Must haves for New England?

[NikolaTs]

Taking delivery in a couple months of my first electric (AWD Y), and wanted to poll the north east community for suggestions of what you found helpful for dealing with our New England extremes: of weather, cost, etc. I know there are lots of new owner threads, but wanted to make a New England specific one.

For local items, I’m right around the 128 /95 belt of metro Boston near 90

Items I’m aware of and shopping around for but would love opinions on (additions to the list are welcome):

-paint protective film for salt/debris. at least on rear door panels, maybe front bumper
-better to go with Tesla’s $50 kit or an independent shop? If ind. shop, what ref can you give around MA. Not interested in a $4K ceramic or whole car wrap at this time

-all-weather mats for winter slush (5 seater)

-tint for front windows (and maybe roof?)
- I’m torn on this one, I like the look of a somewhat uniform looking tint front to back, and will be parking outdoors the next few years so in summer would appreciate the cooler car, but at the same time don’t want crazy dark tint for winter/night
- suggestions for shops to do a good quality tint for reasonable prices

- spare tire: does the car really come with no fix a flat or spare at all? Has this been an issue for y’all in pothole ridden northeast? I’ve seen modern spare mentioned here, any suggestions appreciated. Don’t want my family stranded on the side of the road with no way out without a tow

-mudflaps that can withstand frozen slush and low clearance

- no rinse wash, or good touch less car washes in the area for winter (not a super obsessive clean freak with cars, but it’d be good to rinse the salt off occasionally in winter without getting trim fog or other chemical damage to the car)

That’s all I can think of for now, appreciate your thoughts

 

[Tdreamer]

Regarding flats, that's because nobody wants to jinx themselves I've had one flat in 96k miles on my X in 3.5 years. I have the 20" wheels, not the low profile larger ones. The flat was a screw attributable to tornado debris on the interstate in Ohio in 2018 on my way through. I had the tesla compressor + goo can with me. Never used the goo; limped about 700 miles from Ohio to NJ with increasingly frequent stops to put air in until I just made it to a NJ Tesla service center who graciously gave me a loaner spare to allow me to finish my journey back home to New England. In hindsight, I'd probably consider a different/better inflation kit than what Tesla sells (mine has an intermittent power cord issue from day one), and would probably carry a plug kit for on the road repairs. Have yet to need roadside assistance, although that flat was a good candidate for calling for sure.

 

[HankLloydRight]

The only thing I haven‘t seen others mention in this thread yet is flat tires: I’m curious if roadside assistance can be relied upon quickly, or if I’d be smart to buy a spare and keep it in the subtrunk

AAA Plus.
I also take a spare on longer trips.

 

[EdA]

I kept my AAA and the one time I had a flat in my S (2013) I played AAA and Tesla Roadside service against each other. AAA won although they weren't quick at all.

 

[NikolaTs]

I kept my AAA and the one time I had a flat in my S (2013) I played AAA and Tesla Roadside service against each other. AAA won although they weren't quick at all.

Curious you all recommending AAA instead of the included Tesla Roadside. Doesn’t Tesla offer 500 miles of towing with their roadside assistance? Roadside Assistance

Or are they unreliable / too slow

 

[dhkaufman]

Regarding flats, that's because nobody wants to jinx themselves I've had one flat in 96k miles on my X in 3.5 years. I have the 20" wheels, not the low profile larger ones. The flat was a screw attributable to tornado debris on the interstate in Ohio in 2018 on my way through. I had the tesla compressor + goo can with me. Never used the goo; limped about 700 miles from Ohio to NJ with increasingly frequent stops to put air in until I just made it to a NJ Tesla service center who graciously gave me a loaner spare to allow me to finish my journey back home to New England. In hindsight, I'd probably consider a different/better inflation kit than what Tesla sells (mine has an intermittent power cord issue from day one), and would probably carry a plug kit for on the road repairs. Have yet to need roadside assistance, although that flat was a good candidate for calling for sure.

I had 2 flats within 2 weeks on the Model S this spring, neatly bracketing an 800-mile road trip out of state. The first one was a slow leak I noticed on Rt 128. Tire was down to ~35psi, we continued to our destination, filled the tire (with the stock Tesla inflation kit), drove 45 minutes back home, got the tire plugged. Then a week-plus later a different tire was stone flat when I pulled out of the garage. Pulled over before the end of the block, sent someone else out to get the takeout, filled the tire - I could hear it hissing - and limped back to the garage. Got the tire plugged the next day (but it was already flat again, I had to refill it).

I've carried the goo for over a decade in multiple cars but never used it. I've been told that it would clog TPMs, and makes a mess of the tire, so it's a last resort. If the tire doesn't hold air and I'm out of cell range...

 

[HankLloydRight]

Curious you all recommending AAA instead of the included Tesla Roadside. Doesn’t Tesla offer 500 miles of towing with their roadside assistance? Roadside Assistance

Or are they unreliable / too slow

The 500 miles is only for warranted breakdowns AND they only will tow you to the nearest Service Center. What if that SC is in the opposite direction of your house, which happens to be 10 miles further away? Also, if your car isn't under the factory or extender wartanty (ISA), you get nothing.

A warrantable breakdown of the car that renders it un-drivable.
Coverage: Transportation services of up to 500 miles to the nearest Service Center are provided.

The owner or owner-authorized driver of a Tesla vehicle covered by the New or Used Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty or Extended Service Agreement residing in a country where Tesla has an official Tesla Store or Tesla Service Center presence.

AAA will tow you anywhere you want up to 100 miles for free, regardless of breakdown. So if you happen to breakdown because of a warrantable cause, and the closest SC is convenient to you, call Tesla first.

 

[ArcticStation]

If you can afford to do so, buy a winter car (a "beater") to drive in the winter months. We have a reliable, ten year old hybrid that we bought new that is now our primary vehicle throughout Maine's winter. It sports Michelin X ice tires, and even though it is FWD, I feel confident driving it in anything Maine can throw at me. (Note that I do drive our LR RWD in winter, but normally only after the roads have been cleared and are relatively dry. The CrossClimate+ tires we installed on the Model 3 last October were fine last winter.)

So what happens when the hybrid finally dies five to eight years from now ? Based on past experience our current Model 3 will become our next "beater" and we will order something even more interesting as our primary car. I have used this approach for years and found it to be the best way, along with regular trips to the touchless carwash, to keep a car trouble free and looking good despite the chemical bath our cars receive on winter roads.