Model S: No Spare Tire

[K-MTG]

In theory the tire loaner program is great but unfortunately my technician wasn't very experienced

 

[Skotty]

Another important note, be knowledgable about how towing works, as the tow truck drivers sometimes are not, and aren't sure how to deal with a Tesla. For my flat, there was no need for tow mode. Despite the flat tire, it's not a big deal to drive the car up the flat bed with a flat. Then put it in park. Once secured, we used the option to power off the car (powering off prevents things like auto-present flashing lights and doing other obnoxious things while being towed).

I think tow mode is only really needed if the car has to be dragged somewhere. I need to read up on the instructions myself. Don't quote me on this, but I think it allows the car to remain in neutral and disables certain safeguards like checking for someone's butt in the seat.

 

[cgiGuy]

Got a flat and it was a "pop" with fast deflation so I knew fix-a-flat was not going to do anything.

Tesla has an agreement with some local roadside assistance places and they give them loaner wheels to provide to customers. So, it took about 1.5 hours (right at rush hour traffic) but a truck showed up and he swapped out my flat with a loaner wheel and then took my wheel to the service center.

I have no complaints about a lack of a spare whatsoever with this company.

This is in CA. YMMV.

 

[Manzacoty]

I do a tire repair kit and a 12v compressor. I don't mind not having a spare. In the rare event I have a flat that I can't repair- I'll just get it towed. I have insurance anyways so I don't stay awake at night thinking of it. Would rather have the space and reduced wait anyways.

 

[Tangible]

Having a spare means carting it around for years, paying for the energy and losing the storage space. When it comes time to use it, if ever, it means exposing yourself to possibly dangerous conditions leading to injury or death.

Tesla made the right call here. I only fault them for not including the inflation and plug kit as basic equipment instead of calling it an accessory.

 

[Skotty]

Having a spare means carting it around for years, paying for the energy and losing the storage space. When it comes time to use it, if ever, it means exposing yourself to possibly dangerous conditions leading to injury or death..

Same can be said for airbags.

Oh, snap!

Okay, that's not quite fair. Despite some rare cases of airbags causing injury, and the danger they pose to children, they are generally considered to add safety. But still, point is, just because you don't normally use it is not necessarily reason enough to eliminate it for many folks.

 

[TexLaw]

Same can be said for airbags.

Oh, snap!

Okay, that's not quite fair. Despite some rare cases of airbags causing injury, and the danger they pose to children, they are generally considered to add safety. But still, point is, just because you don't normally use it is not necessarily reason enough to eliminate it for many folks.

They didn't eliminate the possibility of a spare tire. They just aren't providing it any longer. If someone wants to carry around a spare tire and associated tools, there's room. They can go bananas.

 

[johnnyS]

If you are in Los Angeles or San Francisco I understand the lack of concern about not having a spare. However, what if you are in a remote place on a road trip and you have a blow out in Wyoming. I bet there are no 21" Continentals in the entire state of Wyoming. So it means getting a flat bed to take you to the nearest town with a tire shop and getting a tire overnight by Fed Ex if it is a weekday. By having a spare I can call AAA and get them to change it for me and be on my way. I had 4 flats in 4 years in my model S--two were on a roadtrip.

 

[kort677]

If you are in Los Angeles or San Francisco I understand the lack of concern about not having a spare. However, what if you are in a remote place on a road trip and you have a blow out in Wyoming. I bet there are no 21" Continentals in the entire state of Wyoming. So it means getting a flat bed to take you to the nearest town with a tire shop and getting a tire overnight by Fed Ex if it is a weekday. By having a spare I can call AAA and get them to change it for me and be on my way. I had 4 flats in 4 years in my model S--two were on a roadtrip.

I purchased a full sized spare for trips when I know that I'll be far from being able to get a replacement tire. I only load it when I know I be in places way off the map.

 

[TR5642]

Honestly, there must be better roads in other parts of the country, as I tend to get about 1 flat every year. Just had an unfixable flat on my P85 two weeks ago. Before that, in the last few years, I've had 2 flats on my Chevy Volt, and 2 on my Ford Escape as well.

A couple of ideas. I'd have links, but I'm away from home, so I will have to come back later to add the links.

First -- spare tire options. Of course, you can try to get a full size spare off of someone else who has replaced his or her wheels and tires, or just buy a new one out right to keep at home or in the car. There are also some compact spares that will work. One in particular from a BMW outlet, and they note right on their web page that a lot of Tesla drivers use it as a spare. I believe it's a perfect fit and appropriate circumference, though you should also buy the hub ring (I think it's called) which they make note of for Tesla drivers right on the page. They also sell a tote for it, which is nice. It will fit in older style frunks, if you are hoping for a frunkable spare.

