are on a road trip. You can't always rely upon others.

My experience: In 50 minutes, a tow truck showed up with a Tesla wheel and tire. They changed the wheel, and took mine to the Tesla center. I drove home. The next day I went to the service center where they told me the tire was unable to be repaired, so I got a new one. Amazing!

I am sure there are terrible experiences where people waited for hours. Those are the ones you are going to hear about.

 

[The_Observer]

My experience: In 50 minutes, a tow truck showed up with a Tesla wheel and tire. They changed the wheel, and took mine to the Tesla center. I drove home. The next day I went to the service center where they told me the tire was unable to be repaired, so I got a new one. Amazing!

I am sure there are terrible experiences where people waited for hours. Those are the ones you are going to hear about.

I have used Tesla Roadside and this was my similar experience as well.

But, I don't think you should discount the role of a spare tire. Sure, you are very much likely to get responsive help within the cities, but if you often to go remote places without cell signal, good luck. I often drive around mountain roads in Los Angeles where there are no cell signal at all, and you read that right, in a big city such as mine.

In such scenarios like this, good luck getting help, this could of hours of waiting. I would much rather replace it with a spare that will take maybe half an hour to an hour at absolute most, then drive back to civilization where I can go to a tire shop and get that fixed or replaced.

 

[ODWms]

I got a flat over the 4th of July weekend, hundreds of miles from home, when my wife and I were on our way out to dinner.

No worries; I had my trusty plug kit and air compressor in the trunk. We were back on the road in about 10-12 minutes, without a hitch in our dinner plans.

On a side note, it’s nice to know, after almost 30 years together, that my wife still thinks I’m a rock star!

 

[RSpanner]

Just made this for the Modernspare>>>>

 

[engineered]

I got a flat over the 4th of July weekend, hundreds of miles from home, when my wife and I were on our way out to dinner.

No worries; I had my trusty plug kit and air compressor in the trunk. We were back on the road in about 10-12 minutes, without a hitch in our dinner plans.

On a side note, it’s nice to know, after almost 30 years together, that my wife still thinks I’m a rock star!

That's what I have, but it can be a real pain to do on the side of the road. Also only works for small holes, not in the sidewall, and not for big blowouts at high speed where your tire can be torn up quickly.

Just made this for the Modernspare>>>>View attachment 721564View attachment 721565

Nice. It's just too bad Tesla didn't make room in the front for one of those deflated mini spares.

 

[RSpanner]

The Modernspare is pumped up, as you probably already know. The rack I made has space under for some storage...and I still have to buy the expensive wheel/tire combo from that company. A friend supplied his spare for the pic.

 

[Watts_Up]

Just made this for the Modernspare>>>>

Look very nice, and it will be certainly easy to slide the spare tire above the shelf.


Note: I would recommend to lower the rear part of the trunk.

I installed my BimmerZone (135 x 70 x 19 ) under the speaker shelf using strapes.

I removed the original hidden trunk cover and replaced it with a smaller one about 6 inches lower, at the same level than the trunk floor beams.

I have now 18" clerance, so can put vertically all the typical grocery bags instead to have to put them horizontally to be able to close the trunk.

 

[dgpcolorado]

That's what I have, but it can be a real pain to do on the side of the road. Also only works for small holes, not in the sidewall, and not for big blowouts at high speed where your tire can be torn up quickly...

While true, most holes really are small and in the tread. In most punctures I've had with my Tesla, I've been able to pump up the slow leak, get home, and plug the tire in my garage. The one I did on the side of a busy freeway — you know you're going to have a problem when you get out to check a TPMS warning and hear hissing! — I had to remove the (rear) tire to get a good angle on it and had to do it again at my next Supercharger stop because I didn't do a good job the first time. After that, the second plug held until the tire wore out.

However, a working TPMS system on tires in reasonably good condition makes tire-destroying blowouts much less likely than in the past. The one time I had that happen, I was driving an older car that predated TPMS. Had I known the tire was leaking I'd have stopped and fixed it before it was destroyed (smoke and lots of excitement, driving at freeway speeds).

Overall, the chance of a flat tire that can't be repaired by plugging is pretty low. Nevertheless, if it is a concern, carrying a spare can help with peace-of-mind. For long trips I sometimes carry one of my snow tires as a spare.

 

[stopcrazypp]

While true, most holes really are small and in the tread. In most punctures I've had with my Tesla, I've been able to pump up the slow leak, get home, and plug the tire in my garage. The one I did on the side of a busy freeway — you know you're going to have a problem when you get out to check a TPMS warning and hear hissing! — I had to remove the (rear) tire to get a good angle on it and had to do it again at my next Supercharger stop because I didn't do a good job the first time. After that, the second plug held until the tire wore out.