Second -- portable jacks. Sorry, I have nothing useful to share on this. Need to do some research.

Third -- home jacks and jack stands. Just about any floor jack will do, but I highly advise you spend some money on a set of JackPoint jack stands. They are big and expensive, but they allow you to put a stand on the same point as the jack, which is otherwise a huge problem on a Model S (you can't jack it up and then put a regular jack stand under it, as their is only a single jack point per corner and it's small).

I haven't done any of this yet, and I paid for it when I got a flat a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, it was close to home, and I had the car at home, but without a spare and without a JackPoint jack stand, I had no way to remove the wheel myself to get the tire replaced. I had to have Tesla bring in a flat bed tow truck to tow it somewhere to get the tire replaced. Ridiculous, indeed. But fixable with some money and forethought. Or just rely on road side assistance like most people probably do.

Can you provide a link for that compact that fits?

 

[stopcrazypp]

Can you provide a link for that compact that fits?

He is probably referring to this BMW spare mentioned in this link:
Compact Space Saver Tire/Wheel Solution

However, that is a while back when the car still had the "microwave" space in the frunk. Not sure if it still fits in the new frunk.

 

[TR5642]

He is probably referring to this BMW spare mentioned in this link:
Compact Space Saver Tire/Wheel Solution

However, that is a while back when the car still had the "microwave" space in the frunk. Not sure if it still fits in the new frunk.

Awesome, thanks. In my case, I have the older, roomy frunk. Frankly, I feel stupid that it didn't even occur to me until I read this thread that I could put a spare there. Doh.

 

[bob Blues]

i thought the tesla tires were run flats. Must have been mistaken

 

[stopcrazypp]

i thought the tesla tires were run flats. Must have been mistaken

Not run-flats, but some are special in that they have an acoustic foam liner in them. This is sometimes mistaken to be a run-flat, but it does not serve that purpose, only to reduce noise.

 

[ig_epower]

I was looking around for run-flats for my MS but I couldn't find one (size and load rating). I also heard they are extra-noisy! Sure would be a nice solution to consider.

 

[eloder]

I've never owned a car with spare tires.

What's the point of a spare tire? I don't see people carrying around spare engine blocks or spare spark plugs in case those parts fail. 99% of people will be under cellular coverage if an issue happens to them, and spare tires can be incredibly dangerous due to age and under-inflation after years of non-use and environmental exposure.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I've never owned a car with spare tires.

What's the point of a spare tire? I don't see people carrying around spare engine blocks or spare spark plugs in case those parts fail. 99% of people will be under cellular coverage if an issue happens to them, and spare tires can be incredibly dangerous due to age and under-inflation after years of non-use and environmental exposure.

Depends on what roads you travel, but a failed engine block or spark plug generally is a lot less likely than having a punctured tire.

Spare tires are useful when you have blowout, sidewall damage, or a large puncture that canned sealant or a plug will not fix. Yes, a lot people now just call a tow truck, but there are circumstances where this is not practical (in remote areas where your tire size may not be in stock at the shop in range or extremely late hours when shops may be closed).

I had a blow out late at night heading home from a trip. Given I had a spare, that only delayed me around 15 minutes for me to change the tire. Then I replaced the tire at my own leisure at a shop of my own choosing. If I didn't have a spare, I may be up hours and paying a lot more money to get a replacement tire (assuming there are shops in the area open late at night in the first place).

 

[Skotty]

Can you provide a link for that compact that fits?

Here it is. BMW X3 F25 Spare Tire Kit (Emergency Space Saver) : Bimmerzone.com

Price seems a tad steep. Maybe because it's BMW. Might hunt around to see if same spare is available through other outlets at lower price.

 

[kevintolson]

Does anyone know of a compact temporary spare tire than can be folded and stored in the trunk? The double-engine P90D has very limited space so I am looking for a spare tire option that is really compact and which I could use on both the front and rear 21" wheels.

Skotty - the BMW spare tires could be a good alternative to a full-size spare if it is already known to be used by Tesla owners. Would you happen to know the link to that BMW outlet?

 

[Skotty]

Does anyone know of a compact temporary spare tire than can be folded and stored in the trunk? The double-engine P90D has very limited space so I am looking for a spare tire option that is really compact and which I could use on both the front and rear 21" wheels.

Skotty - the BMW spare tires could be a good alternative to a full-size spare if it is already known to be used by Tesla owners. Would you happen to know the link to that BMW outlet?

The link is in the post right before yours. Unless that is not what you meant. Probably only fits in the frunk of earlier rear wheel drive models.