However, a working TPMS system on tires in reasonably good condition makes tire-destroying blowouts much less likely than in the past. The one time I had that happen, I was driving an older car that predated TPMS. Had I known the tire was leaking I'd have stopped and fixed it before it was destroyed (smoke and lots of excitement, driving at freeway speeds).

Overall, the chance of a flat tire that can't be repaired by plugging is pretty low. Nevertheless, if it is a concern, carrying a spare can help with peace-of-mind. For long trips I sometimes carry one of my snow tires as a spare.

Yeah, when I had a whole blowout it was in an older car without a TPMS and it just deflated too much before I noticed. With a TPMS, the same situation won't happen. It'll have to be pretty much sidewall damage and that is much more rare than a puncture on the tread. Currently I carry the same compressor, jack/tire iron, tire plug kit I had from my old car. I just bought some jack pads. Everything fits in the under trunk compartment with room to spare to fit the mobile connector, and two batteries from my security cameras.

 

[Jerry Z.]

I just bought a Model 3 and was pretty concerned about not having a spare. BUT.... my research tells me that the Model 3 default tire is the Continental ProContact RX. The "RX" means that it is a "Run Flat" tire (check the Continental Tires website). After even a complete blowout you should be able to drive the car up to 55 mph for 60 miles without ruining the car or the wheels.

​

 

[Timbo2]

I just bought a Model 3 and was pretty concerned about not having a spare. BUT.... my research tells me that the Model 3 default tire is the Continental ProContact RX. The "RX" means that it is a "Run Flat" tire (check the Continental Tires website). After even a complete blowout you should be able to drive the car up to 55 mph for 60 miles without ruining the car or the wheels.

​

I think, and I stress think , it's a typo on Continental's web site that's been picked up on some, but not many other tire sites.

As best I can tell Continental's code for run flats is "SSR" - Self Supporting Runflat - for example here:

Tire Rack

 

[MLXXXp]

my research tells me that the Model 3 default tire is the Continental ProContact RX.

My 2021 June delivered M3 LR came with Michelin Green X Primacy MXM4 T1 18" tires, which aren't run flat. Maybe the optional 19" tires are?

 

[stopcrazypp]

I just bought a Model 3 and was pretty concerned about not having a spare. BUT.... my research tells me that the Model 3 default tire is the Continental ProContact RX. The "RX" means that it is a "Run Flat" tire (check the Continental Tires website). After even a complete blowout you should be able to drive the car up to 55 mph for 60 miles without ruining the car or the wheels.

​

I'm not aware of any Tesla's that come with Runflats from factory. They do typically have foam however (like Contisilent). My 2021 Model 3 SR+ with standard 18" wheels came with Michelin Primacy MXM4 T1, which has foam but definitely is not run flat. More discussion of that tire here:

New T1 Primacy MXM4 tire

 

[tga]

I'm not aware of any Tesla's that come with Runflats from factory. They do typically have foam however (like Contisilent). My 2021 Model 3 SR+ with standard 18" wheels came with Michelin Primacy MXM4 T1, which has foam but definitely is not run flat. More discussion of that tire here:

New T1 Primacy MXM4 tire

To be clear, foam is just for sound deadening (*cough* gimmick *cough*) and has no structural support/runflat qualities.

 

[rpiotro]

I just bought a Model 3 and was pretty concerned about not having a spare. BUT.... my research tells me that the Model 3 default tire is the Continental ProContact RX. The "RX" means that it is a "Run Flat" tire (check the Continental Tires website). After even a complete blowout you should be able to drive the car up to 55 mph for 60 miles without ruining the car or the wheels.

​

First off, I want to say a word about OEM tires. In spite of having the same make and model the OEM tires are not the same as what you buy at a tire store. There often are tweaks made to reduce costs or to address a concern by the manufacturer. My experience is that almost all OEM tires are crap. I have had only one exception so far and my Tesla may be number two. We'll see.

Back to your statement that those are run flats in unfortunately untrue. My son has a model Y that was delivered in February. I asked him about this. Here is the exchange.

 

[TBrownTX]

First off, I want to say a word about OEM tires. In spite of having the same make and model the OEM tires are not the same as what you buy at a tire store. There often are tweaks made to reduce costs or to address a concern by the manufacturer. My experience is that almost all OEM tires are crap.

Agree with this 100% - OEM tires always wear much faster it seems, at least in my years of experience. Run flats (have them on my Caddy) are also complete crap. Noisy, bumpy, hard to repair things not worth the extra piece of mind at all. Stay away!

Tim